Potato Mountain

Nice SHORT hike with decent incline if you want a quick work out, it’s not a bad hike to do if it’s sunny since most parts are shaded except at the top
Panoramic views at the top! The BIGGEST complaint I have is there were a lot of gnats that kept following us around! I don’t know if they were attracted to my perfume or what but it was annoying (and I had just showered before we started the hike)
NOTE: The trailhead is easy to miss since the Unilocal map pinpoint is not accurate. You really want to go to EVEY canyon trailhead, it’s not far up the mountain from Claremont! And on the map the trailhead is just adjacent to the San Antonio dam which is dry right now. Rmbr to look for the yellow Gate to the left

If anyone finds a honda key on a green So Cal Edison key chain, let me know!
Breanna Haigler

Location of starting point: N34° 9.790′ W117° 40.931′
i read a few reviews about where the trail actually started, and followed the coordinates. This will take you straight to the gate
This is a pretty moderate hike, Not too long, but good enough to get a work out. If you haven’t really liked before like us, but want to start, its a pretty good place to start. Its a 4.4 Mile hike, with about 1200 ft elevation gain. There are some hills that will get your heartrate up, but the difficult part is definitely the quarter mile before you hit the top of the mountain.
When you get to the top, there’s a platform that says «POTATOE». I read that people brought potatoes, however i was the only one who brought it when i went, lol. So I took a few pictures of the really nice city and mountain views with my potato, then i left him near a bush. haha
Parking is free and trail starts past yellow gate.

Great 2 mile hike up the mountain. Easy path and great views. I went up in January and had great weather. I was up and down in about an hour with many chances to smell the roses.

Moderate trail with gorgeous scenery. The first 1.25ish miles are shaded, then you are exposed to the sun. The incline isnt too bad until the end. Then you really feel the burn.
Im sure the scene at the top is nice, but we went on a cloudy day and didnt catch much of the city. Parking is free, but limited spots are available.

This is a great place to hike. It’s a good workout also. The first half isn’t too bad but half way up it gets a bit steeper and you will get a good leg and butt workout lol would recommend it the view from the top is just amazing you can see the entire city and on the other side u can see the snowy mountains!

Great trail !! Enjoy the view of the city. Elevation 1100 ft is great for moderate hikers !

One of my favorite hikes.
Why? At the end of the hike, you reach a platform that says POTATOE. How awesome is that?
Ok not that awesome, but you do get a view of the city. And there’s FREE parking. It is a challenging hike, but it’s not too bad. It’s almost a 5 mile loop (4.4 miles to be exact), so expect no more than 2 hours-​ish total (I usually take about ~1 hour and 40 mins with a few breaks for rest). Come early and claim a parking spot — it can get busy on the weekends during prime time.
Directions:
Directly off the 210 freeway exit 52 toward Base Line Rd then turn left. Turn right on Padua and head north and turn right on Mt. Baldy Rd, drive for a few minutes and into the mountains, and the hike will be located on your left. There is parking on both your left and right, just park where all the other cars are parked (no strict rules here) in the dirt/​gravel.
From the 10 freeway: exit Monte Vista and head north until the road turns into Padua, then follow directions as above.
Hike:
There is technically only «one trail» to Potatoe Mountain. The entrance starts at the yellow bar, and progressively starts to incline. Plenty of shade during this trek of the hike. Follow the trail until you hit a divergent/​fork in the road. You’ll see a sign that says Potatoe Mountain, requiring you to make a sorta-​U-​turn to climb this hill of doom. Don’t worry — there are no bees like the sign says. I consider this location as the half-​way point.
From this point on: rarely any shade with a steep incline. You start to get a view of the mountains/​brush/​city as you ascend. Follow the trail up until you finally hit the top where you’ll meet the giant platform with said «Potatoe». Get yo cameras out and finally enjoy.
Scenery:
No waterfalls or anything Instagram worthy. Yet, there is something calm and hike worthy about this trail. There is a view of nearby cities (DTLA is too far to see I think). Other than that, this trail is worthy for a moderate workout with other pleasant and peaceful hikers.
I will be back!
P. S. Don’t forget to bring the potatoes.
PP.S. Don’t be a couch potato.

Off the 10FWY, exit Monte Vista (north) Mt Baldy (right)…¼ mile park. Entrance on left.
Easy maintained trail. Dogs allowed.
No restrooms, so nature up if you must.
View at top is amazing, on a clear day you can see Catalina Island clear.
Definitely recommend and will walk it again!

A great little hike in the mountain. Not as crowded as the wilderness trail 5 mile loop It’s a hidden gem and the views are great You can bring a potato and leave it there as a donation. Bring a bottle of water and wear sunscreen Be prepared there are no bathrooms It’s not difficult

We hiked up from the entry point at Mt Baldy Road, and went up just to the Potato Mountain sign. The other ways are a lot longer!
We went at night, late night, and it was totally empty (as suspected).
I enjoy this trail but I can see why it’s tougher for others, it’s all the way uphill. Took us around 2 hours round trip and that included sitting at the top for a while.
I forgot to bring my potato for a photo! But it is overall a nice hike. We went at night in the summer and definitely should have brought more water. Bring water, potato, and good shoes!

This trail is not a beginners trail so if you’re a beginner dont even try, it is hard ! If you start from mt baldy rd and go up the trail it is almost 3 miles up and it is NOT A LOOP so you go up the trail and turn left when you see the sign and then once you get to the top you’re gonna have to turn around at the top. Its a butt kicker but i loved it its almost like claremont loop but nicer and you dont have to pay for parking (:
Directions go to claremont loop turn right on mt baldy just keep driving till you see the yellow gates on the left side of the road i just found it cause i saw cars parked around it and yellow gates you can follow the map on here but it takes you a little further then it! Make sure to bring your potato !

*** Do not use the location provided on Unilocal!It will lead you way further then you need to go! Learned the hard way and wasted a good 20 – 30 minutes!
This hike is pretty easy. The only difficult part is that it is a constant incline. My mom has asthma so we had to make multiple stops, at one point she was about to give up, but ended up pulling through! (Proud of you mama!) the first 2.5 miles is decently shaded but towards the end it is completely out in the open.
Hike took us a little over two hours (with frequent stops and pictures at the top!) overall the hike was enjoyable and the view at the top is really spectacular.
**oh and don’t forget your potato!!!

Jogging stroller friendly only if you’re a regular hiker. If you’re not then it will be too steep for you to push.
Great hike. You can hear the water on the side.
Parking is free and first come first serve. There’s only about room for 15 cars.

This hike is about 12 miles roundtrip if starting from La Verne at the start of Marshall Canyon Loop Trail. You can take the same route, but then you will continue on for another 6+ miles roundtrip once you reach the wooden structure that marks the peak of Marshall Canyon Loop Trail.
The trail is a wide, smooth, dirt fire road with minimal rock under foot. On the ascent, the hike has areas where it does get a bit steep, especially closer to the peak, but it is not that difficult. There is some shade offered by trees early on, but you will be exposed to the elements for most of the route. I would avoid this hike during the height of the summer.
Once you arrive at the peak, there is a concrete structure with the word ‘potatoe’ written on top. It is customary to bring and leave a potato, if you wish. I’m not sure what views are offered, as the day we were there it was quite overcast and I could not see in the distance. It does have some interesting scenery on the way up, though.
parking — free lot

Did this trek on a weekend afternoon, only passed a handful of other hikers. Shaded for about ¾ of the way and the incline isn’t too intense.
I followed the directions from a review on
«On 210 east exit baseline, make left. Turn right on first light „Padua Ave.“ go north to Mt. Baldy. Ave. Make right on Mt. Baldy and go about 1 – 1 ½ miles up the canyon. You’ll see a couple turn outs on the right (about four) then you’ll see a turn out on the left and a yellow (service gate) and that trail leads you up to potato mountain.»
Once you hit the sign where the trail splits, you can challenge yourself to take a shortcut up a super steep route. And bring sunscreen for that last stretch, there’s no shade.

Great workout! At the top is a water well that says potato and there isn’t much else except scenery from beyond the mountains, there used to be a flag blowing in the wind I didn’t see it blowing today. Great for kids there is no shade so do pack a hat, shades and water for the climb up and happy hiking!

Good trail. I came here on a Saturday afternoon with chilly weather. I was glad that the sun was not scorching hot this day. Parking is a bit makeshift, but doable. It doesn’t seem like a trail that many people go on which I think is great, no need to worry about crowdedness.
It took less than 2 hours to complete the trail round trip. The views from the top are amazing, and you can see parts of the Claremont Loop from a short distance. Speaking of the Claremont Loop, there is a fork where you can continue to it if you wanted to add more mileage to your hike. I plan on doing it someday.
If it’s a hot day, wear sunscreen and bring water. Don’t forget to bring a potato on the top (got mad at myself for forgetting to bring one for photo ops with my very tech savvy photogenic hiking friends).
I would rate this hike pretty easy but factors included the weather not being hot and hiking with more experienced and fit friends on this particular day.
I’ll definitely be back.

Went for a hike Wednesday morning around 9:30am. Was a beautiful morning and the view of Mnt. Baldy was perfect. From the parking lot to «Potatoe Mountain» & back was about 9 miles. Take lots of water, sun screen & a few snacks. OH! & don’t forget to take a potato to leave at the top

First time today. I loved it a lot nicer than claremont loop trail. Less crowded. Beautiful view