Chris Dorner's Last Stand

Chris Dorner burned here

Recently, I found myself on Glass Road, crisscrossing the Santa Ana River. This wasn't a planned stop, but there it was. The burnt down cabin was fenced off. The remaining smell of embers was dull, but present. The wind faintly rustled the trees and birds sang soft. The river whispered gently making gunfire and death difficult to imagine.

On February 12, 2013, Chris Dorner was burned and died in this used to be cabin. On this day, Jeremiah MacKay was shot and killed here. The killings followed a week long man hunt for Dorner who engaged authorities in multiple running gun fights. From Irvine to San Diego to Riverside to Big Bear to here, lonely and quiet Glass Road along the Santa Ana River, Dorner led a terrific siege of cop killings on southern California. This is where it ended.

Dorner Cabin before

Dorner Cabin during

Onyx Peak near Big Bear Lake

On the road to Big Bear from Redlands on highway 38, you must pass through Onyx Summit, at 8,443, this road is the highest paved through road in all of southern California. At Onyx Summit, there is a turn off to the east of the highway for a dirt road 1N01 that leads to Onyx Peak (9,113). However, the road is usually gated about 1 mile from the peak. Park here and walk the 2 miles round trip for an easy hike. There is about 300 feet of elevation gain.

Location: eastern part of the San Bernardino National Forest near Big Bear
Distance: 2 miles round-trip
Difficulty: moderate to easy
Elevation Change: 300 feet
Time of Year Best: any
Recommended Map: National Geographic TOPO! Weekend Explorer 3D (Los Angeles, Los Padres, San Bernardino National Forest)