All the cycling data and info you'll need to climb Mt. Baldy to Baldy Village

Visit our Tour of California Page for information and details of the climbs on each stage of the 2019 ToC - arrange climbs by difficulty, length, gradient, etc. and access detailed information for each climb from the Tour page.

This page documents the first climb of the Tour of California Baldy-Glendora Mountain stage.  Mt. Baldy has been included in the Tour of California 5 times from 2011 to 2019 and it always uses the same course.  The first climb is Mt. Baldy Road to Mt. Baldy Village.  At Mt. Baldy Village, instead of following the normal Mt. Baldy through the Village and on up to the ski resort, the Tour turns left onto Glendora Ridge Road for a big loop that takes the peleton onto Hwy 39 and past San Gabriel and Morris Reservoirs before beginning the second climb of the day on Glendora Mountain Road.  

Aerial drone photo:  View southwest from hairpins above mile hairpins mile 9.5.

Enter Angeles National Forest (est. 1908; 655,387 acres) at mile 7.

The first eight miles of this ride are unspectacular and through arid, high desert landscape with dry grass during the summer and scattered desert shrubs.

We have to cycle through two tunnels at about Mile 9 which are about 50-100 yards in length and, although they are lighted, can be treacherous – flashing red lights for this part of the ride are highly recommended. Traffic is fairly heavy and fast over this section of the climb.

Mt. Baldy Road from tunnels to the town of Mt. Baldy

Tunnels at bottom of video.

We enter Baldy Village at Mile 8, and the remainder of the ride is more scenic.  Once we turn from Mt. Baldy Highway at the Icehouse (Mile 9.8), we begin the crux of this climb. The final 2.9 miles of the ride to the Mt. Baldy Ski Resort sign at the top of the steep climb is 9.5% average grade and an elevation gain of 1,442’.  The final segment of this ride from the Village to the Ski Resort is low traffic and more scenic.  

 Intersection Glendora Ridge Road and Mt. Baldy Road.

Mt. Baldy Village -- Mile 8.     

AMGEN TOUR OF CALIFORNIA

Andrew Talansky wins Mt. Baldy Stage 5 of the 2017 Tour of California.

Photo:  SoCalCycling.com

After Stage 6 of the 2019 Tour of California is complete, Mt. Baldy will have been a stage finish five of the 18 years the Tour has been held (each year since 2006).  The route on the Mt. Baldy stage is always the same route, as follows:

The route for all five ToC Mt. Baldy mountain-top finish stages (2019 Map).

The General Tour of California Mt. Baldy Route is:

• Start in Ontario and ride to Mt. Baldy Road.
• Ride climb Mt. Baldy Road to the town of Mt. Baldy.
• Turn left at town of Mt. Baldy onto Glendora Ridge Road.
• Ride Glendora Ridge Road to its intersection with Glendora Mountain Road.
• Turn right onto Glendora Mountain Road and ride to East Fork Road.
• Ride East Fork Road to Highway 39.
• Ride Highway 39 south towards Azusa, past San Gabriel Reservoir to Sierra Madre Road.
• Ride Sierra Madre Road to Glendora Mountain Road.
• Climb Glendora Mountain Road to Glendora Ridge Road on to the village of Mt. Baldy.
• Turn onto Mt. Baldy Road and continue five miles to the finish of the climb at Mt. Baldy Resort.

Chris Horner wins 2011 ToC, but Levi gets stage 7!

Robert Gesink wins in s.t. As Darwin Atapuma.

After Mt. Hamilton in Northern California (East Bay/Silicon Valley), Mt. Baldy has been included in more Amgen Tours than any other mountain climb.

• 2011 - Stage 7:  Levi Leipheimer (USA; stage winner; only 3x winner ToC - 2007-2009)
• 2012 - Stage 7:  Robert Gesink (NED) in sprint finish with Darwin Atapuma (COL)
• 2015 - Stage 7:  Julian Alaphilippe (FRA)
• 2017 - Stage 5:  Andrew Talansky (USA)
• 2019, May 17 - Stage 6:  tbd

2015 -- Jullian Alaphilippe.

Stage Profile for all Glendora Mountain / Mt. Baldy ToC stages.

Summary from 2015 Tour of California Website:

            “Route Information: May 16, 2015 - Stage 7 Finish

The climb up to Mt. Baldy is an integral part of the Amgen Tour of California’s nine-year history. Since 2011, when it was first introduced as the race’s first true mountaintop finish, the steep switchbacks up to the Mt. Baldy Ski Area at 6,500 feet elevation have served as the deciding factor in crowning the overall champion. Due to overwhelming demand from the fans, Mt. Baldy is back for the Amgen Tour of California 10th Anniversary after a two-year hiatus!
Mt. Baldy is located 45 miles from downtown Los Angeles and is a popular location for hikers, sightseers and cyclists. During autumn, spring, and summer you will find hundreds to thousands of outdoor enthusiasts traveling Mt. Baldy every week to summit the tallest peak in Los Angeles County, Mt. San Antonio (Elevation 10,068 feet), which is accessible from a trail network originating at the Mt. Baldy Ski Area. For those who prefer a two-wheeled adventure, cyclists from far and wide visit Mt. Baldy to climb the challenging switchbacks, which ascend over 2,000 in only 4.3 miles (9% average gradient). In the winter months Mt. Baldy is known for its steep ski terrain and easy access from the big city below.”  See also - 2019 ToC summary of Baldy Stage.