Lake Gregory Trail Guide

Lake Gregory Trail, in the San Bernardino National Forest, is a scenic trail based around Lake Gregory that can be enjoyed be hikers of all levels.

The trail itself is around 2.5 miles in length and can be enjoyed year-round, although for the best views the summer season is favorable.

The summer season guarantees greater visibility of what are breathtaking views around Lake Gregory, with a variety of wildlife and fish frequenting the area to add to its appeal.  

Getting to the Trail

Getting to Lake Gregory is easy enough. From I-210 in San Bernardino, take the Waterman Ave/Highway 18 exit (76) and head north for 11.2 miles to the Highway 138 interchange.

Follow Highway 138 north for 1.1 miles to Lake Drive (signed for the regional park.) Bear right on Lake Drive and follow it 1.1 miles to Lake Gregory Drive. Turn right and go 0.2 mile to San Moritz Drive.

Turn left on San Moritz and park at any of the small turnouts on the left side of the road. If you are just planning on walking around the perimeter of the lake, limited free parking is available on San Moritz Drive, on the lake’s south shore. There is no cost for this but parking elsewhere may require payment so be sure to ask or check signage. 

The Trail

The area is small but beautiful, and Lake Gregory makes a nice destination summer days when the Inland Empire heat hits triple digits.

It also is low enough in elevation (4,554 feet) that snow is unlikely to accumulate to the point where it makes walking around the lake difficult.

The lake itself is named for Redlands developer Arthur Gregory, Sr. who helped finance the dam at the north end.

While it’s mainly known as a boating, fishing and swimming destination, the 2.5 mile loop around the lake, complete with fitness stations, is a draw as well.

Veteran hikers visiting the area for a more ambitious trip such as the Pinnacles or Deep Creek Hot Springs will find this to be a worthwhile additional stop.

Assuming you are parking at one of the turnouts on San Moretz Drive, you can take any of several paths head downhill to access the trail.

Begin hiking in either direction (by heading counter-clockwise, you will be facing traffic during the few stretches of the route that are on streets.)

You pass by the San Moritz Lodge at the lake’s south end and follow the trail past baseball diamonds, a senior residence and into an area shaded with black oaks and beech trees.

At the northeast end of the lake, you cross a secluded beach (dogs are allowed here, unlike at the main beach area on the west end of the lake) and the dam.

After rounding the top corner of the lake and heading west, the trail climbs uphill to join Lake Drive. Follow Lake Drive for 0.3 mile to Lake Gregory Drive and then San Moritz Drive, where you can cut through the parking lot past the beach and pick up the trail on the lake’s south shore.

From here, continue east toward your starting point. There are a variety of wildlife such as insects, birds of paradise, fish and trees to discover and enjoy along the way. 

Activites at Lake Gregory 

The trail itself can be completed by most in around an hour – so a relatively short time. This will leave you with plenty of time to enjoy the rest of your day at the lake.

Recreational facilities include trout fishing, catfish fishing, shore fishing (sunrise to sunset), float tube fishing, swimming and water slides (seasonal), aqua cycle rental (seasonal), paddle board rental (seasonal), sail board rental (seasonal), rowboat rental (seasonal), basketball, sand volleyball, kayaks, hiking trails and remote control model boats.

For fishing, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife plants rainbow trout twice per month spring through fall. San Bernardino County also plants trout sporadically and you can enquire at the park entrance.