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.

Great trail, great work out. This trail is not for…read morebeginners. Pack enough water! 2,700 ft elevation climb to saddle. Very steep so get ready for that lactic acid build up in the quads. Took me 3.5 hours to get up to saddle and 1.5 hours to get down. Make sure you fill out the free permit form in the brown box at the start of the trail (very important, in case something happens to you on the trail, ie, you get hurt or lost, etc).

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.

The gentleman in the store is nice and welcoming. He answers questions and offers tips with…read moreenthusiasm. Thank you!

A big shout out to the lady who works here during our visit in late Oct. 2019! (We should've asked…read moreher name) We usually come to Mt. Baldy for the snow, but this year, we decided to come for fall leaves and hiking. First off, we stopped at the visitor center for the parking pass. ($5 parking fee) The lady, who works there, was so informative and helpful showing us where to go, where has a better view point and all those other good suggestions! She even told us this location once was a school back in 1920s, it was also the first school they had in Mt. Baldy! The staff here def made us feel invited! Excellent service!! Some Tips: They have a actual bathroom in the visitor center. It's clean! Or else, there is a public toilet next to the parking lot, close to the entrance of hiking trials. (You can't wash your hands there) There is no WiFi in the mountains, so get yourself prepared for the route first! (Ask a map from them, screen shot your hiking routes!)

The Drucker Hiking Club did this hike on 9/2/2010. You have to park at the RV park and pay a $2…read morefee but the people there are VERY nice and obliging. The hike is downhill most of the way which makes for a very steep way back, not the way I normally like to hike, but VERY nice. It got very hike but we did leave at about 9 AM. We stopped at a waterfall on the way back on the left of the trail (left of the trail on the way back, right if you are still on the way down) which was very nice and cool.

My Fiance and I love doing the Moonlight hikes. It's good fun exercise and the atmosphere at the…read moreNotch is great. However, we've stopped partaking. The "BBQ" is wildly overpriced and just really not very good. If they would put more effort into making the food better and more reasonably priced we would probably go almost every time it happens.

This review will be exhaustive. I will list lots of positives and negatives. When reading the…read morenegatives, please keep in mind that my wife and I both loved every moment of our 2 night stay at the tent cabin, and we plan on making this an annual tradition. It was sublimely enjoyable from beginning to end. Though we are still tired and sore from the hike to the top of Mt. San Antonio, we are both thoroughly satisfied and mentally rested. We arrived around 4:30 on Friday. We went into the office and got our wristbands. Stephanie (and the guy with her, we didn't get his name) were really friendly and told us about the things we get with our ticket. We were surprised to know we get all meals comped, plus a free zipline. We asked about parking. They said our car will be fine, but just for peace of mind wrote us a note to put in the car indicating we were there for the 2 night package. We said thank and made our way to the lift. Lift operator put our bags in the following 2 lifts and we got to ride together. We had two large backpacking bags. The meal the first night was brisket, chicken, tater tots, mac n cheese, salad, and some very tasty beans. Everything was super good. They were not stingy - they will give you as much as you want. TIP - get all you will eat on your first trip. You are not guaranteed seconds. Drinks are not included, but we got unlimited refills of lemonade and/or iced tea for $3. We also enjoyed some live music and some very delicious churros (not included). The tent was bare bone. It had a bed, a water dispenser, a shelf. The bed had clean sheets. 3 windows and a door with a lock. That's it - but that's all we expected. We saw a few ants in there and the occasional mosquito. If you are super sensitive to bugs, you may want to bring a bottle of bug spray. The tent withstood the wind really well, and won't leak if it rains, but it's not 100% bug proof. It gets cold at night! My wife and I brought a nice throw blanket, a plain sheet, and a double sleeping bag. We opened the sleeping bag to be just a blanket and used all three. We were WARM. the 40-50 degree weather was not an issue. During the day the windows produced a nice breeze. We took a nap both days, and slept like babies. It was super restful. Bathrooms - there are porta-potties. We did not use them. They keep the door to the restaurant open 24 hours. There is a gate - so really you can only use the bathroom. But the heater is on, so when we woke up at 5:00 am for our hike, the bathroom was open, warm, and clean to start our day. First morning we did not eat breakfast. We hiked from early in the morning until around 12:30. When we came back, we were expecting some type of small bag-type lunch. We were surprised when they told us to pick anything off the menu. We had some VERY tasty burgers and fries. We paid $3 each for lemonade, and got a couple refills each throughout the day. It's GOOD lemonade. We took our nap and went back for dinner. Dinner was great! tri-tip and chicken was good, vegetarian lasagna very tasty, and I loved the corn. We were stuffed. The live music Saturday night was on point, and about 200 people showed up to enjoy the food and music. It was a party! Good times and dancing. Despite the nap, we were fast asleep by 10. We woke up around 5 and went to the bathroom. No one was at the lodge, so we relaxed and enjoyed the sights and sounds of nature. BTW - there is a very friendly cat that lives right at the lodge. Hopefully you see her! (or him) We took another great nap and woke up around 9:00. we packed our things and took our bags to the lodge to get some breakfast. Generally, you get a continental breakfast, but they had a special fathers day brunch planned. My God the brunch was good. The usual breakfast stuff - plus BEEF RIBS! We enjoyed breakfast and hopped on the lift to end our vacation. We ended up not doing the zipline. I'll be honest - it looks kind of like a kids thing. It's not a very long zipline. I want to really underline what a value we believe this was. $300 for 2 serene nights at Mt. Baldy for 2 people. A total of 5 meals. Not 5 star cooking, but much better than we expected. We really felt like we got a great experience for a very reasonable price. I also want to underline how FRIENDLY the staff was. Stephanie, as mentioned, was great. Christina at the bar was also SUPER friendly and helpful. She answered all our questions and made sure we knew all the various perks that came with the package. Those are the only two names we got, but every single person we interacted with was friendly, helpful, and overall a pleasure to be around. Are you looking for a 5 star hotel experience? This isn't for you. Are you looking for a camping trip with 3 meals a day and some additional creature comforts? This is for you! We absolutely loved our experience and the people that made our experience what it is, and we absolutely WILL be back next year.

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

Great trail for your weekly workout hike. If you reach the top, you'll have about 1500ft of…read moreelevation gain done in about 2 miles, and a round trip of about 5 miles. This hike can be challenging especially in the heat, so bring lots of water and be ready to get drenched in sweat if it's hot. Bonus points if you can do it with a weighted vest or backpack!

My First Time Hiking This Trail and It Was Very Challenging. The Trail Is Very Steep At Times and I…read moreWould Recommend Wearing The Right Shoes. Before Punk Out Trail, You Will Pass Poop Out Trail. Amazing Views At The Top. Good Luck and Bring Water..!

Well maintained campground and one of the cleanest I've been to in the area! The campground host…read morefrom Mountain High saved the day when we forgot a lighter and made sure we had everything we needed to have a good time. We definitely had a great time and recommend staying if you're nearby and looking for a clean, quaint campground with a lot of space. Only thing to note is the sites are not directly accessible by car, you will need to walk just a few steps off pavement.

Kinda cool that you can review campsites on Yelp, too. Anyway, here's my review of this site I…read morevisited just recently: I initially planned on visiting Table Mountain campground, just 5 minutes away, but that place was packed out the wazoo. Couldn't grab a spot. So I came here as a backup. It was 11pm or so, but my party was able to snag a spot out of 6/8 occupied sites. We grabbed an empty table and some real estate at the top of the hill. The site is used for sledding when the snow comes in for the winter, so the grade is quite noticeable. Cars must be parked at the bottom of the hill, so if you have a lot of things, be prepared for some tiring back-and-forth from the bottom to the top and back again. Since our tents were set at the very top, we had the privilege of getting some extra steps in. Each campsite here is within 50 feet of another. You are within eyesight and earshot of your neighbors - this is a bit of a downside, as I prefer camping in peace and away from other people, to get away from the city. Bring earplugs if you can spare the space. We were granted the opportunity to listen to a large family rev up their trucks throughout the first night. It went on from 11pm-3am. That would have been ideal if my definition of camping was setting up my tent in the middle of a monster truck rally. But alas, it's not. Sites also come with a grill and a fire-ring, very nice for cooking if you wish to do so. I think firewood is sold at a few stores nearby, but you can scavenge for extra around the grounds, too. The two bathrooms at the bottom of hill were a predicament. It wasn't entirely clean (which most camp potties aren't already) but you are galactically screwed if the door gets left open. Flies will swarm the two toilets and make it virtually impossible to do your business. One or two flies won't deter me from popping my squat, but I'm telling you: I instead chose to dig a hole way uphill, park myself behind a tree out of sight, and did my thing out there. It was that bad. The black plague would have been proud. On the topic of bugs: BRING BUG SPRAY. And citronella candles. And keep your tent doors closed at all times. The bugs here go crazy. Seal your foods, especially any sweets, and make sure to keep your cooking materials off the ground to avoid ants. Other than that, there was plentiful shade and the trees are swept by a decent breeze that visits every so often. It made up for the sweltering heat that had been bogging down LA for weeks. When our louder neighbors would leave to hang out at the nearby lake, it was serene and awfully peaceful. Plus, since the campground is situated between two bigger hills, the sun doesn't linger around too much during the day. While it gets the job done, this site is a sub-par escape from the city and serves only as a mediocre, last minute find; my advice would be to reserve a much nicer, cleaner, and quieter campsite months in advance. Do your research, pack smartly, and have fun.