Not just another off-road trail, Butler Peak - 2N13B recently reopened after a forest fire ravaged the area. The trail has been closed for roughly 9 years and has been hiding one of the best views in all of the San Bernardino National Forest. This easy offroad trail takes you up to the fire lookout tower of Butler Peak which upon arriving at the top you have the opportunity to see as far as the eye can see in every direction. You can easily see Calico Mountains to the north, Big Bear Lake to the east, Riverside and Orange County to the south, and Lake Arrowhead and Mountain High to the west. To try and describe the beauty of the view is impossible, thus make plans and enjoy the stunning scenic views of Butler Peak Fire Tower.
Trail Difficulty and Assessment
Exclusive for our All-Access Members
Easily identify whether the trail is stock friendly
or not.
View 14 specific concerns along the trail such as
height and width restrictions.
Upgrade from free to our All-Access Membership and get
every detail, waypoint, photo, and more on every single
trail guide.
When you are an All-Access member, our trail guides
come with a short video of the author running the trail
to give you a visual understanding of what to expect.
Take 3N14 roughly 1.2 miles to the 2N13 cutoff on the left. Take 2N13 2.2 Miles to the Butler Peak Cut-off 2N13B
This trail is open part of the year but will close during winter. Contact SBFS for access information before making your trip.
Open Season:
Memorial Day - Labor Day
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
Not sure what is going on. I was up there on Sat and the gate was open as it was the week before. But quickly after the review stated the gate was closed. Not sure what changed or if temporary. But if you go, best call the discovery center first.
Looks like the trail connected to Butler peak got a lot of damage this winter. Not sure when they will open it, but hope they will soon. Such a cool place.
Neat trail with some beautiful views both along the drive as well as 360 degree views from the tower. Once you hit the actual Butler peak road, the trail does get a bit more rutted and rocky than the roads leading up to it, but there was nothing my totally stock 4Runner TRD Off Road couldn't handle with ease.
10/16/16
We hit the trail just outside of Greenville Lake via FS 3N16. Note that there are multiple signs stating that after 3 miles the road is closed. We however found that we could pass by where they were doing construction work, this was on a Saturday morning so please be advised WEEKDAY travel on 3N16 is not recommended as there will be crews there trying to work. We then continued on 3N16 and took to 2N13. Our original route was to take 2N80 however this road seems to be closed. 2N13(C) will dead end right at the parking for Butler Peak. Follow the short but steep hike up to the tower and take in the amazing views. Unfortunately for us no one was manning the tower so we had to enjoy it from the deck and were unable to go inside...if you catch it with someone there do go in and chat, the folks there are full of great information!
Do note that this road is used by many different types of backcountry explorers; Horseback, hiking, and motorcycles were all encountered so please drive carefully and in control.
First an off-road trip to the historical ‘Butler Peak Fire Lookout.’ The ‘aerial view’ of the Butler Peak Fire Lookout was provided by the ‘Camerajumper1’ YouTube channel
From the Community
Exclusive for our All-Access Members
Ask the author of a trail guide any questions you may have and
get a direct answer from the author and the community! One of
the many perks that come with an All-Access Membership.
Joshua Noesser grew up in Southern California but has lived in different parts of the country during his young adult life. Josh was first turned to four wheeling when he road with one of his friends dad up Surprise Canyon in the Panamint Valley at age14. After nearly 3 different roll overs later and a half dozen intense waterfalls, Josh was hooked. At 16 he purchased his first Jeep a CJ 7 and by 17 was putting his first locker in it.
Currently, Josh is the owner and CEO of Nybble, an IT Solutions Company based in Orange County, California. Nybble isn't your normal IT company where everyone stays in and plays video games. Nybble's average company trip is out on the trails since a good amount of his staff enjoy wheeling too. As Josh likes to say, he offers the only IT Company with the ability to provide services in extreme locations. "If you want a server at the top of The Hammers, we will take care of that for you."
Today you can find Josh out on the trail behind the wheel in one of his three different off-road vehicles. See the vehicles below for more information.
If you ever run into Josh, please say high, he is a very friendly person and is always happy to have a new person join the group.
By clicking "ACCEPT", you agree to be the terms and conditions of each
policy linked to above. You also agree to the storing of cookies on
your device to facilitate the operation and functionality of our site,
enhance and customize your user experience, and to analyze how our
site is used.