Sunset Peak Trail

This trail is located near Mount Baldy with fantastic views of the other peaks and mountains nearby. When we hiked this trail we had a clear view of snow capped Mt. Baldy. This is a wide trail, essentially a fire road the whole way up. So it is perfect for multiple hikers/groups to be side by side. It is a very gradual steady incline of 1293 feet of elevation over the course of roughly 3.25 miles.(7.5 miles out and back) Summit is 5653 feet, so nothing too extreme but great for getting used to being in the mountains and acclimating to higher elevations. It is a great trail for training new hikers or even experienced hikers wanting to work on faster hiking times and/or adding heavy backpacks. At the summit there are great views overlooking the city and unobstructed of the taller mountains behind. With stopping for pictures and just enjoying the views, it took us about 2.5 hours total.

The trail is extremely easy to follow along with only 3 turns you must make. Using a map, GPS or an app such as AllTrails will make this a breeze. I have my recording from AllTrails so if you’d like to see it. Use the link below;

https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/sunset-peak-trail-ae0eb3e--2

The trail itself is mostly packed dirt with small loose rocks. One short section closer to the peak with bigger loose rocks, but nothing to be concerned with. We encountered small amounts of snow, but not enough for microspikes or poles. Would love to come back and do this in a fully snow covered condition and also to catch a sunset.

The trailhead is located off Glendora Ridge Road near Mt. Baldy Road. So you would take Mt. Baldy Road up and turn left on Glendora Ridge Road. The dirt parking lot off to the right is off limits and you will be cited and/or towed. Parking is on the road outside the dirt parking or on the other side of the road. You will still need your Adventure Pass to park along the road! During winter time after a big storm they shut down Glendora Ridge Road and you’d have to park on Mt. Baldy Road and walk up Glendora Ridge Road to the trailhead. This will add about 1.5 miles (3 miles roundtrip) to the hike.

We saw a couple hikers with dogs and I read it is dog friendly. Did not see any but I heard mountain bikers use these trails as well, so keep an eye out. Not much shade so be prepared with sun protection. Always bring hydration! Every hike I bring water, snacks, first aid kit and more just to be prepared in case of emergency.

Add this to the list if you want a break from the more difficult trails or if you’re new to hiking and wanting to train for peaks such as Mt. Baldy.