It's up and down. Can be a little tough going up. I am a beginner and manage to make it throughread more

I've been hiking in this area for a few years. I started out with the short loop trail then…read moreadvanced to the Devil's Punchbowl trail, and then yesterday completed the Devil's Chair trail. I didn't know about the Chair trail until recently. I found that with the short loop trail, since it was reasonably close to the ranger station, the reception was okay. While hiking the Devil's Punchbowl trail there was hardly any reception. I have Verizon as my carrier. The Devil's Chair Trail had great reception. I was able to periodically text my family and update them, letting them know I was okay. When hiking I use Spotify and ensure my songs are downloaded so even offline I can listen to music. This also works well when I want to listen to Audiobooks I've downloaded. The Chair trail was quiet, there wasn't anyone else on the trail or even much wildlife besides lizards and some insects. It wasn't bad at all. The trail was pretty well maintained with some areas needing extra support. Shout-out to the employees who ensured the steep cliffs and the Devil's Chair Trail were safe to walk on. The Chair itself is on a rock so someone had to get there and install the fencing for safety. Thank you, whoever you are! As with many other trails in Southern California there is some fire damage. Some fallen trees. This trail has A LOT of rocks so step gingerly and don't roll your ankles. Most of the trail is not covered so sunscreen/sunblock and proper gear is really important. The trail is roughly 3-5 hours. I clocked about 3 hours 55 minutes moving time on Strava but 4 hours 28 minutes total on AllTrails. I stopped a bit to catch my breath, get water and just observe nature. Everyone says it's a 7 mile trail. I'm not sure what I did but it was 9 miles for me. I am blessed to have been able to enjoy it.

Most of the staff or Rangers driving by our sites were very helpful in answering our questions. But…read moreMISTY went above and beyond to help us in a time of need including making our accommodations more safe and comfortable. THANK YOU MISTY. We look forward to returning here soon.

It's been a real long time since I hiked Lytle creek. It's creepy and dirty…read more It will be a real long time that I come back. I just wish people would respect the outdoors. Pick up after yourself. Don't tag. Nobody cares about your tagging name or art or whatever. There's a time and place. Tagging the wilderness is not the time nor place. There's many secret places I hike, I won't put it out there because when you do, just look at Lytle creek. That's the outcome. Highlight of hike was seeing a herd of Bighorn up close. They were drinking from the creek. Absolutely beautiful.

A great place to get away from the hustle of bustle of city life and for "inspiration". From this…read morepoint, you can see from Wrightwood, CA, through Los Angeles, all the way to Catalina Island (on a clear day). The views from this lookout are amazing and there are hiking trails to enjoy nearby if you care to venture. Overall, a great place to take a moment to pause, reflect, and admire the beauty that nature has to offer. There's a bench located at the stop for visitors to utilize as well :) Link for more info: http://www.wrightwoodca.com/wrightwood-mountains/mountain.php?view&mountain=10

Beautiful easy hike. It is perfect for teenagers, kids and dogs. Highly reccomend specially at…read moresunset

August 2021: I have now completed this hike twice since May 2021 and more than likely this will…read morebecome a once a month to once every other month adventure. It is demanding but, still good for newcomers who want to bump their, say - Griffith Park adventures up a few notches and not drive to the Sierras.

This is actually called Dawson Saddle to Throop Peak. But you can really bag quite a few peaks in…read morethis route. Just google map Dawson Saddle to Throop Peak and it should take you to the correct location as it worked for me. It's nearby Vincent Gap area to hike to Baden-Powell. You need an adventure pass when parking and there is no restroom in this area. So plan accordingly. The trail to Throop Peak was nice and short. It's light traffic so you won't see a lot of hikers like you would on the Baden-Powell hike. Most people will make it a nice 6 mile round trip from Dawson Saddle to Throop Peak, then to Mount Hawkins. But you can also add more miles and connect to Mount Burnham and Baden-Powell. So you can definitely make this a short hike to a long hike pending which route you want to take. I think you can even go further out to like South Mount Hawkins and Mount Islip if you have time. The trail is straightforward. Once you reach the ridge, you will see a PCT sign. If you go left, that is to Mount Burnham and Baden-Powell. You want to go right towards Little Jimmy Campground. You will see a split with no posted sign. Go right to Throop Peak, if you stay left, that's PCT to Little Jimmy Campground and to Mount Hawkins. The view from Throop Peak is beautiful. Once done, someone mention there is a trail that will meetup back on PCT. But I could find it, so i went back down the same trail and hop back onto the PCT trail. The trail is easy to follow till you get to another split. The trail going right and downhill, that's PCT. The trail going left up the hill, that's to Mount Hawkins. The view at Mount Hawkins is nice, there isn't a plaque like Throop Peak has, but I found a pile of rocks that previous hikers posted when on top of Mount Hawkins. You will hike back down the way you came up for a nice 6 mile RT. I would suggest a map of the area, just in case. I like naturalatlas.com As always pack accordingly to the weather and have fun.

Great little hike with some shade for the family. Park by the Metate Trailhead sign and cross the…read moreroad to where trail begins. According to AllTrails the hike is called Metate Trail and is approximately 2 miles of fairly flat trails. There are many different trails that links to this so you can extend your hike and go a totally different way. The Indian Rock Camp is only about 1/4 mile into the trail if you take the entrance on the left that says "interpretative." Once you get to the sign you will need to explore the hill for the Rock Camp. Our kids had a blast exploring and looking for acorns to play with. There is also a small hut for the kids to explore. Further down the trail is a small creek and lots more trail to explore. We saw signs of a large herd of deer so if you are quiet you maybe in for a surprise.

Starting at the Rock Camp Forest Service Station a very short trail (maybe a mile) winds through a…read morebeautiful grove of ponderosa pines and soon you will see a sign for the centuries (and maybe millennium) old Serrano Indian rocks that were used to grind acorns into meal for use as food. I love this place because it brings everyone back to reality, letting us know that we were not the first ones here, and we will not be the last. Its a really neat little piece of history in a secluded patch of woods. The trail head is located at 34.287955, -117.212582, just walk east and you'll run into it. I'm pretty sure there is a map and sign there as well.

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.

When Baldy opened back up, we took advantage and hiked it multiple times. It is spectacular. If…read moreyou hike up Ski Hut, it's an amazing booty builder hike. Bring poles. Restroom at trailhead. Restaurant at top of ski lift and I usually grab a chicken sandwich. Easy parking at trailhead. I put my adventure pass on the dash in case it's needed. Please come and create your own adventure.

The trailhead is before you've reach the Mt Baldy Resort at Falls Rd. I prefer to start my hikes…read moreearly so I never have trouble finding parking, but there should be adequate amount of parking. I've always found the hiking trails here to be well-maintained. However, if your goal is to go up to the summit, please know that the trail does get pretty technical during sections on the Devil's Backbone. There's the Top of the Notch restaurant about halfway up, but make sure you carry enough water with you if you plan to do this hike during the summer months or whenever the weather is warm.

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.