The most epic and popular climbs of the San Gabriel Mountains, California.
Clockwise from top left: Glendora Mountain Road; Crystal Lake;
Mt. Baldy; Mt. Wilson; and Dawson Saddle (center)
THE HARDEST BIKE CLIMB IN THE SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS
DAWSON SADDLE
Ride Highway 39 through a canyon along hairpins past Crystal Lake,
over the gate up to Highway 2, and on to Dawson Saddle -- 23 miles in all.
Cycling Dawson’s Saddle
Ride 23.4 miles gaining 6,800’ at 5.2% average grade
#18 ranked bike climb in the US.
Note: Miles 12-18 of this climb are on a portion of Highway 39 that is closed to motor vehicles and cyclists. Strava has “red flagged” this climb and prevents it from being considered a “segment.”
THE HARDEST “LEGIT” BIKE CLIMB IN THE SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS
MT. BALDY
Cycling Mt. Baldy - one of Southern California’s toughest bike climbs.
Ride 13.1 miles gaining 4,748’ at 6.7% average grade.
Enter Angeles National Forest (est. 1908; 655,387 acres) at mile 2.6.
Aerial drone photo: View southwest from hairpins above mile hairpins mile 9.5.
Riding up one of 12 hairpins over the last three miles.
The quarter-mile leading to the Mt. Baldy sign is the steepest of the entire climb (13.3% average).
THE MOST SCENIC BIKE CLIMB IN THE SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS
GLENDORA MOUNTAIN ROAD
Cycling Glendora Mountain Road:
PJAMM Cycling’s choice for the most scenic cycling climb in Southern California.
California Top 10 Most Scenic Bike Climb