Adopted:
Tip Top Mountain in 2002
Lower larga Flats in 2023
Road #s:
Tip Top Mtn : 2N90 (2N90A, 2N90B, 2N90C)
Lower Larga Flats: 2N06X
Coordinates:
Tip Top Mtn: (34 15.3000, -116 42.6500)
Lower Larga Flats: (West side off 3N16 at 34.289283, -117.036250 and East side off 3N93 at 34.281350,-117.004667)
Elevation:
Tip Top Mtn - 2N90 @ (6,750 ft)
Lower Larga Flats - 2N06X @ (6,349ft)
TIP TOP MOUNTAIN TRAIL
Tip Top was mined for its silver, lead, and traces of gold from 1874 to 1892, again in 1910 to about 1920 and as recently as 1951. The oldest mine on the summit of Tip Top was the Tip Top Silver Mine, then the name was changed to the Summit Mine and then changed again to the Silver Dream. The names of four other mines that were worked on Tip Top were the Sitting Bull, Blowout, Lone Star and Red Warrior. These were short lived unprofitable ventures.
In the valley below Tip Top Mountain was the Rose Mine which was one of the major producing gold mines in the mountains. The mine's name is derived from the high iron content of the soil which gives the ground in the area a dull rose coloring. Nowhere else in the San Bernardino mountains was gold found so heavily mixed with iron. The Rose Mine operated from 1887 till around 1912. In 1887 it was called the Homestead Mine and then in 1889 the name was changed to the Rose Mine. In 1891 a 5 stamp mill was erected to process the ore and in 1897 a new 40 stamp mill with 6 cyanide tanks was built. The main shaft of the mine was below the stamp mill and went down 400 feet with a network of tunnels at the 350 & 400 foot levels. Some exploratory work was done in the 1920's & 1930's but no new ore bodies were found. Around 1933 the stamp mill and all of the equipment was scrapped. There was a small village at the mine which consisted of 12 wooden buildings. One building being the store/post office, another the school and the other buildings were occupied by the mine personnel and their families. Through the years these buildings gradually disappeared; some of them destroyed by fire.
This is rated as a Black Diamond trail by forest service standards and a 2+ by Capo Valley Four Wheeler club standards. No camping facilities are available. Pack it in and pack it out. There are mine openings but they have been sealed to keep people out but let wild life come and go.Tip Top was mined for its silver, lead, and traces of gold from 1874 to 1892, again in 1910 to about 1920 and as recently as 1951. The oldest mine on the summit of Tip Top was the Tip Top Silver Mine, then the name was changed to the Summit Mine and then changed again to the Silver Dream. The names of four other mines that were worked on Tip Top were the Sitting Bull, Blowout, Lone Star and Red Warrior. These were short lived unprofitable ventures.
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USGS Topo Maps: Rattlesnake Canyon, & Onyx Peak Quadrangle, 7.5-Minute Series
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Forest Service Off-Highway Vehicle Guide San Bernardino National Forest year 2005
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Forest Service Motor Vehicle Use Map San Bernardino National Forest year 2009
This is a 3.2 mile trail it can take several hours depending on your equipment and abilities. Be ready for off-camber areas, big large rocks throughout the trail and lots of flexing of your vehicle. This is rated as a Black Diamond trail by forest service standards and a 3+ by Capo Valley Four Wheeler club standards. It is one of the harder trails in the forest. Be ready for break downs. No camping facilities are available. Pack it in and pack it out.
Guide Maps:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5202570.pdf
Lower Larga Flat is covered by the Butler Peak, CA US Topo Map quadrant
Forest Service Off-Highway Vehicle Guide San Bernardino National Forest year 2005
Forest Service Motor Vehicle Use Map San Bernardino National Forest year 2009
LOWER LARGA FLATS TRAIL
This is a 3.2 mile trail it can take several hours depending on your equipment and abilities. Be ready for off-camber areas, big large rocks throughout the trail and lots of flexing of your vehicle. This is rated as a Black Diamond trail by forest service standards and a 3+ by Capo Valley Four Wheeler club standards. It is one of the harder trails in the forest. Be ready for break downs. No camping facilities are available. Pack it in and pack it out.
Guide Maps:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5202570.pdf
Lower Larga Flat is covered by the Butler Peak, CA US Topo Map quadrant
Forest Service Off-Highway Vehicle Guide San Bernardino National Forest year 2005
Forest Service Motor Vehicle Use Map San Bernardino National Forest year 2009
For info on the adopt a trail program and a list of adopted trails go to the forest service website http://www.sbnf-adopt-a-trail.com