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Hard Hiking Trails near Riverside

The directory currently contains 5 quality-checked routes matching this guide near Riverside. Their average mapped distance is 68.6 km and average recorded ascent is 1,346 m (4,416 ft); the longest route in the set is 207 km.

This subset represents 16% of the 31 quality-checked routes near Riverside. Its average distance is 68.6 km, compared with 13.7 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 1,346 m (4,416 ft), versus 323 m (1,060 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

This set contains routes rated hard or expert from their available distance and elevation measurements. Within this set, 0 routes (0%) are rated easy, 5 (100%) are rated hard or expert, and 0 (0%) are recorded as loops. Ratings are computed from available distance and elevation data and do not establish current terrain or access.

Data refreshed September 2026

Choose by the details

How do these routes differ?

A closer look at the first 5 routes in this page’s default ordering. These comparisons describe this sample, not the entire destination or a field-tested recommendation.

Shortest mapped distance in this sample

13.0 km

Crafton Hill Trails

Compare the climbing too; shortest does not necessarily mean easiest.

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

451 m

Bonelli Trail

5 of 5 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.

Return logistics

0 recorded loops

Check start and finish for every option. An unknown shape does not mean a loop, and a loop does not establish access to its start.

Plan the return journey →

Distances follow stored route lines; ascent and time are estimates. Current access, surface and technical difficulty need separate checks. How to turn a comparison into a shortlist.

Trails

Expert

California · United States

Distance
207 km
/ 128 mi
Elevation gain
3,624 m
Typical duration
54 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Expert

California · United States

Distance
61.1 km
/ 38.0 mi
Elevation gain
823 m
Typical duration
15 hr
  • River
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Expert

California · United States

Distance
47.3 km
/ 29.4 mi
Elevation gain
1,056 m
Typical duration
12 hr
  • Mountain
Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park San Dimas, CA 91773
Hard

California · United States

Distance
15.2 km
/ 9.4 mi
Elevation gain
451 m
Typical duration
3 hr 50 min
(1 in a multiple picture set) We have several areas around us with this gently rounded hills. This picture is in a section of land called Crafton Hills. I always like to photograph the mounds when the new sun is low and the shadows give dep
Hard

California · United States

Distance
13.0 km
/ 8.1 mi
Elevation gain
778 m
Typical duration
3 hr 52 min

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
PCT - California Section CCalifornia207 km3,624 m54 hrExpertJuly to September
Santa Ana River TrailCalifornia61.1 km823 m15 hrExpertJuly to September
Schabarum-Skyline TrailCalifornia47.3 km1,056 m12 hrExpertApril to October
Bonelli TrailCalifornia15.2 km451 m3 hr 50 minHardApril to October
Crafton Hill TrailsCalifornia13.0 km778 m3 hr 52 minHardApril to October

PCT - California Section C, Santa Ana River Trail, Schabarum-Skyline Trail currently rank highest in this filtered set according to the directory score. Open an individual route to inspect its mapped line, elevation profile, data source and planning caveats. Check live access, conditions and local rules with an official source before travelling.

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