Riverside Ridge Ride 2026: San Jacinto Mountains

SCORCH is heading into new territory for our fall ride with a high-country adventure through the San Jacinto Mountains. Riverside Ridge Run is a single-day journey that climbs from the valleys into the mountains, trading chaparral for pine forest as we gain thousands of feet in elevation and follow rugged ridgelines with sweeping views across Southern California. It's our first ride on these trails in the club's 11 years, so come make history with us while getting above it all.

## THE ROUTE

Average difficulty 3 out of 10. Great for beginners. Some optional challenges.
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We roll out at 9am after airing down and a drivers meeting at the meetup point located at the start of Thomas Mountain Truck Trail in the aptly named town of Mountain Center. Type "Hop Patch Spring Rd & Thomas Mountain Truck Trail" into your nav to get there.
We'll immediately cross into San Bernardino National Forest and start making our way up a windy mountain trail. Small ruts and scattered small to medium rocks will be our main obstacles for most of the day as we head from east to west. About 10 miles in we will hit our high point for the day at 6,800 feet.
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Around 15 miles in, we will run onto Rouse Ridge and make our way along the spine of the mountains heading deep into the San Jacinto Wilderness Area. The trail will twist and turn while offering stunning views on both sides. We'll stop for a long lunch and hangout in the woods, miles from civilization.

After packing up, we'll cover another 15 miles while winding our down the mountains as we make the twisty descent into Hemet. Those last several miles offer incredible panoramic views over a maze of rugged canyons and folded ridgelines, with the valley floor spreading out thousands of feet below and mountains stacked across the distant horizon.

We will touch down right at the 74 freeway outside of Hemet. The entire ride will take 4-6 hours depending on trail conditions and how long we stop for (planned and unplanned). The trail was scouted in late September but the high altitude could bring trail altering rains before the actual ride day in November.
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All told, we will cover about 33 miles, climb a total of 4k feet and drop about 6'500 overall. We'll organize an after-ride meetup at a bar in Hemet if enough people are interested in a post-ride drink or bite together.

4WD, high clearance (compared to a sedan), and functional tow points are required. Much of the trail can be handled in 2WD but not all of it. Loose sand on climbs and descents are common. Though the trail is not particularly steep, make sure you have decent treads on your tires. Lockers are NOT required.

## BE PREPARED

Here are some recommended items to bring along. We get a little kickback from Bezos if you buy any with our links. You can also visit our store for more gear suggestions.

• Food for day-tripping
• VHF Radio ( good one / better one )
• A Camp Chair for Chilling ( good one / better one)
• Sunscreen (yes, you can burn at 6,500 feet in November)
• Water
• Tools if you got them so we are prepared minor breakdowns

## THE DISCLAIMER

SCORCH organizers are not responsible for any damage to your vehicle or person before, during, or after this event. Off-roading carries inherent risk and requires preparation, awareness, skill, and personal responsibility. Participate at your own risk.
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4WD vehicles with functional tow points are required for this ride.
Drivers who operate recklessly, disregard trail etiquette, or create unsafe situations for others will be asked to leave and may be removed from future SCORCH events.