mt baldy road

I live in a place that has three climates, namely hot - hotter - hottest, that is Chennai, India.We decided to spend the October to Jan period in California with our daughter, residing in Laguna Niguel, southern California. I used to go for regular walks and could see the Mount Baldy from a distance. Sometime in mid Dec 2015, my daughter told about snow forecast at Mount Baldy. By about 20 Dec 2014, we sighted Mount Baldy with a snow cap. That itself was exciting since, where we stay, although it was cold (relative term compared to other locations in the USA), there was no snow.So it was a snap decision to make it to Mount Baldy on 22 Dec, while the snow was still there. The weather was kind enough with a bright sun lighting up and warming us. There was snow at the parking lot also, but was mostly slush with mud and dirt. We saw people shovelling snow from the parking lot onto small trucks, probably to make temporary snow people at their back yards. We went up the ski-lift after lunch. This was my first view of snow covered landscapes and I really enjoyed it. Walking in the snow, playing in the snow, slipping and falling and the works, wow! I have a large number of good pictures from this trip.On three occasions, high speed wind took charge of us. The first time was when we were on the ski-lift, going up, and the third when we were coming down. On both occasions, the ski-lift was halted and we were hanging in the middle, swinging and bobbing. The second time that we got buffeted was when we were waiting in line for the ski-lift on top. The wind was so strong that it was pushing individuals away and we had to huddle and hold on to each other. We went on a few of the trails for short distances. There were a few activities such as skiing, tubing an skating possible on top, but we did not venture into these. We felt that we should have reached there earlier to enjoy more. By the time we caught the ski-lift down, it was already dark. One needs to confirm snow on top, if you want to enjoy snow related activities. Dress warm for the even. The restaurant / lodge on top is not very large and the variety of food and beverages are limited and the quality - so-so...... The ski-lift ticket closes at about 4 PM. The office closes and the car parking areas are not lit well.

I have lived my entire life in the local cities below Mt Baldy. I have made the drive up to the top of Baldy and various stops in between. What is so cool about the drive up to Mt Baldy and the road that lead there is how close to the city you are and how far away you can feel driving up the mountain.Along the drive there are numerous lookout stops for breath taking pictures of the mountains as well as hiking trails. When you get to the Mt Baldy village there are a few stops for food like the Mt Baldy Lodge & Buckhorn. If you decide to drive up to the ski resort at the top of the mountain, becareful of weather conditiions as the "switch backs" can be a little dangerous especially with black ice on the roads. I would say any season of the year can be a beautiful time to drive up the mountain, but I love it when their is snow on the mountains the most.

Once you go past the village another 2 miles up the road you will hit the lombard switchbacks of southern California. Can't imagine driving up this road in the snow. Worth it to drive up this road once. Take it slow.

The hike to San Antonio falls is not pleasant - on a private road, and once you are off the road, there's a 10' very narrow ledge in the trail. Nonetheless the waterfall is worth it - fabulous water play in nature... and little kids can make it there too.

a nice quick - quiet (in week day) drive up the mountain - walk to a waterfall - and bird watching. Such a lovely break from the smog of the valleys. It is not a destination as much as a break from city/suburban experience.

Our daughter-in-law took my husband and myself, as well as our grandson, on a day-trip to the base of Mt Baldy, CA. We enjoyed viewing the beautiful mountains and saw the ski-lift which we would love to ride at a later date. We enjoyed refreshments at the Mt Baldy Lodge Restaurant where the service was great. What a lovely surprise when the church played 2 songs at 12 noon - Sweet Hour of Prayer and Amazing Grace. That was very special and we went to see the quaint country stone church. It was a beautiful day out.

The road up is not for the faint of heart but what a great challenge for driver. Great walking trails as well,one up a service road to the water fall. All of the facilities were closed the Friday we were there and it looks like one of them is closed and waiting to be sold. So if you want to hike make sure you take water, snacks, and suitable clothing.The charm is how beautiful and un touched it is even though so close to L.A.

The scenic drive up Mt. Baldy is a must do if you are in the area of Clairemont, CA. Part of the way up is a visitor's center where you can learn about the area and get a map of trails. A nice surprise was a little town nestled in the mountain. Very quaint. The road up and down looks newly paved and is easy to follow. We also stopped to do the "hike" up to Yellowstone Falls - the whole way was paved so literally anyone can do it. Great sights throughout and the perfect outing if you have only a limited time to spend.

On Labor Day there is a 7 mile trail run to the top of Mt. Baldy (elevation 10,000'). The trail is monitored by MB Search & Rescue which gives you a nice sense of security. The run is a fundraiser for many good causes. The run starts with a 1/4 mile descend and then 5 miles of dirt paths. The trail then goes into a single track "catwalk" and the last mile is a "Stairmaster torture" to the top. You ascend 4,000' until you reach the top with beautiful views. What a great activity to do on Labor Day. The chair lift down is $12 dollars. Anyway, this is a beautiful hike and a must do if you are the outdoor type of person.

It is difficult to believe that you can have a good wilderness experience less than an hour from Los Angeles. Up near the top of the Mt. Baldy road are several trails that will take you to the summit of Mt. Baldy, which is 10,064 feet in elevation. One way is to take the Baldy ski lift part of the way ($25 round trip or $10 just for the way down), or another is to take the trail near Manker Flats up past the Sierra Club hut. Or combine them, taking one route up and the other down. The trail can be quite crowded, but if you get up early in the morning you can have it all to yourself. On a recent hot day I got up early for a hike and enjoyed the cool mountain air. I also had the thrill of an encounter with a bighorn sheep below the Sierra Club hut and a deer near the summit.

I live in the area and can see the mountain from where I live. It's a very narrow windy road to the top. There are several turn outs along the way which you can use to park and take in the view or turn around. I have been to the very top a few times, They have a ski lift that takes you there.it's quite fun when there is snow there. About 4 miles from the top there is a lodge and across the road is a nice bar and restaurant, which was recently remodled and enlarged. They have very good food and drinks.

The Glendora road is outstanding. A lot longer in terms of time, but aren't you there to discover and explore? Just don't be in a hurry. A lot of sharp turns, precipitous drops and a typical lack of guardrails.

Coming from the East coast to see the California mountains is amazing. So easy to get on the hiking trails or take ski lift $20 round trip to the top and enjoy lunch while overlooking a beautiful view. This was a first to bring my 15 lb dog on the lift; she was great and it was a different experience from winter. Half price for lift if you hike down. When in the area enjoy the ride and view.

Mt. Baldy allows you to take the ski lift up in the summer / fall to hike, when there's no skiing. Groupon had a big special going on several times this fall for 2 round trip ski lift tickets and $20 food voucher for "Top of the Notch Restaurant" for $29 total. It's hard to imagine our day would have cost about $60+ without the coupon. I definitely recommend doing this at the $29 level when available, because I would not think it was worth it at the full price rate. But it definitely was worth the Groupon rate. It's fun to take the lifts up (about a 15 minute ride each way.) At the top, you can pick various hiking trails. Just know things are NOT marked well at all and you feel kind of on your own to figure out the property. The signs are all old and hard to read, if they even have a sign to mark a trail. Get a map at the bottom of the lift since it's your main source for figuring out what trails are available. But they're not labeled in terms of difficulty. The food at the restaurant is actually pretty good. Just expect to wait a while if it's busy day. We waited 30 minutes to order, then about another 40 for the food delivery. So try to plan your break to eat before your starving. We didn't hike to the summit. But another hiker told us it's about 2 hours each way if you want to. So we picked other trails. Great photo ops up there. Last tip: Once you start your drive up the mountain (which the town is rather cute) you'll see lots of signs about having to buy a LA Park permit to park anywhere. Just know this is NOT the case as long as you are only parking in the ski lift's parking lot. I noticed some people had bought day passes to park there. But they didn't really need to unless they planned on other stops throughout the day but the signs on the way up are very misleading to make you think you need one. But we checked with the staff upon arrival to their lot and they said they own their own lot. This was a relief that we didn't have to drive back down the mountain to try to get a pass.

I love the mountains but can't always get up to the San Bernardinos or the Sierra. This road fulfills my yearning for mountains, trees, forest and mountain wildflowers in the Spring, if I can't go further afield. In no time at all, I can be in the mountains, smelling the fresh mountain air. Love it.