Hike Bald Mountain, Sugarloaf Ridge SP

Park at the top of Adobe Canyon Road in the gravel parking lot to the left of the ranger kiosk. There is a $7.00 parking fee.

There are many options for routes to the top; the easiest of which is mostly paved (although still steep in parts). To take this route, head north out of the trailhead parking lot on the Lower Bald Mountain Trail, a beautiful stretch of single track that winds through manzanita forest.

This singletrack eventually connects to the paved trail (the Bald Mountain Trail). This trail will take you all the way to the summit, although on the last quarter mile or so the trail becomes steep dirt fire road.

On the top there is a bench and a few maps of the skyline that allow you to identify the surrounding features.

You can retrace your steps to get back to the parking lot, or you can consult the map in order to make it into a loop hike. There are multiple different trails that you can take to get down, most of them are forested and rather steep in parts.

For a fun evening adventure, this hike can also be done at night and is especially popular during a full moon.

There are campsites available near the trailhead if you would like to make it into an overnight trip. Make sure to reserve a site online: www.parks.ca.gov

For those interested, it is also possible to summit Bald Mountain on a bike, although it should only be only be attempted by avid cyclists. Many trails are not bike legal at Sugarloaf so make sure to look into which ones are. If you stick to the Bald Mountain Trail it is possible to do it on a road bike as the trail is nicely paved.