May 2011 Santiago Peak Hike Diary

Santiago Peak hike is a 15 mile out-and-back trek along the eastern side of Cleveland National Park in south Orange County, California. Drive East on Trabuco Creek Road (image 1) for 4 miles. The road is open all year long but has water streams that make driving difficult during Fall and Winter.  Continue along this road and pass a white gate (image 2). The gate is usually open during Spring and Summer but it is often closed during Winter due to inclement weather. Always check with local authorities for road  access to the trail. Last February the  gate was closed and I ended up parking there and walking the last two miles.

Parking Lot

Once you get pass the gate, keep driving for 2 miles, go by the firehouse on the left side and park in the the parking lot (Image 3) just a few hundred yards away. Trabuco Creek Rd.  continues to the right but you must park there. Don't forget to display the adventure pass. Adventure passes can be purchased at any sporting goods store.

Start walking north through a narrow road, pass a number of houses/cabins to get to Holy Jim Trailhead (Image 4).

One of the things that got me confused when I started hiking Holy Jim Trail was the 'stop signs'. There are five Stop signs but none of them represent mile markers. In fact, they are just signs w/ information about the area and nothing else. Keep that in mind.

After crisscrossing the water stream 10 times  turn left into Main Divide Rd. This is about 1 mile into the hike. The trail continues up and around the hills for the next 3-4 miles into what I call 'Lower' Holy Jim Trail.

Once you pass the 4 mile marker and continue hiking for about 10 more minutes you get to Main Divide Rd. Turn right on on Main Divide Rd. and walk about 300 meters to Upper Holy Jim trailhead. Do not turn left on Main Divide Road or you will end up taking the longer road to the end of Upper Holy Jim Trail.

Upper Holy Jim Trail

Upper Holy Jim trail is the hardest section of the whole trail. It takes about another hour to finish. It's a very steep, narrow section with no shade. Upper Holy Jim trail ends at the top of a flat area (Image 5). There is nothing there but this is usually the spot where people end their hike, take a break and begin heading down. It took me 3 hours and 45 minutes to get to this point from the parking lot.

The Peak

To get to Santiago peak continue hiking on Main Divide Rd. for another 1.5 miles (see Image 6).

The road up here is in pretty bad shape so watch out for loose rocks. It takes about 1 hour to get to the top. Once at the top, there is a white gate to the left and a green building to the right. Turn left at the gate.

Remember to carry a mosquito repellent because there are plenty of mosquitoes at the top and without it you wouldn't be able to stand at the top for too long. Trust me, those flies can get on your nerves.

On the way down make sure you turn right on Main Divide after you pass the white gate. This section is confusing so make sure you do not continue forward on Main divide road to the north side of the mountain. Keep in mind that when coming down Main Divide Rd. the flat surface area (Image 5) should be visible.

The hike to santiago peak takes aproximately 4-5 hours one-way from the parking lot to the top of Santiago Peak (image 7). Make sure to take plenty of water, sun screen, a good pair of hiking shoes, hat, iPod, first aid kit, maps, cellphone, hiking socks, watch, pocket knife and a camelbak pak to put away all the stuff and water.There is always the risk of getting lost as you can easily miss the correct road at intersections. Thus, always look out for trail signs and waypoints when hiking. If you are not sure about the direction you are heading, do not panic, check your map, and carefully assess the situation before continuing on. Also, remember that it takes 4.5 hours to get to the top, so manage the time effectively when taking breaks and checking out the surroundings as you would require another 3-4 hours on the way down.

Having a watch is a great way to manage time during the hike. Simply keep in mind the amount of time you are spending on your way up. If you feel you won't be making it to the top on time, don't think twice and turn around. Start the hike early in the morning around 6-7am as this gives you more sunlight and spare time. Be prepared mentally and physically as this is one demanding hike.

These are just a few comments and guidelines learned during my two trips to Santiago Peak in February and May of this year. I'm pretty sure there will be more things to learn ahead as I continue hiking around Orange County and elsewhere. Hope you find this guide helpful.

This is a great hike in south Orange County. I hope u get to visit this beautiful area.