Baldy's Got Game!

Disc Golf on Mount Baldy

06.16.2016

Okay, disc golfers, ready to get your game on near the top of LA County’s highest point? Hikers know Mount Baldy is home to a summit clocking in at over 10,000 feet, but lesser known is that it’s also home to an “extreme” 18-hole disc golf course. Starting just off the main ski lift next to the Top of the Notch restaurant (7,800 feet), the 2-mile course begins in a steep, rocky gulch under a zipline course surrounded by sugar pines.

At the base of the ravine, the course veers left to Turkey Run. After 9 holes, return the way you came, hitting the same holes, only this time uphill! In other words, if you have bad aim, you’ll get quite a workout retrieving misfired discs. Be sure to explore the various incredible viewpoints, particularly the eastern view of the San Bernardino mountain range just over the hill behind the first (and last) hole. You can print a map (recommended) as the course can be tricky to maneuver even for the most experienced disc golfer. Holes are often hidden on steep slopes of loose rocks. The “tees” are dirt ramps, always pointing in the direction of the next hole, which helps keep you on track.

BONUS HIKE & BEERS: There are two ways to reach the start of this course: the hard way, and the easy way. The hard way is to park at the base of the mountain and hike 3 miles of switchbacks and 1,300 feet of elevation up a fire road/dirt trail combination starting at Manker Flats Campground. The easy way: take the ski lifts to the Notch. Either way, the Notch is a bonus, with live music, BBQ, and local beers on tap.

To get to Manker Flats Campground or the ski lifts, from I-210 take the Base Line Rd. exit and go west. Take the first right onto Padua Ave. and continue north, making a right onto Mount Baldy Rd. Look for the campground on your right, just after the intersection with San Antonio Falls Rd. If heading to the lifts, continue on Mount Baldy Rd. until it ends at the lift parking lot. Parking is $5; round-trip lift tickets are $25. Dog-friendly! Open Friday through Sunday until late due to events (call for last lift time). Disc rental for $3. Map..

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Napa Valley Paddle kayaker and paddle boarder on the Napa Valley river

    Napa's Wild Side

    It’s wine country’s Amazon. The gentle Napa River is an ecological—and recreational—delight. And Napa Valley Paddle sets you up for maximum enjoyment of this experience.

    View

  2. Been There, Dome That

    Surrounded by granite domes, craggy peaks, and miles of hiking trails, the High Sierra landscape of Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park is famous for good reason. For a truly grand view, take a short hike to bold—and bald (except for snow at times)—Lembert Dome.

    View

  3. Wapama Wows

    Hetch Hetchy can be overlooked in Yosemite National Park because of its more remote location and limited facilities. But this is where you’ll also find one of the best day hikes in the park: Wapama Falls.

    View
  4. Hike Mount Tamalpais into Muir Woods

    Muir Woods Through the Backdoor

    A backdoor entrance into Muir Woods? Hike a tranquil trail that starts in Mount Tamalpais State Park and quietly leads into Muir Woods, letting you avoid the busyness of the main parking area.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories

  1. Inn-spiration Point!

    For more than a century, people have been hiking or mountain biking to West Point Inn for good reason. Perched at 1,785 feet on the southern slope of Mount Tamalpais, the historic inn has sweeping views from the Marin Headlands to the San Francisco skyline.

    View

  2. A Thousand Steps to Paradise

    A picture is worth a thousand words, but is a gorgeous beach in Laguna worth a thousand steps? The answer is yes, though the question is moot, because it’s only 223 steep steps down to the 400-yard stretch of sand known as 1000 Steps Beach.

    View
  3. Sponsored

    Take the Exit to the Best of the San Francisco Peninsula

    The San Francisco Peninsula is proof that some of Northern California’s greatest surprises are hiding just off Highway 101. All you have to do is take the exit.

    View
  4. Hike to the Sierra Buttes Fire Lookout in the Lakes Basin

    Lookout for This View!

    Sierra Buttes Lookout, at a lofty 8,591 feet, is a memory maker for its pucker-worthy stairway to the tower’s balcony. It's a 5-mile (round-trip) hike to reach it. And the reward? Epic!

    View