With the news of gold, came miles of crudely constructed mining roads, often right on top of early Indian or wildlife trails. Interestingly, it took wagons 29 days to travel from Los Angeles to Holcomb Valley to re-supply the miners. Today, you can pass through these same trails in a day. To take advantage of the open trails in the San Bernardino National Forest, we loaded up our 5.6L-equipped Nissan Pathfinder LE 4x4, and headed for Big Bear, a winter-retreat located at the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains.
While much of the gold mining operations in Holcomb Valley have long been abandoned, there is still some active mining happening in select areas and more importantly some amazing historical artifacts to see. If you're there just for the trails though, the San Bernardino Mountains is awash in them, although fire has closed several of the better-known vistas. Some trails are rated as difficult, requiring lockers and more, while others can be tackled in near stock SUVs. In Holcomb Valley, for instance, you can even drive your RV into the main overnight camping area off Trail 3N09 (Van Dusen Canyon Rd). The fire roads there are well maintained and very scenic. The Holcomb Valley area is also remote enough from distant civilization to catch a shooting star at night, and hiking and biking trails are everywhere.
 Life on the mountain was tough....  Life on the mountain was tough. Here lies Ross, who was killed while cutting down a tree back in the 1800s. |  This miner's cabin from the...  This miner's cabin from the 19th century offered a clue as to how the men and women in the town of Belleville lived. |  |
Gold Fever TrailThe Gold Fever Trail is actually a wide fire road that required nothing more than a good set of tires. Fire roads are fine for the experience; we weren't in a hurry and there were more challenging trails to attempt later in the day. Traveling fire roads can be relaxing and a diversion enjoyed by the whole family. Not everyone likes to rock crawl and the worst that can happen is a tire puncture. So don't discount Gold Fever Trail, if not just for fun.
As we stopped by each of the designated historical markers, placed by the Forest Service to highlight the pioneers' significance there, we got a sense of how demanding mining life must have been, especially during the freezing cold winter months when snowfalls blanket the mountains. The area also has its share of wildlife, like deer, cougar, coyote and such. But in the 1800s, grizzly bears were the dominate predator and miners had to keep an eye open even around their campsites. There are 12 historical markers in all, and each has a different story to tell about the early miners who lived and worked there. Gold Fever Trail takes you back to the boom days of Belleville when Two Gun Bill's saloon and Hangman's tree existed. According to early records, the San Bernardino Mountains had its share of outlaws and claim jumpers, and justice was served up swiftly.
Jacoby Canyon TrailAfter our brief tour, we decided to continue to Jacoby Canyon Trail. This trail was rated as moderate, with a few narrow stretches and some rocky step obstacles. There was nothing too difficult, although you didn't want to get too comfortable behind the wheel. You can access the trailhead off Highway 18 or you can start at Trail 3N61, which for us made sense because we had explored the Doble Mine at the summit when we dropped onto the trailhead.
Jacoby Canyon is a short 2.9-mile drive, and you can probably cover it in about an hour. We hiked the boulder outcroppings so it took us twice the time to make it out to Highway 18. Only licensed vehicles were allowed on this old mining road, a restriction put in place to limit traffic congestion and to protect the environment.
The Pathfinder had minor trouble on this trail. We managed to get the A-arms wedged on a boulder and smacked the rear differential a few times too many, but overall it was fun to drive. The BFGoodrich T/A KOs worked as expected, crawling over most everything in our way.