Our family went on our first hike up Mount Rubidoux on Saturday.  Actually, the main trails that lead you up and down the hill are paved, so it was more like a steep walk.

There are two main trails, the “Up Road” and the “Down Road”.  According to the Friends of Mt. Rubidoux website, the Up Road is 2.25 miles long and the Down Road is 1.25 miles long.

We parked at the bottom of the Down Road on Glenwood Dr. and started making our way up toward the top.  This was a completely unplanned trip for us, so four of us ended up making the trek in flip-flops.  I recommend wearing shoes.  I also recommend bringing water since the only water fountains we found were at the bottom.

Even on a somewhat hazy day, the views at the top were worth the hike.  However, I was disappointed that the cross at the top of the hill was defaced by some graffiti.  Not a lot, but it looks like the cross has been repainted many times to combat the taggers.

Taggers: Is nothing sacred?  Shouldn’t a cross be off limits?

Aside from the graffiti and the tasteless (in my opinion) karaoke fliers someone left at the base of the cross, Serra Cross is a beautiful sight.

We will go back.

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Update: 08/16/2010

An interesting article from pe.com: “Permit parking sought by residents near Mount Rubidoux”

Looking for more hiking spots in and around the Inland Empire? Check out our list of Places to Hike in Riverside and Beyond.

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