35.2
PDI
23.3 mi
DISTANCE
6,460 ft
GAINED
5.2 %
AVG. GRADE
FULL CLIMB STATS
Page Contributor(s): Bruce Hamilton, La Quinta, CA, USA; Stacy Topping, Tacoma, WA, USA
INTRO
The Dawson Saddle bike climb from Highway 39 to its finish on Highway 2 is quite the epic and challenging Southern California bike climb. We've done this one twice - well one and a half times - our first effort was turned back by the Mountain Patrol who told us it was not legal to be riding our bikes on this closed road (they are correct!). However, we were encouraged by others (including the hundreds of Strava members that had done the entire route) and the owner of the Crystal Lake Cafe that we could get through if we tried again. Our second effort was a success. However, because six miles of Highway 39 are closed between Crystal Lake Road and Highway 2, we cannot recommend the climb - you climb at your own risk.
PLAN YOUR ROUTE
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Average grade is 5.2% (6.1% climb only). The grade varies substantially throughout this climb - 34% is at 0-5% grade and 48% is at 5-10%. The steepest quarter-mile is a healthy 13%, and the steepest mile is 8.7%.
See more details and tools regarding this climb's grade via the “Profile Tool” button.
Traffic: Traffic is not bad anywhere along the public portions of the climb.
Parking: We park at the San Gabriel Canyon OHV parking lot for our climbs to Dawson Saddle and Crystal Lake. Note that it may be crowded on weekends (Map; Street View).
Provisions: The only provisions on this long ride are if you take a right turn onto Crystal Lake Road at mile 11.8 and ride 1.9 miles to the store (Route Map; Google Map + Reviews) - otherwise, there is nothing to be had on this 46 mile round trip bike ride.
Clothing: Since you finish at nearly 8,000' and 6,500' higher than where you started, be sure to check the PJAMM Weather forecast for the weather projection at the top of your climb and pack accordingly.
Before heading out on any cycling adventure check out our Things to Bring on a Cycling Trip and use our interactive check list to ensure you don't forget anything.
We have made a trip of it to ride Mt. Wilson, Highway 39 - Crystal Lake (just the extra two miles from Highway 39 to the store/cafe) and Mt. Baldy (or Glendora Mountain Road) or a combination of these climbs on all of our trips to the area.
Use the “Routes in Area” button on the menu bar to see other bike climbs in this area, or see our Southern California climb area page for the top and best bike climbs in Southern California.
To stay near the start of the climb there are a few hotel options in Azusa. Or if you are staying in the area for a longer period of time renting a house may be a better option.
ROUTE MAP
MEMBER RATING
CURRENT WEATHER
PJAMM TRIPS ADVENTURE STARTER BUNDLES
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MEMBER REVIEWS & COMMENTS
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JonLested
The climb up to Dawson Saddle is an epic ride, but one which should only be attempted with company. You'll compete for space on the road up to the Crystal Lake turn-off, then have zero traffic as you cover the middle closed section. ACH from Hwy 39 up to Dawson Saddle may also be closed. The road surface is worst on the closed portion, but one should watch for rocks and pine cones on ACH. The scenery is spectacular, offering views of winding roads and hairpin turns, forests, and sheer drops. Make sure you have all your flat repair kit with you: it's a LONG way to get help. In summary, Dawson isn't as steep as the climb to the Mount Baldy ski lifts, but the 23+ miles of constant climbing will wear one down. A true bucket list climb!
ronnie
This is an amazing climb that is absolutely worth doing. The road condition excluding the closed section is very good, the closed section isn't so bad - I didn't need to dismount at all on my slick clincher 28s and many sections had me wondering why it was closed at all. Just avoid the rocks! Traffic up to Crystal Lake isn't too bad at all, although you will encounter loud motorcycles. Didn't run into any issues with road closure enforcement, but I've heard it's occasionally an issue.
whitoriginals
17 october 2022 update. do not recommend lower part of this road on weekend due to street racing and drifters. edison working on power lines during the week. upper section looks to be recently cleared of boulders, but there is a constant rain of small rocks. i rode it on a salsa cutthroat with 2.2 tires, so the upper sections were no problem.
bjosloff
Dawson Saddle is the king of SoCal climbs and worth traveling for. Traffic isn't great before the road closure but its tolerable. The road surface is bad and some sections are worse than others but do not worry, the ascent and descent on this section are a blast with great views.
Enrique71872
Summited Dawson Saddle via Closed hwy 39 on 4-9-22. Road is in terrible condition with slides everywhere above Crystal Lake and Angeles Crest HWY East which remains closed and I walked the bike a lot. Got a flat on the way down and used my last supplies to repair it. Sort of dangerous area between Zero cell phone reception and closed roads. I wouldn't recommend it until the road is repaired.
JonLested
As of December 2024, the closed section of Hwy 39 has largely been cleared of boulders and most rocks. It's a lot better in your pics, but still requires caution.
thomasjkenney
Closure enforcement on CA-39 is mixed. If SoCal Ed is working on power lines or the road, they post guards and keep people out. Conversely, I've been riding up and passed a CHP vehicle, we waved at eachother.
There is wildlife to be seen. On one ride, I saw a bighorn sheep on the mountainside above the road. He kicked a boulder down at me!
Tinypip
The road up to the turn for Crystal Lake is in good quality, some mild traffic, but overall very few cars. Once you pass the gate, the road surface worsens, and there are scattered rocks on the road, potholes, and occasional large road defects. We saw zero people, animals, or vehicles going either way past the gate. There is a 50ft segment I walked my bike through chunky rocks / gravel (easy to do in road shoes), my buddy just rode over on his tubeless road setup. Views are amazing, climb is very challenging, definitely my favorite in SoCal. Descending back through the closed section was not challenging or unsafe, but take it slow to avoid large rocks / potholes.
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