Mt Baldy, the Easy Way Up

The official name of the mountain is San Antonio, but no one calls it that. At 10,068 feet, Mount Baldy is LA County’s highest point. In all fairness, the county line just about splits the mountain in two, and the route you take to run up it is in San Bernardino County. Regardless, the mountain is a landmark for Angelinos and other Southlanders, and its often snowy winter cap can be seen from as far away as LAX and Orange County. Speaking of snow, this run is best done in early to mid fall, mid to late spring, or summer to avoid snow. Call the Mt Baldy Visitor Center ahead of time (909) 982-2829 to check the weather and trail conditions.

View from Baldy Notch.

In a Nutshell

• Trail Surface: pavement for the first ½ mile or so, dirt, gravel, scree for the rest
• Bathrooms/water: The San Antonio Falls trailhead usually has a porta potty, but bring your own TP. Water and bathrooms at the Baldy Lodge up top.
• Dogs: Must be leashed

Routes

There are at least three main routes to climb to the summit of Mount Baldy, and it’s a fantastic trip to the top. For trail running, however, there are two main routes that I recommend, and I don’t recommend running to the summit, but rather to Baldy Notch. You can of course go for the summit from Baldy Notch, but the trail above there has some perilous sections. There is an organized race to the top that takes place every year on Labor Day, and if you’re determined to bag this peak as a trail runner, I highly recommend doing it with the support and camaraderie of the race. You can find the race website here Run-to-the-Top. Today’s post will cover the running route that starts from the south side. A future post will cover the north ascent.

By far, the most enjoyable running route is to take the trail and fire road access starting just above Manker Flats, and running to Baldy Notch. The grade is less steep than other routes and you top out at about 7,700 feet, with a round trip mileage of around 7 miles.

Park above Manker Flats, but below the Ski Area parking lot. You’re technically within the Angeles National Forest here, so you’ll need an Adventure Pass to put on the dash of your parked car. They’re $5/day or $30 for an Annual Pass. You can buy an adventure pass at the Mt Baldy Visitor Center, located at 6778 Mt Baldy Rd, Mt Baldy, CA, in a cute little cabin-looking building in the heart of the village.

A trail runner en route to Baldy Notch.

Near Manker Flats, you'll want to park and then cross over to the west side of the divided road and look for the paved road with a gate across it. This is the trailhead. Go around the gate and on up the hill. After about ½ mile, you’ll come to a switchback with a view of San Antonio Falls. As you take the switch back, the pavement runs out and the trail becomes a dirt and gravel, about the width for one vehicle to pass by. Indeed, a few trucks use this route to supply the lodge and whatnot, so you’ll want to keep your eye out. Mountain bikes also use the route.

The road continues up, winding around the contours of the mountain. Stay on the main road, and eventually you’ll spot the chairlift off to your right. An added bonus of this run is that you may have an audience! About a quarter mile from the Notch, you’ll pass directly beneath the chairlift. Give the people a wave and keep going up. A bit further, the road splits. Take the left fork to the lodge where you can get a drink and enjoy the view! Return the same way you came up.

If You Go

San Antonio Falls

For most lowlanders, you’ll feel the elevation right away. Take it easy and drink lots of water to avoid altitude sickness. You might want to build up to this run by doing some lower elevation training runs and gradually increasing your elevation.

If it's a hot day, I recommend a refreshing dip in San Antonio Falls post run. You can scramble down to the waterfall on your way back.

Lovely Sunday Run in the Altadena Foothills

Altadena Crest Trail to Sunset Ridge Trail, Millard Campground and Brown Mountain Fire Road/Truck Trail (Angeles National Forest)

View from Sunset Ridge Trail

In a Nutshell

This is a great run because there are numerous options to make it longer or shorter, depending on what you’re looking for on a particular day. It’s tough, with some sections exceeding an 8% grade. It’s never crowded and has some nice views in the higher elevations.

• Trail surface: soft packed dirt, some sandy sections, tiny bit of pavement.
• Bathrooms/water: Bathrooms at Millard Campground. No water.
• Dogs: Must be leashed.

My Route

I did an out and back run, about 7 miles roundtrip, starting at the Loma Alta Trailhead and Staging Area.

 

From the trailhead, I took the Altadena Crest Trail from the north end of the parking area. After about a quarter mile, the trail splits and I took the trail to the right. There is a white and black sign that says Altadena Crest Trail at the trail split. The next time the trail splits, there are no signs, but I stayed to the right again. The trail splits once more before reaching the crossing with Cheney Trail Road. Here, I stayed left. When I got to the road, I could easily see the trail continuing directly across the road. There’s a large log/water bar and it’s pretty steep here. I then followed the trail as it snakes its way up the hill, until topping out at another paved road (Mt Lowe Road). I ran on the pavement for about 20 yards to the Sunset Ridge Trail, which goes downhill from the intersection with Mt Lowe Road. The trail is not marked here, but there is a small kiosk with a map. From here, the Sunset Ridge Trail is rolling, mostly downhill all the way to Millard Campground (Angeles National Forest). At Millard Campground, I turned right, went past the bathrooms, and followed the dirt/sort of paved road over a stream crossing and uphill onto Brown Mountain Truck Trail (also called Brown Mountain Fire Road). I stayed on this until the intersection with El Prieto Canyon Trail. There, I turned around and went back the same way. You could easily extend this run by heading down El Prieto Canyon or continuing on Brown Mountain Road. I’ll try to post maps for those options in the future.

Stream Crossing along Brown Mt Road

If You Go

A few notes of caution – this is a shared trail, so do yield to mountain bikers and horses. Also, there’s a bit of poison oak along the trail. It’s pretty easy to avoid, but keep your eyes peeled for it. Last thing – although I’ve never seen one here, I imagine there are rattlesnakes, so it’s good to just be aware. If you hear a rattling sound, give it a wide berth.