Katie Kommer hiked this route in 2020
The Old Mt. Baldy to Three T’s Loop is a challenging 22-mile trail in Southern California that can be hiked in 2-3 days. The route offers expansive views and multiple peaks, but carrying enough water is a limiting factor.
Region: Pacific West (Angeles National Forest / Cucamonga Wilderness, Southern California)
Length: 22 miles (2-3 days)
Physical Difficulty: Difficult
- Route begins with 6,000 feet of elevation gain in 6 miles
- One place to refill water, prepare for a heavy pack
- Fairly exposed trail, subject to very hot or cold temperatures
Logistical Difficulty: Easy
- Walk-up, self-serve permit, though you need to plan camping in advance
- Well-trafficked trail with plenty of people and cell service in some spots
- Maps for hikers to take at the trailhead
Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
Elevation (Average): ~6,000 feet
Total Elevation Gain: 8,000 feet
Hiking the Mt. Baldy Loop Trail
Moving like molasses under a 40-pound pack, Nate muttered that next year he would “not be doing something like this for his birthday.” Once we stopped for a snack and water his spirits improved, but mine tanked. This is a HARD backpacking trip. Depending on when you go, there may be only one spot to refill water, hence the 40-pound pack. Despite its physical difficulty, I would absolutely go through this again. Camping on top of a 10,000 foot peak with LA county twinkling below and the stars twinkling above is something I will never forget, and turned out to be one of Nate’s favorite birthday memories.
Mt. Baldy and its surrounding wilderness is part of the Angeles National Forest in Southern California’s high desert. Wrightwood, a popular PCT trail town, is just on the other side of the mountain and a few thru-hikers summit Baldy as a half-day detour from the PCT. The trails are well-paved and easy to follow, but steep. The Old Mt. Baldy trail is the most taxing route to the top, with nearly 6,000 feet of gain over 6 miles. Despite its difficulty, this route is fantastic for its views. Once you climb above 8,000 feet, you’re walking on a ridgeline with mountain layers to the west, east, and north, with LA county behind you. Plus, this grueling death march to the top made for an extra-sweet summit sunset.
The following day, we had a light itinerary with plenty of breaks. Early in the morning you reach the one place to refill water, so we stopped for quite some time. Along the route you hit three small peaks, Thunder, Telegraph, and Timber Mountain (the Three T’s). Here, you enter the Cucamonga Wilderness. These three peaks have very nice views, and we enjoyed stopping at every one. We camped just to the side of Thunder Mountain in a private, forested clearing.
On the last morning we got up before sunrise to quickly hike the last 4 miles out. We descended the Icehouse Canyon trail, which is extremely popular and compared to the “405 at rush hour” (SoCal humor). This descent is fairly comfortable and gradual, and even though Nate was exceptionally anxious to get to the trailhead pit toilet, we stopped to soak our feet in the Icehouse Canyon stream.
The logistical planning for this trip was extremely easy. Walk-up permits are self-serve and available at the Icehouse Canyon trailhead. It’s not difficult to camp away from water, because there is none. I recommend spending at least one of the nights on top of Mt. Baldy, but otherwise just follow standard LNT guidelines when selecting a site.
How to Get to the Mt. Baldy Loop
Icehouse Canyon Parking here.
From San Diego, you’ll follow I-15 all the way to I-10 in LA County. From there, you follow the exit for Mt. Baldy and head up Mt. Baldy Road. There are a few trailhead options, so be sure to watch for signs for Icehouse Canyon parking. From Los Angeles, you’ll follow I-10 East to the 210 and take the same exit marked for Mt. Baldy.
When to Hike the Mt. Baldy Loop
Though it can be hiked year-round, without a true winter gear system, this route is best hiked from late spring (April) to late fall (November), depending on the snowpack. We went smack dab in the middle of August, and we had HOT days and very comfortable nights. The water advantage you gain from going in the early season is the potential to be able to melt snow. Otherwise, the only stream that flows is year-round, and will either be at the very beginning or very end of your trip.
Hiking Direction / Sample Itinerary
We hiked the loop clockwise, and would highly recommend following this path as well. This got the massive climb out of the way in one long push, and the rest of the trip was short ups and downs, with one long gradual climb out. There is one 2-mile road walk from the Icehouse Canyon parking area to the Old Mt. Baldy trailhead, which we also wanted to get done first. Walking 2 miles up the road did not seem like a fun way to end our trip. Here’s how our two-night trip of this route looked:
Day One:
- Arrived at Icehouse Canyon Parking Lot ~ 2 p.m.
- Two-mile road walk down to Old Mt. Baldy trailhead
- Climb from 4,000 feet elevation to 10,000 feet (top of Mt. Baldy) in 6 miles, via the Old Mt. Baldy Trail
- Camp on top of Mt. Baldy
- Total: 8.5 miles / 5,800 ft gain
Day Two:
- Descend from Mt. Baldy to the Baldy Notch Restaurant, via Devil’s Backbone
- Stop at the Notch, refill water, option to buy snacks / drinks
- Follow trail to Thunder Mountain (8,573 feet), Telegraph Peak (8,901 feet), and camp at Timber Mountain (8,271 feet)
- Total: 10 miles / ~2,000 feet of gain
Day Three:
- Hike out from Timber Mountain to Icehouse Canyon park lot
- *Crucial* stop at Icehouse Creek to soak feet
- Total: 4 miles / no gain
Mt. Baldy Loop Terrain
The Angeles National Forest is a year-round destination for Southern California residents hoping to trade crowded beaches for pine trees, Douglas firs, and layers of mountains. From 4,000 to ~7,000 feet, much of the trail is chaparral and very exposed. Once you reach roughly 7,000 feet, you enter nicely forested and shaded trails until you climb above the treeline toward the very top of the mountain. The trails are well-paved and marked, with no scrambling required. However, all of the routes to the top of Mt. Baldy are incredibly steep, with 1,000 feet+ of gain miles. On a clear day, you can see all the way to the Sierra from Baldy.
Mt. Baldy Loop Logistics: Water, Camping, and Land Management
Water: As it has been noted, water is the biggest logistical hurdle for this trip. We started off with 8 liters each, and were running on empty by the time we got down to the Baldy Notch Restaurant for a refill. But also, we started climbing 6,000 feet in 8 miles at 2 p.m. in the middle of August after a night of tequila drinking (it was his birthday, OK). We could have mitigated some of these dehydrating factors.
Camping: You’ll need to plan your campsites before filling out a walk-up permit. Bear vaults are not required, but there are plenty of critters (and larger animals) roaming the area. On the top of Mt. Baldy you’re not likely to encounter anything larger than a squirrel, but in the forested areas like Timber Mountain, I recommend bringing a bear bag to hang.
Angeles National Forest / Cucamonga Wilderness: You don’t need a permit for day hiking in Angeles National Forest, but once the jurisdiction switches to the Cucamonga Wilderness, all hikers must have a permit. This happens just past the Baldy Notch Restaurant before the Three T’s Trail, so be prepared. Read here for more info, but the permits are walk-up, so it’s easy.
Know Before You Go
Pack Out Your Trash: I probably don’t have to remind BPR readers, but these wilderness areas have been loved to death. If you’re feeling exceptionally altruistic, bring a big bag to pick up extra trash along the way. I promise you’ll find plenty.
A National Forest Adventure Pass Required: You can either buy a $5 one-time Forest Adventure Pass, or a $30 annual one. Both of these are available at local REIs, Big 5, or national forest permit stations.
Be Aware of Wildlife: There are frequent mountain lion and bighorn sheep sightings in the Cucamonga Wilderness. Brush up on how to handle these encounters.
Get There Early, or Go on a Weekday. On the weekends, the Icehouse Canyon parking lot is full by 8 a.m. Avoid circling the parking lot (and loitering near hikers taking their shoes off) by getting there early.
Resources
Angeles National Forest Info: Permits and potential fire closure
National Forest Adventure Pass
Wilderness Permit (free)
Katie is a freelance writer based in Salt Lake City, Utah. When she’s not guzzling instant coffee in the backcountry, you can find her down the ski slopes or using inappropriate language around children at the climbing gym. For ramblings, rants, and the occasional dose of inspirational musing follow her on Instagram or her blog Small Towns to Summits. Maybe someday soon she’ll start posting there again; you’ll just have to follow to find out.
