Strawberry Peak

Strawberry Peak is one of the SoCal Six-Pack of Peaks. There are 2 main trailheads to reach the summit; Colby Canyon and Redbox Canyon. A full 360 view here at 6142 feet up! Find the wooden sign and snag a picture.

Colby Canyon is considered the mountaineers route due to the Class 3 scramble at the top. This route is not for the faint hearted or those afraid of heights. In just a little over 3 miles you will gain roughly 2700 feet of elevation. The beginning is a windy trail which leads to some switchbacks up to the split off. Here you have the choice to go left towards Josephine Peak, straight to loop around Strawberry Meadows to the other(easier side) or a hard right up towards Strawberry Peak. This is when it gets exciting! About a half mile up you encounter the first scramble. This section is much easier than what lies ahead, but still can be tricky. As always, aim to get higher in elevation to be able to spot the “trail” or more flattened areas where you can see other hikers have been. We did our best to follow AllTrails and the path which seemed safest to me. It wasn’t super easy to stay on the AllTrails route, but we got over it fairly quickly and found the dirt trail once again. Follow along this bush whacking, thorn filled trail for a little more than a half mile until you reach a small boulder

field at the base of the final scramble. Now the fun begins! From here we chose the safest, most manageable route which had small arrows painted on the rocks to ensure we were headed the correct way. We then saw some more paint which read “Camper Ken”. This is the spot you need to climb up. If you go further/right instead of heading up you will see a painted U-turn arrow telling you to turn around. At this spot you are about 200 feet shy of reaching the peak, so just slowly and safely make your way up and you’ll find the dirt trail to take you right to the summit. This will be a slow moving hike/climb so plan accordingly. About 6.7 miles roundtrip and took us a little over 5 hours with about 4 hours of actual moving time. We only saw 2 other hikers back near the trailhead upon completion.

Redbox Canyon is most definitely the more popular way. It is much easier due to no class 3 scrambles nor is it the same amount of elevation gain. The total miles is not even a half mile longer, but the elevation gain is much more gradual. A little under 3.5 miles to get to the top and only 1850 feet of elevation gain. In the first 2 miles it’s roughly 800-900 feet gained and then the final mile is where the “hard” work of gaining about 1000 feet of elevation happens. The trail is very easy to follow along and even offers a couple other trails to add miles or to add another peak or 2 if you’d prefer. Josephine Peak and Mount Lawlor are both manageable to add for any avid hikers out there. When you see a large fire road going straight up to the right and out to a lookout to the left, head slightly to the right and you’ll see the trail continue past the fire road. Once you are on the final stretch it would help to have shoes with good tread as well as some trekking poles. This climb may not be easy for beginner hikers or anyone not in great shape….But don’t give up! Keep a steady pace and take breaks when needed. I think this hike can be done by anyone as long as they have the right mindset. Don’t let the false peaks fool you as there are a couple of them. We did this route in 3 hours moving time. Also we encountered at least 80-100 people on a Saturday so be mindful and respectful of others.

Adventure Pass is needed to park at both trailheads. Don’t forget to bring plenty of water and snacks if you need some energy. Both trails are very sun exposed so have sun protection and extra water for this matter. Dogs are allowed on leash. Don’t forget, if you pack it in, pack it out! NO TRASH left on trails. Let’s keep nature clean!

Tag me on Instagram @likes.to.hike or hasthtag #likestohike