Claremont Hills Wilderness Park and Thompson Creek Trail
What to do with those local mountains? Peace and tranquility are just minutes away.
BY CINDY HANNA
If you seek to discover new recreational areas to hike, run, bike and horseback ride, look no further. Claremont Hills Wilderness Park and Thompson Creek Trail are the destinations for which you have been searching. Just above the 210 freeway, both of these trails will whisk you away from the hectic bustle of city dwelling, and afford you the opportunity to reclaim a sense of tranquility by reconnecting with nature.
Claremont Wilderness Park is located just north of the city of Claremont, and was established in 1997. It is a 1,769-acre wilderness preserve with broad fire trails that skirt a rugged inaccessible terrain, housing a menagerie of wildlife. Along these trails, you may spot deer, birds, foxes, squirrels, coyotes, snakes, tarantulas and hawks. The trails’ entrance is located at the far north end of Mills Avenue above Baseline Avenue.
A plethora of trails, which spur off of this 5-mile dirt access loop, include: Marshall Canyon, Palmer Canyon, Eve Canyon and Potato Mountain. At the beginning of the trail is a fork. If you choose to navigate the right (Cobalt) side, you will be rewarded with a shadier trail, which includes an oak-canopied canyon and a deep trickling stream. Further up, you will gaze across chaparral-lined steep hills to a patch-worked glistening city below. There is a roofed structure located near the two-and-a-half-mile marker, where one can rest and enjoy further breathtaking views of the valley at incredible altitudes for a trail that begins so close to home.
On the other hand, if you are a more modest hiker, or you are outfitted with a street bike or even a baby stroller, perhaps you would enjoy the 2.8-mile paved, virtually flat Thompson Creek Trail, which runs parallel to the Thompson Creek Flood control channel and encompasses 24.9 acres. This pathway has been serving walkers, runners, cyclists and leashed dogs since 1977. It has resting benches and several drinking fountains: one for people and—yes, can you believe it—one for canines.
The serene setting includes native plantings and fruit trees. The aroma of sage and rosemary tease the senses. The south side of the trail is flanked by track houses that are well obscured, while along the north side one can spot occasional wildlife, such as deer, birds, squirrels, coyotes, and hawks at the beginnings of the climbing foothills.
Thompson Creek Trail is accessible from a variety of locations, which include: Baseline Rd., Higginbotham Park, North Indian Hill Blvd., several cul-de-sacs, and Pomello Dr. There are two parking lots for the trail, located at North Indian Hill Blvd., (across from La Puarte Sports Park), and at the corner of Mills Ave. and Mt. Baldy Rd.
Oftentimes we believe we must venture hours from home to experience the wonders of untainted beauty, but more and more residents of Claremont and its adjacent towns are realizing that we are living right beneath one of the true natural wonders of the great West.