California · Trail 1W02

Wildhorse Peak

Wildhorse Peak Trail is a 10.1-mile trail in Cleveland National Forest, California. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking and horse and pack stock. It enters Agua Tibia Wilderness.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Cleveland National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.

Map

One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.

One end33.4564° N, 116.9716° W · Directions ↗
Other end33.3997° N, 116.9721° W · Directions ↗

The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start. The trail is recorded as 2 segments.

The trail

Length10.1 miles
Trail class3, developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade10-12 percent
Typical tread width18-24 inches
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityNot evaluated
Trail numbers1W02
ForestCleveland National Forest (unit 0502)
StatesCalifornia
Detail publishedmanagement level, with uses

Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Wildhorse Peak Trail40°50°60°70°80°January: 5.93 inches of precipitation, 6.2 inches of snowFebruary: 7.34 inches of precipitation, 10.6 inches of snowMarch: 4.61 inches of precipitation, 3.1 inches of snowApril: 2.00 inches of precipitation, 3.5 inches of snowMay: 0.89 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 0.17 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 0.29 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.68 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 0.48 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 1.21 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowNovember: 2.25 inches of precipitation, 0.4 inches of snowDecember: 4.56 inches of precipitation, 2.4 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 44.2°F averageFebruary: 43.6°F averageMarch: 47.3°F averageApril: 51.5°F averageMay: 58.8°F averageJune: 67.8°F averageJuly: 74.1°F averageAugust: 74.5°F averageSeptember: 69.4°F averageOctober: 59.9°F averageNovember: 50.3°F averageDecember: 43.7°F average0 in5 in10 in15 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Palomar Mtn Obsy, 8 miles from the trail midpoint at 5,550 feet, station USC00046657 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 30 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 26 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed year-round
Horse and pack stockAllowed year-round

A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.

Wilderness

Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.

Trailheads

Dripping Springs Trailhead
No season published
0.1 mi

Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date.

Trails nearby

Camping nearby

Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Greater El Cariso Rx

    26 mi from the trail midpoint

  • Wildfire
    Green

    46 mi from the trail midpoint · 55 acres

  • Prescribed
    Oak Woodlands Wcsl Rx

    48 mi from the trail midpoint

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.

Explore

Guidebooks for California

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Walkabout Northern California
    Tom Courtney, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Backpacking California
    Wilderness Press, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Coastal trails of Southern California
    Linda B. Mullally, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking northern California
    Bubba Suess, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail: Southern California
    Shawnte Salabert, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Wildhorse Peak Trail?

The Forest Service records 10.1 miles under this name in Cleveland National Forest, the sum of 2 segments.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Wildhorse Peak Trail?

Hiking and horse and pack stock are allowed. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Wildhorse Peak Trail start?

The line begins at 33.4564° N, 116.9716° W and ends at 33.3997° N, 116.9721° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is Dripping Springs Trailhead, 0.1 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Wildhorse Peak Trail in a wilderness area?

Yes. It enters Agua Tibia Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.

Source: Agua Tibia Wilderness

Where can I camp near the Wildhorse Peak Trail?

Dripping Springs Campground (0.5 mi) is within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists it with site counts and booking links.

Source: Campsite Atlas

How developed is the Wildhorse Peak Trail?

Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

How steep and how wide is the Wildhorse Peak Trail?

The typical grade is 10-12 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Wildhorse Peak Trail?

Cleveland National Forest, Forest Service unit 0502. The trail is in California.

Source: Cleveland National Forest official page

Is there a fire near the Wildhorse Peak Trail?

The interagency feed shows 3 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Greater El Cariso Rx at 26 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 2 segments named Wildhorse Peak in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0502. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.