By Andrew Alonzo | aalonzo@claremont-courier.com

Over the weekend, San Gabriel Mountains Heritage Association (SGMHA) volunteers, including Karen Fortus, Mike Smith, and Steve Segreto, dusted and filled the shelves at the Mount Baldy Visitor Center. As they worked, prospective hikers got their questions answered by volunteers and Segreto delivered a tour of the center’s Baldy Museum.

In contrast to spring cleaning, the volunteers were actually in the middle of a spring reopening. They said April 12 marked the first day the Mt. Baldy Visitor Center, located at 6778 Mt. Baldy Rd., reopened to the public since the devastating Bridge Fire in 2024 that consumed 56,030 acres.

The Mount Baldy Visitor Center, at 6778 Mt. Baldy Rd., reopened April 12 and will remain open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo

The center offers information about Mt. Baldy, in addition to adventure passes, which are valid for parking at Angeles, Cleveland, Los Padres and San Bernardino National forests. The center also has a gift shop to benefit SGMHA.

Segreto walked the Courier reporter around the acre-sized grounds brimming with history about Indigenous peoples, the gold rush, settlers, and horticulture. He said volunteers were happy to be back and were preparing the center to host its first school group on Tuesday.

Fortus shared similar enthusiasm, but emphasized that visitors should remain cautious when returning.

The Mount Baldy Visitor Center, at 6778 Mt. Baldy Rd., reopened April 12 and will remain open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo

“We want them to come and enjoy their national forest, but just be aware of the safety concerns and really do some online research before you come up,” Fortus said. “Make sure you’ve got your gear, your safety equipment, water, all of those kind of things, just your basic safety stuff.”

While the visitor center is now open, that does not mean all of Mt. Baldy is accessible. Ice House Canyon, which leads to Ontario and Cucamonga peaks, remains the only trail open for public use. Other trails and access points, such as Bear Canyon Loop Trail to the south of the visitor center, are still closed, Fortus said.

Mount Baldy’s Ice House Canyon trailhead, which connects to Ontario and Cucamonga peaks, remains the only trail path open for public use near the scene of the Bridge Fire. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo

In February, the Angeles National Forest issued an updated forest order barring the public from accessing certain forest roads and trails including Baldy Bowl, Devil’s Backbone, Mt. Baldy, and Bear Canyon Loop. The forest order will remain in effect through December 31, 2025.

The visitor center is staffed by SGMHA volunteers 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays. Fortus said volunteers will also continue to be present at Ice House Canyon to offer information and advice to hikers, which she attributes to a quiet rescue season.

“In the past there have been lots of rescues and bad situations happening because of the icy conditions,” Fortus said. “This year, we haven’t had any situations that we’re aware of.”

For additional information, visit fs.usda.gov.