Windy Point

Overview

Windy Point is the highest hill at the center of the Claremont Wilderness Park in Claremont. It is a pleasant summit with grand distant views of the Inland Valley, Los Angeles downtown, Catalina, Claremont Hills, Santa Anas, San Bernardinos, San Jacintos, and the surrounding San Gabriels. This peak can be reached from all directions along fireroads, firebreaks, hiking trail, and cross country bushwhacking. I will name to the two most common ways to reach Windy Point. Other nearby peaks are Potato Mountain, Sunset Ridge, Colver Peak, Frankish Peak, Stoddard Peak, and BM La Verne. The Claremont Wilderness Park is used by hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians.

Route 1 Wildeness Park Loop

Getting There:
Take the 210 Freeway to the Basline off ramp in Claremont. You want to head west on Baseline to the second light interesction, Mills Ave. Turn right onto Mills and go north, towards the mountains, for about 2 miles to the Mount Baldy Road intersection. Go straight and pass the overflow parking and head up to the upper parking lot. If there is no parking go back to the overflow lot.

Route:
From the parking area go through the gated trailhead and walk up the road for about .2 miles to the road split. On the left is Burbank Canyon Road and on the right is Cobal Canyon Road. Either road takes you to the main ridge road named Johnson's Pasture Road (JPR). Burbank is the steeper and shorter way to reach (JPR). Cobal Canyon Road is longer and more level.

Trail Statistics:
Burbank to Windy Pt. is about 1.75 miles one way with 1000 feet of gain.

Cobal Canyon to Windy Point is about 2.75 miles with 1000 feet of gain.

Total loop is 4.5 miles roundtrip with 1200 feet of gain.

Route Summary via Burbank-Windy-Cobal

Take the left turn at the first junction and head up the steep road for 1.5 miles reaching (JPR). Turn right onto (JPR) and head up to the high saddle area, you will round Windy Point on your left. Once at the saddle connecting Windy to (JPR) turn left and hike up the grassy firebreak to the top. On the return head back down to (JPR) and turn left, heading north onwards to the mountains ahead. Stay right at the first two junctions along (JPR). Eventually (JPR) reaches the Cobal Canyon saddle and descends into Cobal Canyon. Stay right at the junction midway down the canyon. Take this road all the way back to the trailhead. This route can be reversed.

Route 2 Johnsons Pasture

Getting there:
Take the 210 Freeway to the Towne off ramp in Claremont. Go north on Towne to the Baseline intersection and turn right going east to the next lighted intersection. Turn right at this intersection, Mountain Ave., and head north up into the hill. Continue all the way up until Mountain ends, turn right on the last road. Go to the end of this road and park in front of the houses.

Route:
From the parking area head up the road that has large No Hunting signs. Continue up this road as it gains steeply at first then levels off at the start of Johnson's Pasture Road (JPR). Continue on this road through the trees igoring all side trails. At the first two junctions keep straight, rightside. At the third junction stay to the left. At the fourth junction, Cobal Saddle, stay to the left and head up the road to high saddle. From the high saddle head up the grassy firebreak to the summit.

Roundtrip is about 3 miles with 600-800 feet of elevation change.

Red Tape and Camping

The park hours are from sunrise to sundown. Mountain bikers and hikers are to stay on fireroads only. And there is no camping. In the past my friends and I have camp all over these hills. There are places to hide and camp just outside of the park boundaries. There is little supervision in these hills, so do so at your own risk. Also fires are definitely not safe anywhere or anytime in these hills.

External Links

For more information on the Claremont Wilderness Park.

For more information on efforts to preserve the Claremont Hills go to savejohnsonspasture.org.

Images

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