Kitching Peak
About
Kitching Peak is a summit of 6,600 feet in the San Gorgonio Wilderness, part of the Front Country Ranger District of San Bernardino National Forest in California. The nearest town is Whitewater, about 5 miles away. Summer and early fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from the nearby Big Bear Lake weather station, at nearly the same elevation, show July highs around 80°F and September highs near 73°F with lows in the mid-40s. Winter is much colder, with highs in the mid-40s and lows around 24°F. Several hikes start close by. Millard Canyon is about 1.3 miles away, The Sink about 1.5 miles, and Bear Wallow about 1.7 miles. The San Gorgonio River, a paddling route, is roughly 6 miles off.
Summit Facts
Summit elevation
6,600 ft
Elevation from USGS 3D Elevation Program terrain data (about 10 m resolution).
Location
Kitching Peak
California
Name and location: U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). Elevation: USGS 3D Elevation Program. View the GNIS record.
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: May–Oct. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 63–80°F and lows of 35–50°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Big Bear Lake, CA weather station, 20 mi away. High / low in °F.
- Jan46° high24° low
- Feb46° high24° low
- Mar51° high27° low
- Apr57° high31° low
- May66° high37° low
- Jun75° high43° low
- Jul80° high50° low
- Aug79° high49° low
- Sep73° high44° low
- Oct63° high35° low
- Nov53° high28° low
- Dec46° high24° low
Where it is
- San Gorgonio Wilderness · Wilderness
- Front Country Ranger District · Ranger district
- San Bernardino National Forest · National forest
- Nearest town
- Whitewater, California · 5.3 mi
Source: Wilderness.net boundaries; USFS EDW boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places
Conditions
Active alerts for Front Country Ranger District as of Oct 9, 2026:
Applewhite Picnic Area Closure
caution · posted Aug 24, 2026
caution · posted Aug 24, 2026
information · posted Aug 24, 2026
Source: USFS forest alerts
Nearby
- Millard CanyonHiking1.3 mi
- The SinkHiking1.5 mi
- Bear WallowHiking1.7 mi
- TunnelHiking2.1 mi
- PCT-Whitewater Preserve Ranger Station Access TrailHiking4.4 mi
- Raywood FlatHiking4.5 mi
- San Gorgonio RiverCanoeing5.7 mi
- Consumption BoulderRock climbing6 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
