via Ben Lomond

Approach

You have three options to climb Ben Lomond. Most popular, but the longest is the Skyline Trail. North Fork Park is not much easier, and the route from the UTABA camp is the shortest, but oddly the least used. For directions to the trailheads, see the Ben Lomond page (I will add those routes soon!).

Route Description

Ben Lomond can be reached from several trails. All are long and make for full day hikes on their own. From the summit of Ben Lomond it is about two miles to the summit of Willard Peak. The trail drops from Ben Lomond's summit and traverses an open, beautiful ridge towards Willard Peak. As you get closer, the trail dips left, below Willard and you'll have to leave the trail and do some easy route-finding to get to Willard's summit. The hiking is easy, but there are some large cliffs on Willards southeast face.

Climbing Ben Lomond and Willard from the Skyline Trail is about 20 miles roundtrip and gains 4,000 vertical feet...bring adequate food and water!

Essential Gear

If climbing Ben Lomond early in the season, an ice axe may add some security on the steep upper slopes when still snow covered. These slopes make an excellent glissade on the descent.

Miscellaneous Info

If you have information about this route that doesn't pertain to any of the other sections, please add it here.