How many times does a temporary closure have to be renewed before you should plan around it as permanent? Cucamonga Canyon now has another Forest Service order, this one running from July 13, 2026, through July 13, 2028. The City of Rancho Cucamonga posted the extension this fall. The forest area above the Almond Street trailhead, including "Sapphire Falls," stays closed for two more years.
This was never meant to be a long-term arrangement. The San Bernardino National Forest closed the canyon to all public use on August 23, 2013, and Forest officials said the full closure was needed "until a management plan can be adopted." The City's own pages trace the orders since then. An earlier City notice linked Forest Order No. 05-12-53-24-01 and said the closure would last through May 2026. The current order, No. 05-12-53-26-02, is the newest in that series. By the time it expires, the canyon will have been closed for almost fifteen years. That is long enough to stop thinking of the closure as an interruption. Alta Loma's foothill access now works as a system: a short legal walk, a parking permit that is free for residents, and a county preserve a few miles east with stricter rules.
What the July 2026 Order Actually Draws
The order fits on one page, and its prohibition reads in full:
"Going into or being upon National Forest System lands within the Cucamonga Canyon Closure Area."
The boundary starts at the gate where Big Tree Cucamonga Road, Forest Road 1N34, meets the National Forest boundary. It follows the forest edge out to West Fork Cucamonga Road, Forest Road 1N35, and then comes back along Big Tree Cucamonga Road for about a quarter mile to the starting point. Only two groups are exempt: people holding a specific Forest Service permit, and officers or organized rescue and firefighting crews on official duty.
The signed order says a violation can bring a fine of up to $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization, up to six months of imprisonment, or both. Forest Supervisor Danelle D. Harrison signed it in San Bernardino on July 8, 2026. The order gives public safety as its purpose. The Forest Service also keeps an alert page for the closure.
What's Left at the End of Almond Street
The order closes the forest beyond the trail. It does not close the trail's lower stretch. In April 2014, the Forest Service reopened the trail from Big Tree Road to the stream crossing, and the City's 2026 notice says that arrangement still stands.
So the legal outing from the Almond Street trailhead is a walk up to the water and back. It is not a canyon scramble. Old photos and directions to Sapphire Falls still circulate, and a visiting relative may ask about them. Under this order, that route stays off-limits through July 2028.
A Permit System Built Around Residents
The City runs two paid parking areas: the Metrolink Cucamonga Station and "Cucamonga Canyon – limited parking on Almond Street." The canyon lot sells only daily permits. The two rates are far apart.
The City's permit vendor lists the canyon permit at $20 per day for nonresidents and $0 per day for residents who register their vehicle. Permits are bought online through ParkRancho.com and have to be printed and placed in the window. There is no kiosk at the lot, cell service up there is limited, and the vendor says there are no refunds. The vendor also says the area can close and tells buyers to check with the Rancho Cucamonga Fire District before purchasing.
That makes the canyon trailhead one of the few paid parking spots in the city where a local pays nothing. A friend from out of town who parks at the same lot pays $20 and has to print the permit ahead of time.
The streets near the trailhead have their own rules. The City's Parking Services page lists two residential permit districts right beside the canyon:
- Skyline Road and surrounding streets, north of Almond Street and west of Sapphire Street: Skyline Road, Inspiration Drive, Crest View Place and Crest View Court
- Almond Street and Via Serena, north of Hillside Road and east of Sapphire Street
Residents of a permit district can get special permits that exempt them and their guests from certain on-street restrictions under Section 10.50 of the municipal code. The City lists a $75 fine for a permit-parking violation, with a $42 late fee if the citation isn't paid within 30 days. Asked whether overnight parking is allowed at the canyon, the City's answer is one word: "No." Rancho Cucamonga Police enforce canyon parking on an ongoing basis.
The Foothill Hike With a Destination Moved East
If you want a longer foothill outing, the nearest managed option is the North Etiwanda Preserve. San Bernardino County Special Districts runs it through County Service Area 120. The City's 2023 Etiwanda trails plan names the Etiwanda Falls Trailhead among the trails north of the city.
The preserve has different rules from Almond Street, and they matter before you load the car.
| Almond Street canyon lot | North Etiwanda Preserve | |
|---|---|---|
| Managed by | City of Rancho Cucamonga | San Bernardino County Special Districts |
| Resident parking | $0 with registered vehicle | Same rates for everyone |
| Nonresident parking | $20 per day | $4 under four hours, $7 for four or more |
| Frequent-visitor option | Daily permits only | $90 annual pass, $55 veterans annual pass |
| Hours | No overnight parking | Sunrise to sunset, gates locked at closing |
For an Alta Loma household, the preserve costs a few dollars more per visit. The bigger difference is the list of rules. The preserve rules page prohibits dogs, horses, mountain biking, off-trail blazing, overnight parking or camping, and fires. The County explains that the preserve protects a rare Riversidean Alluvial Fan Sage Scrub plant community and the rare and endangered species living in it. In a neighborhood with as many horses as Alta Loma, the no-horses rule rules out the preserve for a lot of trail outings. Gates lock promptly at closing, and the County says cars left after hours can be cited, impounded or towed.
The County has kept up the site. New educational signs went in at the preserve on November 21, 2025. The preserve can also close on short notice. A City notice closed it from 6 a.m. February 18, 2026, to 6 a.m. February 20, 2026, during a rainstorm, and the County's schedule now shows normal sunrise-to-sunset hours again. As winter approaches, check that page before you drive over.
Closer to Home, the Creek Corridors
With the canyon shut above the stream crossing, the longest continuous walks in Alta Loma run downhill along the creeks. The City's Alta Loma trails plan lists three connected existing trails:
- Demens Creek Trail, 2.0 miles from Ram Court to the Cucamonga Creek Trail
- Cucamonga Creek Trail, 2.5 miles from Confluence Park to the Pacific Electric Trail
- Pacific Electric Trail, 2.9 miles from the Cucamonga Creek Trail east to Deer Creek
Together they make about seven miles of continuous trail starting from a cul-de-sac in Alta Loma. You won't pay for parking, buy a permit, or find a gate locked at sunset on that route. Demens Creek also runs past Heritage Park, where the City finished a replacement multi-use bridge with pedestrian, equestrian and vehicle access and ADA-accessible paths. That bridge lets the creek trail and the park work as one route again.
Before You Drive Up This Fall
A short checklist for a canyon trip:
- Register your vehicle with the City's permit vendor so the $0 resident rate applies, then print the daily permit at home.
- Check with the Rancho Cucamonga Fire District before buying, since the vendor warns that the area can close and permits are not refundable.
- If guests are meeting you there, have them buy their own $20 permit or park legally somewhere else. The Skyline Road and Almond Street/Via Serena permit districts are posted and enforced.
- Turn around at the stream crossing. Everything past it is inside the federal closure area until July 13, 2028.
This post is general information about posted public rules. It is not legal advice, so check the City, County and Forest Service pages linked above for current terms before you go.
If you're thinking about how a home near the Almond Street trailhead or one of the creek trails fits your plans, Gregory Shipp knows these foothill streets block by block and is happy to talk it through. Schedule a free consultation.
