Claremont Wilderness Loop

Drive to the top of Mills Ave in Claremont. There is a main parking area to the left and overflow parking a block south on the right. It costs $3 to park for 4hrs.

As the name implies, the Wilderness Loop is a loop that connects to other trails in the Claremont Hills Wilderness. You can choose to start on the left or right.

The left is less steep due to the many switchbacks. It is also unshaded but offers sweeping views of the Inland Empire and beyond to the Santa Ana Mountains. On a good day you can see I-10 and SR210 below. Along the way there are benches placed every half-mile or so for people to rest. At the top, there is a gazebo where a lot of hikers, runners, and mountain bikers take pictures.

The right side of the trail starts off with a shaded, lower-grade climb. However, after about a mile and a half, it gets really steep with a couple of switchbacks and becomes completely exposed. Another interesting feature of the trail is that the dirt turns from a sandy-brown color to a reddish-orange. It meets up with the left half of the trail at the gazebo.

If you are hiking, be sure to keep to one side of the trail because mountain bikers like to zoom down and may not see you on the other side of the switchbacks. Also there are no bathrooms on the trail so it's best to use the porta-potties located in the parking lot at the trailhead.