Cedar Glen Camp

Distance: 4.9 Miles
Elevation Gain: 1,394 Feet
Location: Mount Baldy, California

Cedar Glen is my favourite hike I’ve done this year.  It’s split into two main sections, the first being the Icehouse Canyon Trail, followed by a series of switchbacks up to the campground which sits above the clouds / marine layer this time of year.

Park in the Icehouse Canyon trailhead parking lot off Mount Baldy Rd and head to the trailhead.  The first mile or so is a beautiful hike next to a stream.  The hike took longer than it could’ve for us because we kept getting distracted by little pockets of the stream you can walk down to.  The trail itself down here is pretty rocky and can get slippery at times so boots are recommended.  

You’ll come to a sign titled “Chapman Trail” that’s really easy to miss.  This marks the left you take to begin the uphill switchbacks for the remainder of the hike.  We took this milestone as an opportunity to take a break and find a good stick, which actually turned out to be pretty useful. 

For the next mile and a half you’ll be doing a pretty consistent uphill.  It’s not too challenging but it does get tiring as it begins to get hot out.  Keep an eye out for rattlesnakes and loose rocks.  As you make your way up surrounded by the snow capped mountains on either side, you can hear the sound of running water pretty much the whole time.  

You’ll eventually make it to the Cedar Glen Campground.  This is a small, flat clearing in the pine trees with some logs to sit on and rest.  You can camp here, though we were just using the campground as a turnaround point.  There are some really good views of the clouds / marine layer below you as you turn around and head back down. Follow the route the same way you came up.  Be mindful how much faster you go downhill than uphill, especially with the loose rocks in parts.  

Overall this is a new favourite of mine.  The only thing I’d do differently next time is bring a change of clothes to swim in at the end as a reward for the work and sweat.