106 miles with 13,800 feet of elevation gain*
Locate ride on interactive map.
[Interactive Course | enlarge]
[Route Profile]
Mount Baldy and Islip Saddle - Counties Visited:
Los Angeles County and San Bernardino County
Mount Baldy and Islip Saddle - Cities/Towns Visited:
Glendora, Mount Baldy Village, and Azusa
Mount Baldy and Islip Saddle - Climbs:
Mile 0 (cat. 2), 14 (cat. 3), 22 (cat. 2), 32 (cat. 4), and 55 (HC)
Mount Baldy and Islip Saddle - Stops (Self-Supported):
Mile 22 (Mount Baldy Village) and 53 (Camp Williams)
Mount Baldy and Islip Saddle - Description:
Many cyclists are familiar with Mount Baldy (also known as Mount San Antonio), but fewer seem to know Dawson Saddle, the number one climb in California in terms of elevation gain.
Three routes lead up Mount Baldy, including Mount Baldy Road, Glendora Mountain Road/Glendora Ridge Road/Mount Baldy Road, and San Gabriel Canyon Road/East Fork Road/Glendora Ridge Road/Mount Baldy Road. Mount Baldy Road and San Gabriel Canyon Road have some traffic, so Glendora Mountain Road (GMR) is often the preferred option.
On the descent, East Fork Road leads to the bottom of the second climb, crossing San Gabriel Reservoir. San Gabriel Canyon Road (Highway 39) and Angeles Crest Highway lead up to Dawson Saddle. After the Crystal Lake turnoff, Highway 39 is closed due to landslides, but it is in rideable condition (with a few short gravel sections).
Mount Baldy and Islip Saddle - Pictures:
[Glendora Ridge Road]
[Mount Baldy Road]
[Mount Baldy Ski Lifts]
[Glendora Mountain Road (East Fork Side)]
[San Gabriel Reservoir Bridge]
[San Gabriel Canyon Road]
[Angeles Crest Highway (Islip Saddle)]
Mount Baldy and Islip Saddle - Personal Notes:
Chuck R. came visiting from Maryland.
Our original plan was to ride both Mount Baldy and Dawson Saddle, but we ran out of daylight and had to turn around at Angeles Crest Highway (Islip Saddle), 5 miles and 1,300 vertical feet short of Dawson Saddle.
Thanks a lot to Katrina W. for supporting us.
I came back in summer to take care of unfinished business (see Dawson Saddle and Mount Baldy).
Mount Baldy and Islip Saddle - Current Weather:
See also Top Bike Climbs in California.