Sunset Peak Hike

Second attempt and I made it!
The first time I drove out here the gate on Glendora ridge was closed! I drove to the Mount Baldy visitor center & the ranger said it was closed due to the weather. Instead of wasting my drive, I decided to hike Ice House Canyon instead! (So by any change if you try to drive up Glendora Ridge and it’s closed, there are plenty of other hikes near by)
My second try this morning and the gate was open (yay!) I drove a few miles up and to my right was a large parking area. I parked my car (not too sure if a permit is required) and walked across the street to where the trail was. The start of the trail is a closed yellow gate and all you have to do is walk around it.
The hike is easy/​moderate and honestly a little boring. It is a steady incline and paved way all the way up. The only fun part of the hike up has to be the views. You are completely surrounded by beautiful mountains! At one point I was a bit bored, I prefer hikes that are more adventure like: P and get your heart rate going!
I encountered a fork in the road twice and each time I turned left and luckily it led me to the top!
The five stars has to be for the views. This hike has the most amazing and beautiful views! I was shocked at how beautiful it was at the top. I grabbed a snack, sat on a rock, and just stared at the gorgeous setting around me.
I definitely recommend everyone to try this hike. I do not understand why it’s not so popular! It is dog friendly and you don’t need crazy gear to hike it. Just sturdy shoes, some snacks and water!

I wrote a blog post based on this hike!
Check it out —

I hike every week so most hikes to me that are not in the city are 5 star hikes but this one is really nice with the 360 view of Baldy and surrounding peaks. I just hiked it again yesterday but this time had to add 2 extra miles to and from trail head since the holiday weekend they closed the Glendora Ridge Road. Gentle climb on a shaded fire road was the primary terrain, but when you bring a 2 year old it can be interesting all the lizards, rocks and sticks that can be found. There is another approach another mile down the road I have done in the past too, both get you to the summit. Since yesterday was very hot it was still quite a sweaty hike and we enjoyed it. If you want a hike less traveled in the area and not as tough as Baldy or Icehouse, this one or Stoddard are some good gentle climbs. To learn more about other hikes, join my hiking club, Pasadena Hiking Pacers.
6.8 miles roundtrip with 1,300′ elevation gain/​loss
Meeting Location: 34.2 283 558 529, –117.671 116 556
Take the 210 freeway east to Baseline Road exit in the City of Claremont. Turn left (west) at the bottom of the off-​ramp onto Baseline Road.
Almost immediately, take the first right (north) onto Padua Ave.
Go 1.8 miles north on Padua to the intersection with Mount Baldy Rd. Turn right (northeast).
Take this road northeast and then north about 7 miles to Glendora Ridge Road in Mt. Baldy Village. Turn left.
Go about a mile to Cow Canyon Saddle, where a large lot is marked «No Parking». Continue slightly further on the road, then park on the south side.

This hike is less than 7 miles roundtrip. The trail is a wide, dirt fireroad with a bit of rock under foot. It is a gentle slope up for the most part, so this hike is fairly easy overall. There is some shade, especially if you go early morning. But most of the hike is exposed to the sun, and it gets very hot in the summer.
Once you get close to the summit, there is an option to go straight up on a ridge to the peak for about 100 yards. If you want to get your heartrate up, take it — it’s pretty difficult, but is short-​lived.
Being on the peak is nice and you are surrounded by a 360 degree of mountains and city. It is pretty, but I was expecting more, given some of the reviews.
parking — small lot right next to the trail, or park about 1 mile before reaching the trail in a residential area

Summertime hike: It had been a 95+ degree week and the day we chose to do this hike was no different. I was a bit under the weather and feeling very lethargic so even though it was rather «easy», it was long; we ended up going about 10 miles round trip. The views are amazing. Imagine blue ridge mountain paintings. Starting out at around 3pm ensures that you’ll see a lovely sunset as you hike back down the mountain.
I am looking forward to giving it another go when my energy level is back up!

This is one of the best local hikes that I have been on. We went to this secluded trail on a cloudy spring morning. We only saw two other hikers the entire time that we were hiking up Sunset. The hike itself was pretty easy until you get to the last ½ mile where some minor rock scrambling and navigating is required to make it to the summit. The view at the top was absolutely incredible; it was as if we were looking down onto a sea of clouds! This hike only took about 3.5 hours and it was worth every minute of it. I can’t wait to go back this summer and experience the beauty of this trail again!
I recommend this hike to everyone who loves getting outside and gazing at some very impressive views! It’s hard to believe that somewhere so peaceful and natural is so close to home.

This is a 7-​mile hike with a 1,200 foot elevation gain. Parking at the trailhead requires an Adventure Pass. In November, this was an easy-​to-​moderate (mostly easy) hike with an amazing 360 degree view at the end; the trail is a wide and well-​maintained fire road, not too thrilling, but the views are superb. The most difficult part of the hike was the first twenty minutes. We took our time with a picnic at the top; up-​and-​back took us a little under 4 hours. Bring water, TP, and bags for your dogs. There are no facilities. In four hours on a Sunday we passed only one other party of hikers. Oh, and don’t touch the spiky plants. Happy hiking!