This trail is moderately to challenging and definitely not for beginners, but it's absolutely worth…read morethe effort! We hiked about 9.5 miles round trip in approximately 6 hours. The trail is well-established but can be gravelly and rocky in some sections. The first mile follows a beautiful stream, with plenty of shade along the way. We continued climbing all the way to the saddle, then hiked another mile to Kelly Camp--and the views and scenery made it all worth it! Hiking tips: Bring plenty of water, snacks, bug spray, a hat, and walking sticks. The walking sticks helped tremendously with the uphill climbs and rocky terrain. Come with a happy attitude, take your time, enjoy the scenery, and have fun! Highly recommend!

Day after Christmas, a hiking buddy of mine figured the recent rainfall over the weekend was good…read morereason to visit Ice House Canyon. During the winter season, there is the added element of snow and icy roads. For some peace of mind, I brought a pair of crampons and gaiters. The hike started around 7:45am with a cool and crisp breeze. Best to keep cozy and layer up. First three or so miles were pretty similar to what you would expect during the summer, terrain-wise. The trail was fairly clean and clear with a few spots to climb up boulders or take a break near the river. One moment you pass through a cluster of trees surrounded by freshly fallen pinecones, and the next you are met with what seems strikingly like the same scree as the last. At a certain point though, the trail became icy and the air slightly chillier. Upon reaching the end of the saddle, there were a number of folks sipping from their thermos and playing with their pooch. After eating our packed lunch, we ventured further up towards Timber Mountain. It was here where patches of snow gradually became blankets as far as the eyes could see. With that said, crampons were unnecessary. The trail was no longer visible since we could not see the ground, so we kept heading up towards the trees till the sign "TIMBER MTN. ELEV. 8303" was within sight. We were greeted with a stunning view of snow-covered hills. There was also a little box of guestbooks to sign. We decided to take the Chapman trail back down. Whereas Ice House was more spread out, Chapman was more narrowly defined with more ups and downs. A few more areas looked like boulders worth a climb. Most of the manzanitas along the way were healthy and bushy with many of them bearing fruit. If you have the time, Chapman is easily the more scenic of the two and worth the extra mile and a half. In total, we hiked around 11 miles and enjoyed it immensely.

Tip: When you park (see other reviews), don't go under the yellow gate (I accidentally did based…read moreoff a previous review, that's the wrong direction) but be sure to take the super steep road that goes straight up from where you parked (just left of the yellow gates)... don't worry it kinda levels off a little bit. If you need a quick hike that is uncrowded, single track and pretty darn steep but beautiful and well worth it, this is a good one. Great adventure hike!

Good hike good place to take photos and hang out with friends pretty cool place to look atread more

THIS is a real hike. Exceptional views, crisp clean air, strenuous trail, Baldy has it all. I've…read moredone this twice. If it wasn't as much of a drive, I'd do it a whole lot more. This hike I'm describing is about 11 miles roundtrip, 4000 ft elevation gain. But the ascent is 4 miles up, so it is steep! You are starting at 6000 ft, and going up to just over 10000 ft. Important: It is important to stay hydrated during this hike, it is easy to get altitude sickness if you go too fast, and this also dehydrates you. Please take caution. Follow Mt Baldy Rd. up to Manker Flats. You'll see a couple of port a potties on the left side & a fire road - this is where you'll begin. You'll stay on this fire road for maybe half a mile, and then you'll have to look out for the beginning of the trail on your left. It's hard to find, just builds out of the dirt ridge with an immediate incline. Once you're on the trail, it gets pretty steep right away. At the beginning you can look up at see a green hut in the distance - this is the Sierra Club ski hut for which the trail is named. It is about 2.5 miles away from where you are. Once you get to the Ski Hut, take a break, enjoy the scenery, then head out for the last 1.5 miles, which are even steeper. You'll cross over some rocks briefly, then begin ascent to the ridge. Once you get up here, you'll notice the amount of green has diminished, and the air has gotten thinner. The last portion up along the ridge is the toughest, it is steep, and you are at altitudes over 9000 ft, so you are simply not breathing in as much oxygen, and so your body has to work harder. But once you get to the peak, it is worth it. Grand views of the Angeles National Forest, & the surrounding area are yours. After sometime at the top, take the loop down Devil's Backbone. The first 3 miles down are filled with great views and some rocky trail. You'll take this until you get to a ski lift 3 miles away where there is some bathrooms and water to replenish. Finally you'll take the fire road down another 3.5 miles, which isn't as scenic, but not horrible. This road meets is really the fire road you first started on, and will take you back to your car. Quality

This really is a great hike…read more Though... I must admit ... we did the shorter route. We took the ski lifts up part of the way, took the devils backbone up to the summit, and went back the way we came. This was by no means easy. It is still a 6 or 7 mile hike. Though it is much longer and harder to start from the falls. I think Mt Baldy is under appreciated. It is absolutely beautiful. It is so nice to get away up there. The hike up is steep, take lots of water and snacks. The view up top is great. Enjoy.

Very peaceful and relaxing area of the mountains…read more First time visitors as we are here with a group of 18 family and friends. It is a well kept area, clean and quiet dispute all the critters walking around our tent last night including two hollowing ??? About fifty feet away. This is nature after all. Not a big deal to some but for someone that has not camped in over 30 years, I was wide awake most of the night and now, I need a short nap to recharge. Fully recharged after my nap and I am ready to enjoy the this outing once again. We visited this camp ground with a group of eighteen in all and we had a BLAST! We had camp sites 5, 6, 7 and 8. We all had 6-person tents yet had enough room for twenty-tents as our areas combined were HUGE! We played games, bonfires, ate together, used cots, went hiking, visited a public playground less than one mile away and used a zip line, played volleyball and had a picturesque view of Lake Arrowhead. There is also a hospital w/ emergency services directly in front of our camp ground entrance if such services were ever needed. I can definitely see us returning in the near future but for now, the memories we created will stay with us forever.

Hello, the campground was full this weekend. On Thurs I got…read morea wild hair and checked for reservations and coincidentally I got one night only at the best site #19. Incidentally, when we arrived to check-in, we were greated by a delightful Dennis! He was a wealth of knowledge. He rakes each site before the next person comes. Aside from making it clean for the next person...he picks up all tiny trash and food bits we toss around and dont make it into the fire pit. He cleans all of this up which prevents "visitors" while were sleeping. Yes, visitors. Were in nature but it belongs to squirrels, mice, snakes, bears, coyotes and mountain lions. So we took note and did a full look for any bits we left behind so Dennis could just rake and not worry about out food and trash. He's a great guy and youll hear his cart going around checking on things. He is actually security, housekeeping, front desk, greeter, janitor, grounds keeper, friendly neighbor, game warden for the little camp ground, so be respectful bc he lives where he works. If you hate the thought of snakes and bears, stay some place like a city KOA. This area is lush with trees and full of dry brush...(snakes like the brush!) Also bugs werent an issue whatso ever!....we sprayed ourselves with OFF and were fine. Kept tent zipped up in case of critters. We did not see any snakes or bears. Upon departure we saw a coyote in the morning near the entrance doing his own thing. Upon arrival check in with the Delightful Dennis, your camp host. Follow his directions to a T and youll be fine. I keep a bear bell, air horn and utility knife for protection in my tent. No swimming or showers at camp ground... Swim at Lake Gregory!!!- Arrowhead is a no swim lake.

I was very excited to hike this trail with my husband but found myself regretting the hike. First…read moreof all there are no signs (once you start the hike ) of which side to go to see the waterfall. We did go last Saturday after the few days of rain so we were sure there will be a waterfall. So we went over the bridge and walked for about 20 mins and came to a dead end. So we went back and tried to go up to the left side of the small bridge and turned right back because it was so steep and slippery I didn't want to risk falling. The ground wasn't wet it's just a very steep hike, I don't recommend it to beginner hikers. While hiking I could hear the water so I'm sure there was a waterfall up there somewhere. Wish I could continue to see it.

This trail was much more adventurous than I expected! I'd been to Echo Mtn many times but never via…read moreRubio, but today we made the loop. This is canyon trail better gone up than down due to some of the 'more adventurous elements', loose footing and some parts of the trail were... minimal (or less) It's pretty steep, but not overly aggressive, and some spots are tight and minimally overgrown, but overall the trail is well defined and easy to follow.

This hike starts at Cloudburst Summit. Please display your adventure pass, keep in mind no…read morerestrooms in this area. There are three trails at the beginning at the parking lot. 1. Left trail up to Winston Peak. 2. Middle trail past the gate. 3. Right trail onto the PCT. At this hike, we planned to do Winston Peak and Winston Ridge. We opted to hike up to Winston Peak first, then complete a loop coming back on the PCT because we wanted to tackle the steep climb first instead at the end of the hike. But you can hike any of the 3 choices and come back on the same trail or choose whatever trail options to return to the parking lot. The hike to Winston Peak is short, the view is nothing special as it's a flat peak with lots of trees obstructing an epic view. But it's still nice and beautiful. As you hike down the other side of the peak, it's steep but manageable. Once you get to the bottom intersection. Far left trail is a straight shot to Winston Ridge. The right trail will also connect to Winston Ridge, but there is a fork on this trail that will take you to Cooper Canyon Campground. So stay left on the fork. And the U turn from the intersection will take you back to the parking lot. I feel that Winston Ridge is worth the hike. A bit of rock scramble but great views all around compare to Winston Peak. From here, enjoy the views, then head back the way you came in. This hike is roughly 4-5 miles round trip. As always pack accordingly to the weather and have fun.

Winston Peak and the surrounding area is one of my favorite areas in the Angeles National Forest…read more It is my go-to place when I want to introduce people to the high country. It snows in the area also during winter and is great for snow play. Winston Peak can be combined with Winston Ridge. Ascend from the saddle south of elevation 6903'. The peak is named for L.C. Winston, a Pasadena banker who died in a blizzard on a hunting trip in the mountains in 1900. He was found on nearby Winston Ridge. The area has a lot of history and a certain creepiness. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPLS5OGLkO0 Driving Info: From the intersection of I-210 and Angeles Crest Highway (SR 2), drive north on Angeles Crest Highway 9.5 miles to Angeles Forest Highway. Keep straight. Continue about 4.5 miles to the junction with the Mount Wilson Road at the Red Box Ranger Station. Keep straight. Continue 19 miles to the signed Cloudburst Summit. Park at a locked gate on the left (north). Hiking Info: From the parking area (7018'), hike northwest up the hill following a dirt road. It gains the ridge and continues west. Leave it here and follow the ridge north up to the summit.

Went canyoneering with Pete and Kyle this past weekend plus another 11 people. I wasn't sure at…read morefirst because our meeting place was in a shopping complex. But after the briefing, we're told we were the most on time or even early group that arrived for many trips they had, even the day before, they started at 11.30, instead of 9.30am. The briefing took about 15-30minutes to make sure everyone knows about the safety and addressed any concerns that they might have before heading up to the mountain. We're then followed them to their car to get the gears for each person. Once everyone got their gears and everything is cleared, we all got our cars lined up behind their Honda Fit and drove up to Mt Baldy. We got there like around 9.30-9.45 ish, and started hiking around 10. It was a pretty steep hill to hike and lots of rocks, so better wear shoes with good grip. Also, this was actually a beginner canyoneering so don't worry about bringing your own rock climbing shoes. Just make sure you bring sunscreen, hat and make sure your bag is waterproof or water resistant, because you'd be going down a waterfall. After climbing for about maybe 45minutes or so, we finally reached the top of the San Antonio waterfalls and both Kyle and Pete started setting up the ropes. They also told us what we need to do and watch out for before sending the first person to go down. There were a total of 4 waterfall to traverse, but the 2nd and 4th were the best, we really got soaked!!! They were also the tallest ones, so if you have a gopro or camera, it would be best to take them during that 2 rappels. I got stuck on the last rappel and I wasn't scared or anything, just curious how to get down and somehow they managed to do something with the ropes, got me down safely. I would totally recommend them if you want some adventure around LA. They're very credible and they have many levels of canyoneering to try as well. They recommend us to try the second level, which is at Eaton Canyon but we have to hike about 10miles round trip, which made me guess myself if I want to go. At least if I'm looking for something fun to do, now I know who to look for. If they're nice and you feel they give you good service, please tip them. It was an awesome Sunday for me last week!

I'm (almost exclusively) an indoor, top-rope climber - not really the adventurous type. But a…read morefriend who is new to the sport wanted to try climbing outside. Since we don't own any gear we decided to try a guided trip. This was fun. The hike into the climbing area was easy and beautiful. The climbs were difficult but achievable. The day was just about perfect. I think my favorite thing was that the guides let us set the pace. Pete would give us options and say "What sounds like fun next?" There was no pressure to follow a specific agenda - and when one in our group was done climbing and just wanted to hang around - that was cool too. When I read some of the other reviews here about 200ft rappels I was worried I would be outside my comfort zone all day - I can be really difficult when I get scared - so I told them what I wanted and that's exactly what I got. An easy, fun day outside with some cool people and no pressure. The guides were friendly and funny, they were more than prepared, and they definitely made the day for me. Next time I go climbing outdoors - it'll be with So Cal Adventure Co. They know what they are doing.

A hop, skip, and hike away from Cucamonga Peak is Etiwanda, an easy add on once you summit…read moreCucamonga. The picture spot is squishy but the views are breathtaking. Please come and create your own adventure.

This hike is about 15 miles up and back and 3800' elevation gain. It is an infrequently climbed…read moresummit located within a few miles of Cucamonga Peak. It is a fairly difficult hike. The trail is mostly single file with lots of varying sized rocks under foot. If you take Ice House Canyon Trail (instead of the Chapman Trail) to Ice House Saddle, you will have a good, uphill workout with a steady incline most of the way. You will pass several cabins in the first 1/2 mile or so, and this part is pretty easy. Once you pass the last cabin, look ahead and the incline will get noticeably steeper. It's pretty much uphill from there. The incline is not severe to the Saddle, but it does give you a good leg and butt workout and it is hard work. Ice House Saddle is located in a heavily wooded setting and is very peaceful. There will be signs for longer and more difficult hikes, such as the 3 T's and Cucamonga Peak, but there is no signage for Etiwanda. Once you continue on and after a short, easy bit, the trail becomes more difficult than the trail to Ice House Saddle. Just before turning right onto the steep incline up to Cucamonga Peak, go left instead and continue on the flat trail. You will begin to descend into a heavily wooded area and it will feel like you are not going the correct way. Continue on for over a mile, and you will see a very steep trail up and to your right. Take this until you reach your rocky destination of 8,662'. On a clear day, you will be rewarded with gorgeous views parking - lot located at the start of the trail that requires an adventure pass