Chino Hills State Park in Southern California has 90 miles of trails! So the question is: what hiking trail should you select? I find it very helpful to search through local blogs to get recommendations. This comes in handy to do the day before you set off for a hike to find information like parking, trail suggestions, how to find the trail you are looking for, etc! I went to the California Through My Lens blog (click here) and he recommended Bane Canyon Trail to see the spring wildflowers that are in full bloom. This was a great reference because the rolling hills in Chino Hills State Park were vibrantly green and the yellow wildflowers were a beautiful sight to see. There were not many poppies here, but the other flowers make up for that! A great spot to stop and take in the scenery is at a clearing by the towers. The open hills and snow capped mountains in the distance were my favorite view on Bane Canyon Trail. Here are some tips you will find useful if you decide to check out the park:
Parking
- Once you reach the sign at the entrance that says “Chino Hills State Park” drive on up the paved road. You will drive for several minutes before you reach the parking gate. Lots of people park on the street for free, but the walk to get to the gate from here is a pretty far uphill climb. Additionally, if you are taking the Bane Canyon Trail it is another few miles past the gate.
- Parking costs $5. Bring cash!
Instructions + Tips
- After you enter the gate and pay $5, proceed down the road for a few minutes and keep a look out on the right hand side for the sign that says Horse Camp. This is a dirt road. Proceed down the road until you see the parking lot. There is a trail marker clearly stating the routes you can take. I took Bane Canyon Trail. It is a 2.3 mile loop.
- There is path off to the right you will see at a clearing, which has more vibrant wildflowers and some fields of poppies.
- Wear long pants and bring a long sleeve shirt because the first half of Bane Canyon Trail is overgrown with tall yellow plants. They are gorgeous but if you want to protect your skin from ticks and pricks you better cover up!
- Keep an eye out for snakes! We saw a very large rattlesnake during our hike.
- Visit the Chino Hills State Park website for the most up to date park information.
Chino Hills State Park
Bane Canyon Trail: 2.3 mile loop
Trail Terrain: narrow first half, then widens, overgrown plants in the spring, small inclines, easy
Address: 4721 Sapphire Rd. Chino Hills, CA
Chino Hills State Park/ April 1, 2017/ © Jill E. Gallien
Hi Jill
Besides the mustard yellow plants, were there wildflowers and color other than yellow. I am going April 6th and hope to see some color like Josh showed in his photos. I saw Antelope Valley and the poppies, so I am not expecting to see that, just hoping to see more than mustard yellow plants.
Thanks
Linda
Hi Linda,
Thanks for stopping by! The mustard yellows were abundant and I will say that looking over fields of them was beautiful. There were some purple flowers and little bits of orange poppies. If you are looking for something other than the yellows I would highly recommend going to Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve and going on some of the side roads were the most vibrant color is. Some AMAZING photos I have seen as of late were at Carrizo Plain National Monument. Fields of purple, orange and yellow. It is a 3 hour drive from me so I haven’t made it there yet. I have also seen some great photos from Anza Borrego. Hope this helps! Happy super bloom hunting!