mt. rubidoux

We enjoy visiting Mt. Rubidoux and hiking its many trails. We haven’t had any problems finding parking, but that might change due to a recent decision by the Riverside City Council to add new parking restrictions.

From the City Council and Redevelopment Agency Regular and Special Meeting Minutes for 5/10/11:

PREFERENTIAL PARKING ZONES – MT. RUBIDOUX – RESOLUTION
Following discussion, the City Council (1) adopted a resolution to establish a “No Parking Any Time, except for residents with permits” Zone […]

Where are the preferential parking zones?

From Resolution No. 22213 (click for larger image):

From a Public Works Department memo dated 5/10/2011 (click for a larger image):

Why did the City take this action?

From Resolution No. 22213:

WHEREAS, the staff received a petition from seventy-eight (78%) of residents on designated portions of University Avenue, Ninth Street, Tenth Street, Eleventh Street, Redwood Drive, Glenwood Drive, Mt. Rubidoux Drive and Loring Drive, requesting establishment of preferential parking zones; […]

Happy Hiking!… if you can find a place to park.

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.

Click on the thumbnails below to view full-size images: