3N69 – Gold Mountain

Here’s a video detailing more on the current closure..

The forest service has deemed the San Bernardino Forest unsafe for public off-roaders to use until June 30th. For more information on this: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1095216.pdf If you disagree with the complete forest closure, please call (909) 382-2682 and ask to speak to the head ranger. You can also contact the head office in Washington,DC, and voice your concern there. (202) 912-7055 Another person you could contact your senator and express your feeling - (949) 598-5850 (Alex Padilla) or (202) 224-3121 (DC switch board) If you are unhappy with this at all, please make sure you sign up for the local off-road collations (Cal4wheel, and Corva). Feel free to reach out to them and ask what you can do. Cal4Wheel - (916) 381-8300 CORVA - 916-710-1950

This is such a fun trail to run in the winter. There was a snow storm in Big Bear the night before so the top of the mountain was covered in 6-7 inches of snow. The snow adds another level of difficulty especially on the two waterfalls and the switchback right before the top of the mountain, I ran the trail in about 2.5 hours in my JK Sahara without lockers. I have a 3” lift with 35” ridge grapplers at 18psi and never scraped the bottom. Still had to break out the winch a couple times but such a fun trail! The scenery in the winter is beautiful.

I just went on this trail again after doing it the first time back on July 2022. When I did it with a group for my first time, the waterfall and the V-notch were much smaller and easier to conquer but DAMN that has definitely changed and it's WAY more rutted out now in December 2022 than in July 2022. I would rate the trail a 6-7 difficulty back in July 2022 but for December 2022 I would now rate this trail a solid 7-8 difficulty just because the size increase on all the obstacles and boulders. My rig is a 2002 Chevy Silverado 1500 4WD extended cab and I'm running the below 6" RCD suspension 3" body lift 35" Mickey Thompson Baja Claw TTC Dual Fox 2.0 Factory Racing Shocks (front) Single Fox 2.0 Performance Shocks (rear) Eaton E-locker (rear) Yukon 4.88 gears and I still manage to break a rear lower shock mount, LOL

This was the first difficult trail i did in my 18 Tacoma and i had a blast it this by far is my favorite trail to do when I'm in Big Bear area.

Ran the trail over the weekend. It was a good time like always Someone cleaned up all the illegal bypasses. Hopefully, they keep it this way.

The trail is a blast. Ran it solo and didn’t have much problem in the rubicon. The gatekeeper is probably the hardest obstacle. Totally fun stuff the whole way through.

This trail was a world of fun. I ran it in conjunction with an overnight camping trip that was fairly last minute. Decided to pack up and head to Big Bear for the weekend and do an over nighter as well as run a Badge of Honor trail. This trail had it all. It was the first real test of the Gladiator since I bought it. I did other trails with it; this was the most challenging. The waterfall at the beginning was the most technical by far. I had to check my line a few times but in the end; it was well worth it. I got hung up once, because a rock shifted. Otherwise, no issues and well worth the trip.

Wow. What a great experience. This was the first difficult trail I’ve done and I’m really glad I did it with a group of experienced off-roaders (thanks SoCal Broncos!). This trail is pretty much all rock and all obstacles - like non-stop. Ran almost everything in 4L with both lockers used frequently (I’m a newb :-). The first shelf was definitely easier than the second one. The rock garden was fun, but not particularly hard. The hard corner was by far the most challenging part of the trail, at least for my ride. Anticipate that while you may be able to avoid the really hard lines (6s), you’re going to be running solid 4/5s the whole outing. There’s also a difference between running this on 35s+ vs. anything smaller. My Bronco on 33s touched way more than the guys with 35s who really didn’t. That being said, our group included a Base model Bronco on 35s (no lockers) and he did just fine.

My first Badge of Honor Trail. Was super crowded on this beautiful Saturday morning, lots of vehicles waiting to go up this busy trail. The trail itself, prior to any obstacles, is rough and rocky. Lots of great views open up pretty quickly as you gain elevation. My Jeep made it up the first waterfall without a problem, but could not get up the ledge of the 2nd waterfall without being winched up. The short wheelbase of my TJ just wouldn't get the traction needed. Next time I go, I will attempt the right line to get my revenge! LOL. The rest of the trail was fun and more rough rocky progress was made. Eventually we ended up at 3N16 and our day was done here on Gold Mtn. I want to come back and make it up the 2nd waterfall.

Great trail, tons of fun. Still challenging and fun for a built rig but also doable in a stock-ish rig. 3” lift and 31s will get you through with the right lines. “Hard corner” is pretty dug out, plan your lines carefully if you don’t have a locker

Ran with Jeep Jamboree group. Some challenging spots but they are overcome with good spotting. Fun train and great views.

Great trail!!! As described but if you take it easy and pick good lines, your fine. We did it in a completely stock ‘19 JKU Rubicon. We did take some bypasses though as we do not have a winch yet and did not want to chance getting stuck.

Super fun trail that was challenging enough to keep it interesting. Waterfalls are a bit dug out but with some choice lines it’s super fun. As mentioned in the previous review - the backside going to highway 18 was a quite icy but we managed to only slide sideways once haha. Made it down with some careful driving, a little sketchy but passable with cautions/skilled driving. 96’ Tacoma / 31.5” tires / open diffs / rock sliders + skids handled it well.

South side of the trail is pretty dry, but the north end has some iced over sections.

The back, downhill, section towards the end of the trail is a sheet of ice. Not sure if anybody has been down it lately. the group in front of us and our group chose to turn around at the top of the mountain after "Hard Corner." Proceed with caution and be sure to know what you're doing if you attempt the backside of the mountain. The photo below shows what the north trailhead looked like. The ice protrudes significantly into 3N16, and a vehicle could easily slide through the road and down the side of the mountain. The Gate Keeper is the hardest obstacle on the trail currently.

Great trail, it’s not difficult but it’s definitely it’s gotten harder since I ran it last, I agree bump it up to a 5 now because hard corner has gotten more dug out,

The trail continues to get torn up, rating stays the same but wont be much longer before getting knocked up to a 5

Had a great time on this trail. If your experienced or just interested in rock crawling but not sure if you’ll like it this trail is perfect way to test your interest. Not so much rock you feel overwhelmed or intimidated. Great for the experienced crawler with easy and harder lines to test you and your rig.

I've run this trail a bunch of times now as well as John Bull and Holcomb Creek. It's an excellent trail to get your feet wet into some of the harder trails in the forest. Dry, this trail isn't super hard. Wet in either the rain or snow and this trail is every bit of its hardest rating. I've used a winch a couple times in the wet. You don't need lockers to make it through this trail. I've done it open, front locked, and fully locked. There are parts where short wheelbase is your friend and others where long is best. That being said, this trail sees a ton of traffic and is way more torn up right now than it was at this time last year. Currently the two hardest parts of the trail are the gatekeeper and whats know above as "Hard Corner." The second waterfall used to be the hardest, but rock stacking has filled in the holes and made it fairly simple. The ledge on the gatekeeper has become super dug out and is far harder than anything you'll climb on the trail. Short wheelbase vehicles struggle here. My CJ5 struggles every time with it. "Hard Corner" is difficult just because it's technical. If you're on smaller tires, you'll need to pick a good line through here. Watch your tie rods and diff covers. This is definitely one of my favorite trails in Big Bear and super popular with others as well. Weekends it can get pretty crowded and backed up, so be prepared. With experienced drivers and no traffic, you can run this trail in about an hour or so. With traffic, expect two and half to four hours. During snow storms, this trail is jam packed. Be patient and enjoy watching people smash their jeeps up. A note on snow conditions on this trail. The descent down the backside of the mountain can be super icy during the winter and into spring as it holds snow far longer than the south side of the mountain. Give lots of space between rigs if there is snow present on the back side. I've slid into trees more than once going down in the snow. It's definitely a fun toboggan ride.

This was my first Badge of Honor trail since owning my JK. The trail pointed out some definite flaws on my rig and pointed to some much needed upgrades. This was my first time on a trail of this difficulty level. My group was made up of all rookies. The trail was fun, exciting, nerve wracking, and stressful all throughout due to out lack of experience. Make sure your rig has good clearance. Lockers can definitely help. Recovery gear is a must. No extra fuel is needed because the trail isn't long enough and it's not a long ride back into town. We started the trail in the early afternoon and ended up spending the night at the summit because we lost all of our daylight by the time we got passed the third waterfall. We all had a big sense of accomplishment upon completing the trail. Take is slow, take your time, and have fun. The trail is run from the South end to the North end. Don't be alarmed if you see someone turn around after the first couple of waterfalls (happened to us). Apparently that is common.

Hosted a "Newbies On The Rocks" run on Gold Mountain and it did not disappoint! Everyone had a great time on the trail and everybody made some great memories to share. Difficulty has not changed much but the last major obstacle ( AKA Hard Corner ) has gotten heavily dug out and proved to be probably the best obstacle on the trail! Always a fun time.

My first trail! What a great time. Lots of traffic at the beginning, but thinned out as we went along. Some pretty gnarly spots, but easy with a spotter. Obvious very quickly that the vehicle was equal to the task, the driver just needs to learn what she can do.

Nice trail, heavy traffic on a Saturday. We were 30 deep waiting for some groups struggeling on the second waterfall (we were still below the first obstical at this point). After about a hour and half, the trail opened up. We took the right line on the first and left line on the second. The 2007 JKU with 35's under a 2.5" lift went right up both without a hitch. I think by the time we hit those obsticals we just hit the gas and did not overthink the lines to allow some time to build seperation from those behind us. We had the top off, so the sounds on the rock garden were different than probably anything I've heard (kind of fun). I did have to back up on one hard right turn that had some pretty big holes, but second try no issues. Overall trail was in great shape and we had a great time wheeling as well a talking with everyone else waiting. This is a Jeep Badge of Honor trail so be sure to check in!

Good trail. Easiest of the 3 of the Badge of Honor trails. It was my first time doing it and looking forward to doing it again.

Super awsome trail by far the hardest I've done so far made a whole day out of it by going up burns canyon from pioneer town area to gold mountain the veiws on this trail are great as is the scenery the first water fall looked very intimidating but I made it up the left line with no issues the new front locker worked great the second water fall I took the far right line by the tree but that line is getting harder I think the hole there is getting pretty deep but still made it with no issues I will definitely be back here again and recommend it highly great confidence booster for me and my rig

This trail was great fun and posed a bigger challenge than I expected. My son and I ran this solo, but we started the trail ahead of a larger group, so we knew if we had any trouble help wouldn't be far behind. I let my son drive this one and he did great. Turned out to be a great challenge. The first waterfall was no problem. The second one definitely needed some finesse. The rocks are almost polished making the line on left extremely tough, We had to pick a new line. The rest of the trail wasn't difficult except the section after the rock garden. It's an aggressive ascent of the mountain with a handful of nasty ledges filled with big sharp rocks hungry for tie rods, diffs, and control arm mounts. We were fortunate to make it without any major damage. JKUR, 37s.

Super Awesome Tail! Very Challenging! Its got it all. Sand, Rock, Holes, Waterfalls etc. Another trail I ran solo but would be awesome to do with a group as I maybe would have taken some of the more difficult lines. I will definitely be back.

This was fun. First time crawling with my Jeep.

What a great trail. We ran this on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday I got behind a group that I ended up hanging out with all day. They had a ton more experience than myself and gave me some pointers... Being on 1tons with 40's and long arms and coil overs, the pointers were "point it where you want it to go, and go" Hahahaha! I learned a ton and feel so much more confident in what this machine can do now. Ran it again on Sunday solo and swept all the big obstacles with ease. It was definitely a little wet and muddy in a few spots but traction was not an issue for me. I watched some older rigs without lockers struggle a little bit and one guy did have to get winched up one of the first main ledges. This is probably my favorite "not afraid to run it solo" trail up in Big Bear now. Next on the list is John Bull. I can't wait to go again!

This is one of the coolest trails in the area and should be a bucket-list trail. Make sure to go in a capable rig and do not take the shortcuts. The bone yard is a great place to stop for lunch (you can turn around in this rock garden if you have to as the exit going uphill on the Northeast side is a bit tricky, especially if you are not a short wheelbase vehicle). Take your time with your lines, then once you are comfortable, drive it again and try the harder lines! Worth the drive to Big Bear even if just running this track alone. Lockers help but are not necessary. A decent lift and good tires will be needed. Sliders encouraged.

Always a "go-to" trail when you've only got a day to hit the trails. If you've anywhere within a few hours of Big Bear you definitely need to make the trip out to complete this one, and earn a badge! Here's the video from our trip.

Easy and fun!

Did the trail in a stock Tacoma 4x4 trd off-road and it’s by far the most exciting trail I’ve done in big bear and probably the most extreme that any stock truck can handle. The new gate keep was definitely a challenge and a great introduction of what’s to come, lucky we had a great spotter and got us right through no problem. Got stuck pretty bad (rear differential stuck on a rock) in the last hard corner and had to get winched back by the gladiator behind me picked a better line on the right and then made it through all right with no body damage

Fun trail. Loved the big rock garden. The sound they make while driving over the chunks of rock is really cool.

Little better look at the new rock garden on the trail.

Due to all the illegal bypasses showing up on the trail. Forest service and Bear Valley 4x4 are adding a gatekeeper to this trail to keep the people that shouldn't be on this trail off. It was this option or close the trail. So let's thank the Bear Valley 4x4 club next time you see them for helping keep things open. Remember, if you can't make the obstacles on any of the Big Bear Trails, just turn around and head back down. Don't be the person that gets the trail closed by making or taking an illegal bypass.

What a blast!! Took my stock Raptor up there and for being a "Black diamond," it wasn't too tough. Good obstacles and a fun rock garden. I did bottom out a couple of times and make sure you go slow over certain bit so that you don't damage too much. Beware full size truck owners, you will hit sh*t! Other than a couple of scrapes and a scratched up wheel, it was a blast. Definitely go with a group of experienced Jeep owners if this is your first time on the trail (like it was mine) and make sure you take the right line! Other than that, the Raptor killed it and was super fun hanging up there. Safe travels!

Went and ran the first couple obstacles really quick. Had to take off early because we had a meeting at noon. Cool little trail.

This trail is a blast! ...and that's coming from someone who had to replace an axle shaft after running it ;) We ran this in our JKU Rubicon with 2.5" lift and 35" tires. The first waterfall was easy. The second waterfall is a beast. When we got to that point, there was a line of rigs waiting to go through it. We watched one JK without lockers most likely also break an axle, and another Jeep in our group (a Grand Cherokee) had to be towed up it. We attempted the left line, but the weight on top/in our Jeep really wasn't making it easy on us, so we ultimately made it up the right line. The left line is the part we bent our axle flange on, but hey, good excuse to upgrade to Chromoly after we got home! The rock garden is unlike anywhere I've ever been, and I'm still kicking myself for not getting drone footage of that part! There was one other area where we had to winch the Grand Cherokee (maybe waypoint 5?). Overall, a really awesome trail and a great way to spend a day in Big Bear.

Great Trail!!! Lots of action and beautiful scenic views throughout the trail! It was extremely busy when we ran the trail. But once the groups ahead of us cleared out it was smooth sailing all the way through. Any high clearance 4x4 can do the trail with proper lines and spotting & and any highly modified rig will have a great time. Bring lunch cause there are some amazing spots to turn out and relax.

Trails was pretty good ! A lot of people out there including stock 4x4 !

Did a quick run down the trail. Took about 30 minutes. The trail is the roughest i have ever seen it. But with that said, there were several stock 4x4s on the trail.

We visited this trail when it had just rained/snowed the prior days. It was pretty much a cake walk except for the 2nd water fall. The ground was muddy and snow was melting and running down the rocks making it very slick. We managed to get our whole group through (3 tacomas, 1 4runner). The switchback that has the deep ruts was interesting because an f350 was high centered but we helped them get through no problem. The wet weather made the trailer harder which in turn made it much more fun!

Lots of snow up here. Had a great time making tracks in the fresh powder!

My brother and I ran this trail backwards on our way out of the Big Bear area and it was a lot of fun. We certainly had to take our time coming down the couple waterfall/ledges and could see it being even more difficult going up them. Overall it was a challenging trail that keeps you on your toes and delivers some great views too.

First rock crawling trail I’ve done. JKUR 3” w 33s. Had a skid system and it’s important to have one because I put some gnar gnar scrapes on it. Recommend putting some lca skids as I folded my rear drivers because I was too lazy to put the skids on before this trip. I used lockers, but probably because I need more trail time. Definitely would recommend for those starting into wheeling in the rocks. Note that the first challenging area there are a couple ways up, they seem to change in difficulty as people probably move the rocks around. For example, the far left side maybe easy one day, but hard the next as someone took the rocks from that side to place underneath their rig to go up the “harder” route. Pick a line that suits you.

As usual photos and videos do not do the trail justice. My group consisted of myself and another experienced driver and 2 beginners, one in a stock JK. For myself and the other experienced driver the trail was very engaging and entertaining. For the 2 beginners along with us this trail may have been almost impassable for them if not for the usaul spotting. Of all the obstacle the second waterfall posed the biggest issues. Attempting to get a stock jeep up the obstacle proved a task. Upon first inspection it appeared as the right line would be more manageable for the stock jeep but after may tries we eventual attached a winch to keep the group moving. But then after guiding several other rigs over the what appeared "harder" line on the left, looking back at the situation with the stock jeep. The "harder" line if done properly would have been the better choice over the deceptive "easy" line on the right. Overall a great trail.

Against the advice of others and my thrill seeking nature I took my 2011 Tundra DC up to tackle Gold Mountain. I had visited the trail before in my wife's stock 4runner and turned around at the gatekeeper not wanting to have to explain why her rocker panels had new custom bodywork but it looked do-able so I researched like crazy to see if anyone had squeezed a full size through but kept getting mixed reports or just "no, don't do it". Long story short, you can definitely get a big boy truck through the trail but your rig better be ready for battle. I've got a 2" lift with 35's, White Knuckle sliders and full skids and wouldn't have made it or even attempted to run it stock. First off, for a long truck the sliders are a must and not only prevent body damage but when you get used to pivoting off of them you can use them as a tool instead of just protection. Some parts are tight! I got a few more pinstripes from the narrow trails but I also ran it with a camper shell and awning attached so I needed to take a few sections a bit wider to keep from getting my awning from getting ripped off. So the verdict is YES you can take a full size through but make sure you've got at least a lift and some sliders because the potential for body damage is real. Oh yeah, ran with open diffs but lockers would have been appreciated, maybe next year...

This was my first time on a trail with this difficulty, luckily I met up with a group just getting ready to go and they let me follow along. Going with a stock rig made thing more challenging especially on the waterfalls, I would recommend a bit more clearance before attempting, I plan to go again after I do some upgrades. All in all great trail, beautiful views I had a blast

Great trail, but if you're going on the weekend get there EARLY or get there LATE. It gets insanely crowded. The majority of the trail is pretty moderate, but the two waterfalls are serious business. Unfortunately our lead routed us around the tailings pile, so I can't comment on that. You really should have, at minimum, a small lift and at least one locker for this trail. Otherwise you'll be in for a long day.

Had a ball with the group I was with! My favorite part is the Rock Garden....just sounds so cool and you feel like you are in another universe... (Okay, well at least I do!) Waterfall 1 was more difficult that I remembered (went up stock my first time) and Waterfall 2 was neat! Love that part! Lots of neat places to look at...didnt seem like there were too many places to stop and not be in someones way. It was VERY crowded the day we went, but it was also later in the morning!

Had a blast today on this trail. Had more issues just past the rock garden then on the water falls.. made it regardless.

Ran the trail with the new JLU, overall we made it with only a little dragging. But the holes have gotten a little deeper which I increased the rating to a 5, meaning a small lift will be required for some ground clearance.

Nice and easy trail for 4wd. Open diffs are ok with a spotter. I did 98% of it in 2 wheel. Lots of traffic on this trail. Fun way to get to John bull if you're headed that way.

Based strictly on the criteria in the ratings descriptions, I think the trail rating should be closer to 6-8 (plenty of spots with minimum 18” ledges, Do NOT attempt stock. Existing rating would be accurate without the waterfalls). Center line on first waterfall iscurrently the easiest and was no prob with 25psi, but going back down with my 35’s at 12psi caused a lot of dragging. The 2nd waterfall (uphill) gives no easier way around and is pretty dug out at the bottom. After trying a couple of times, the shadows were getting long, so we turned around. Definately have to give ourselves more time next try. :-))

Had a great time doing this for the first time. 2018 Ram Power Wagon with White Knuckle rock sliders. Power wagon climbed everything without breaking a sweat. I did come down on the sliders multiple times, they worked like a champ. Great trail, beautiful scenery. Fun and challenging. Best with buddies.

This is a great trail for newbies who have, at minimum, a 2" lift and rear lockers, and are accompanied by someone experienced on the trail. Newbs will learn about rock crawling and have a lot of fun at the same time. The first obstacle, along the easiest line, has a couple 24-36" shelves, and the second obstacle has lower shelves but is steeper and rockier.

Ran the trail with a larger group... A lot of fun. Surprisingly the trail was torn up a lot from just two weeks before that. #FalkenTires

I've never done this trail before and was really excited to cross it off my bucket list. Some of my friends said that it was chewed up, but they hadn't done it in a few years. I sustained a little bit of damage to my left rear quarter panel but other than that, I had no issues. There was a Jeep driver though that broke his rear axle on the 2nd obstacle.

Dropping the rating a little. The main waterfall is easier now. The middle line is the easiest, while the left is the intermediate line and the right line isn't much harder.

Conditions were amazing, trail was mostly dry with very little traffic

Gold Mountain is definitely one of my favorite trails. I have done this trail 4 times now. One thing that is unique about Gold Mountain is how much it can change in a short period of time. One trip, the far left line on the first waterfall is the "easy" line, the next trip it might be the hardest, depending on how dug out it is. One thing I like about Gold Mountain is that even though there are really only two main obstacles, plus the rock garden (a must), the majority of the trail will still keep you on your toes, having to pay attention...compared to other trails that might be rated more difficult but really only have 2 spots that are hard with the rest of the trail being easy. This is a great trail when newbies are ready for the "next step up" as it is challenging, but not overly difficult. I completely agree with the current rating of 4-6 out of 10.

I was house sitting my son's cabin in Big Bear this weekend and invited Robin and his wife up to check out the #1 obstacle on Gold Mountain. Robin is a new wheeler with a new Sahara. My thought was to park him and maybe continue up to the summit before turning around. I ran this trail in 2015 so I was amazed at how tough the trail itself has become in just two years. Arriving at the obstacle and giving it a careful walkover I decided to pass on traveling further without an experienced spotter to guide me through. This is tough!

We took a trip up to the 1st obstacle or #2 Waterfall to check it out. After reading the report here in T.O. and the assessed difficulty rating of 5-7, I had no intention of running the trail but as a new wheeler I wanted to calibrate myself to the rating system. the trail is marked at the bottom as Black Diamond and arriving in a stock Sahara at the Waterfall my first impressions was "No Way". My riding partner Dennis Clark, an experienced rider and a T.O. official crew member with a built JKU inspected closely on foot the potential paths through the Waterfall. "Not ever" was the verdict for the stock jeep. My feelings were that the 1.25 mile road to the first obstacle was challenging enough as I did scrap and dent the skid platting on the way there. So with that my calibration suggests at my level of experience I would not want to tackle a trail more then about 4 difficulty.

Top 5 Hard Trails in Big Bear

Another great trip up Gold Mnt. Can't wait till the next time.

Full trail video running it backwards

A little snow on the side of the trail, but mostly dry. We ran the trail, just before John Bull, with my JK and my brothers International Scout.

Ran Gold Mountain Backwards. Made for a good day. Trial wasn't to bad. A little torn up from the rains. The slick rock waterfall was very slippery. Besides that, we ran the trail in 45 minutes, so it was pretty navigable.

We had a great day out on the trail yesterday, weather was cold as expected and the trail conditions are currently wet, muddy, and about 1-2" of snow in some areas. Most of the melting snow on the trail itself had turned into ice, making going down hill quite interesting to say the least. The hard obstacles had no snow but the rocks were wet and muddy causing a lot of tire spin! Still passable IMO by a relatively stock 4WD vehicle. We had a Wrangler Unlimited with us that only had a 2" lift and slightly bigger than stock tires, by choosing the right lines he was able to get across the entire trail never needing to be pulled, not even stacking rocks. The bigger built rigs still had fun by choosing more difficult lines up the same obstacles. Visibility was amazing due to recent high winds that cleared out the smog in the distance and we were able to get some great views on our way up the switch backs.