Hike Crafts Peak San Bernardino National Forest, CA

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Crafts Peak is a minor summit in San Bernardino National Forest outside of Big Bear that offers a nice overlook toward the surrounding mountains. The trailhead is located just outside the Green Valley Campground, and the camp host informed me that I had to park there and walk through it to get to the trail since day use is not permitted within the campground.

The route to Crafts Peak follows a closed dirt road nearly the whole way. While technically I suppose this makes it a hiking “trail”, it felt more like a standard forest road walk. The forest was pretty enough, views opened up higher up, and granitic formations punctuated the landscape, but I wouldn’t call it an exciting outing.

After a straightforward and gradually ascending walk up a broad drainage, the trail climbed out of the trees and started wrapping around some open slopes with nice views of the surrounding mountains, where I could make out the San Gabriels with Mount San Antonio in the distance as well as San Gorgonio Mountain poking out on the horizon.

I kept following the road/trail as it wound gradually toward Crafts Peak. There was a small dip before the final push, and then the road got noticeably steeper. Eventually, the trail made it up to the north side of Crafts Peak at a shoulder. The road dipped down here, but the hike to Crafts Peak requires taking a social trail cutting off to the right, etched clearly through the brush. It was easy to follow and a nice change from the road, albeit short-lived.

To the south, I could see Slide Peak and Keller Peak, both scorched in last year’s fire, and the fire tower atop Butler Peak to the northeast. I’d actually reached Butler earlier in the day via a forest road from the opposite direction, after deciding the traverse from Crafts Peak would’ve meant a pretty brutal bushwhack. Judging by the terrain I could see from here, that had definitely been the right call.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)

Peaks on hike

Elevation

Prominence

Crafts Peak

8365 ft

418 rise

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Required to park outside of the campground and walk through it.

Along the Crafts Peak Trail, just a closed dirt road for almost its entirety.

Pretty forest, but not exactly the most exciting hike.

Ascending out of the forest.

the trail wraps around slopes with some open views of the surroundings.

View back, San Gabriel Mountains in the distance.

Mount San Antonio in the distance, Lake Arrowhead seen a bit closer.

Continuing along the road/trail toward Crafts Peak.

A small dip in the trail before the push to the summit.

Steeper section along the road/trail.

View back, San Gorgonio Mountain in the distance.

Up to the north side of Crafts Peak.

View back from the shoulder on the north side.

At the shoulder. The old road dips left, but a social trail is seen on the right etched through the brush.

Easy to follow social trail through the brush.

Crafts Peak summit, view northeast toward Butler Peak.

Butler Peak along the ridgeline. That would be a horrible bushwhack, no thanks.

View south toward Slide Peak and Keller Peak

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!