Mount Baldy, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mt Baldy, California
Unincorporated community
Mount Baldy, California Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area Show map of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Mount Baldy, California Location in California Show map of California Mount Baldy, California Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	California
County	San Bernardino Los Angeles
Elevation	1,278 m (4,193 ft)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	91759
Area code(s)	909
GNIS feature ID	1660300

A beautiful view of Mount Baldy and the San Gabriel Mountains near Los Angeles.

Mount Baldy or Mount Baldy Village is a small community in the San Gabriel Mountains in Southern California. It's called "Mount Baldy" because it's located right below Mount San Antonio, which is also known as "Mount Baldy." This community is special because the line between San Bernardino County and Los Angeles County runs right through it!

Where is Mount Baldy Village?

Mount Baldy Village is nestled in San Antonio Canyon, right below the famous Mount San Antonio (Mt Baldy). A stream called San Antonio Creek flows through the community. The entire area is surrounded by the beautiful Angeles National Forest. Mount Baldy is about 12 miles (19 km) north of the city of Ontario.

A Look Back at Mount Baldy's History

Cars parked at Camp Baldy in 1919.

Around the early 1900s, the area known as the Baldy Bowl started changing. It went from a place where people gathered resources to a popular spot for fun and recreation. At first, there were some disagreements between the San Antonio Water Company and the owners of the local camps. The water company was worried about pollution and a big brush fire in 1899. So, they took control of the road into the canyon, put up locked gates, and even had guards to keep people out!

But after some time and legal discussions, the water company realized they could make money from recreation instead of stopping it. In 1907, they bought a place called Baynham's Camp. They even hired Mr. Baynham to manage it! From 1908 to 1922, people had to pay a small fee to use the road.

The camp was renamed Camp Baldy in 1910. A year later, cars could finally drive into the canyon, making it much easier for visitors to arrive. By the early 1920s, there were many different camps and resorts in the area. When the region became a national forest in 1908, the forest service started offering long-term leases for land plots, including those at Camp Baldy.

The Mount Baldy post office sign around 1953.

A big event in the area's history was the Los Angeles flood of 1938. This flood sadly destroyed most of the buildings in Camp Baldy. The casino was washed away, but the hotel (which is now known as Buckhorn Lodge) survived. After the flood, Camp Baldy was rebuilt and later became what we know today as Mt. Baldy Village.

Important Places in Mount Baldy

Mount Baldy has its own post office with the ZIP code 91759. The community started as Camp Baynham in 1906, changed to Camp Baldy in 1910, and finally became Mt Baldy in 1951. Its post office opened in 1913.

The Mt Baldy School District runs the local school right in town. There's also the Mt Baldy Zen Center in the area, a place for quiet reflection.

Above the town, on the slopes of Mount Baldy, you'll find the Mt Baldy Ski Lifts. These lifts take people up the mountain for skiing and snowboarding in winter, and hiking and sightseeing in warmer months.

Services and Utilities

The community of Mount Baldy gets its services from a mix of private companies and government groups.

• Electricity: Provided by Southern California Edison.
• Internet and TV: You can get these services from companies like Charter Communications (Charter Spectrum) and Frontier Communications.
• Natural Gas: Homes in Mount Baldy use propane gas because there are no natural gas lines available.
• Law Enforcement: The area is protected by both the San Bernardino County Sheriff and the Los Angeles County Sheriff.
• Fire Services: Fire protection comes from the San Bernardino County Fire Department and the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
• Schools: The Mount Baldy School District takes care of local education.
• Roads: Roads are managed by Caltrans, which is California's Department of Transportation.

Mount Baldy's Weather

Mount Baldy has winters that are usually cold and quite wet, with a good amount of snow. Nighttime temperatures often drop to about 30°F (-1°C). During the day in winter, it's usually between 39°F and 49°F (4°C to 9°C). The area gets about 42 inches (107 cm) of snow each year.

Summers are mild to warm, but nights can get cool. Daytime temperatures are typically between 76°F and 86°F (24°C to 30°C), with lows of 49°F to 62°F (9°C to 17°C). Thunderstorms don't happen very often, but sometimes they form in the mountains around Mount Baldy. When they do, they usually occur in the afternoon and clear up by late evening.