Glendora Mountain Road

I ride GMR on my bicycle countless times and it is awesome. It’s a good way to experience nature and get some fresh clean air. At times there can be some bad drivers who think this road is a track but most of the time drivers always wave to me and ensure my safety. Best time to go on GMR is on the weekdays in the morning when no one is out there.
The weekends are awesome too where there is aways a steady stream of cyclist to wave to.

GMR is a very technical riding road, especially for motorcycles. The weekends is usually packed with a lot of motorcycles and cyclist. That’s when most of the accidents occur. I prefer to ride this road on the weekdays. There is a lot less racer style riders that sometimes treat it like its a track.
The roads are smooth and in great condition. Some of the blind turns will keep you at the edge of your seat. Be careful not to ride the lane divider line because a bike or a car could be doing the same thing coming in the opposite direction. I live close by and have seen to many accidents to to this. Ride or drive with care. Keep the shiny side up!

I’m no racer or car enthusiast but I’m always up for fun, scenic drives. I enjoy driving at places like Turnbull Canyon Rd., Mulholland Dr., even Angeles Crest Hwy. GMR is pretty long and has plenty of turns and elevation change. I’ve tried coming from both East Fork and Baldy and I definitely like the drive from Baldy on Glendora Ridge Rd. more than climbing out of East Fork. Also, driving out of Baldy lets one drive through a few heavy patches of autumn leaves if you come at the right time of the year!
There are tons of motorcyclists here during the daytime. It’s probably the worst part about this place. You have to be pretty alert because the turns are pretty tight and you sometimes don’t get to see the bikers until the last second. I guess that’s what makes this drive fun and challenging. The views are okay, but it’s definitely no Angeles Crest Hwy. and it’s mostly views of interior San Gabriel mountains. You sometimes can’t really get the views from the car but there are plenty of turnouts where you can get out of the car.
Overall, definitely worth driving on couple times, especially after hiking in the Mt. Baldy or East Fork area.

For my loyal readers out there (all 2 of you), it’s no surprise that I’m an insomniac and I love going for my crazy vampire hour drives up narrow mountains… faster than I should.
As an update to my previous review, however, I can’t stress enough how important it is to be cautious of the narrow turns. While seemingly harmless, you can literally end up falling off the cliff! Case in point, even as a seasoned driver that’s pretty familiar with this road and other narrow roads with tight turns, I found myself coming **really** close on a number of the turns. Just be careful !

Very cool mountain biking trailing. Nice workout going up the trails and can be an awesome ride going down. Keep an eye out for hikers and bikers coming up while you’re going down. Also, watch for folks bombing downhill while going up.

My boyfriend loves this place! He comes here every weekend just to look at the view, and to enjoy the ride while going up there.
On the weekends a lot of riders go all the way on the top! It’s a good place to kick it and hang out!

Great place for stargazing if there aren’t any clouds!

Great place to check out and take in the beautiful views!!!
Glendora mountain road (GMR) is a great place for cyclist, skaters, and car rides. There are turnouts/​lookouts quite often on the road to take in the awesome views day or night. There is plenty of room for multiple cars to park in the turnout areas.
I’ve mainly been cycling at this location because it is quite peaceful. Cycling here is probably fit more for an intermediate to avid cyclist. The grade is pretty consistent throughout the ride. The descent is pretty fun and can get fast around every corner. You will always see other cyclists on the route if weather permits. Just like any other mountain ride be sure to bring enough food and liquids to survive the ride.
The shrubs and other obstructions have been removed and pushed back to allow for ample room and visibility to see cyclist and cars around each turn.
It’s a very nice ride especially on the weekdays then there is less traffic!

Drove through on a Thursday night. It was a bit foggy as we got closer to the top, which added to the excitement and fun or driving through the route more fun. The stars were so beautiful! We did the drive from gmr to azusa.
Take Lone hill exit, left on Foothill, right on Valley Center Ave., left on Sierra Madre, and right onto Glendora Mountain Rd. The first fork you get to make a left to continue on gmr. Follow the signs to east fork, then one last left to get onto Azusa.
Perfect drive for a small get away from the city.

Really fun road, great mountain views and plenty of energy from other people driving and parked on the side roads to enjoy the mountain. Dangerous though how the roads can be almost one lane and people race or bikes coming around the corners.
The other nasty thing is if you’re caught racing or reckless driving, car gets impounded and you get taken in by CHP or other Police officers passing by. If you drive fast, safe and careful, really fun road.

Encountered the assholes of Labor Day weekend.
It was still a perfect touge, as was the skid pad.
NOTE: if you have a super low Honda, don’t try to jump a curb to play with the big boys. You will get stuck and have to have 20 people push you out. Repeatedly.

GMR is really great for everyone from cyclists to stargazers, touge fans to hikers. If you really want to get some exercising done, I would recommend going during the day as that is when there’s less reckless traffic and more respectful drivers. Now, if you’re some crazy driver (like me) going up on a weekend, read this warning carefully. There’s usually a lot of cyclists, joggers, and motorcyclists up there. If you are going to be playing drifter, remember that you are putting people lives at risk.
Now, if you are going up during the evening, here’s a friendly tip. Go up in groups, respect the rules of the road, and drive carefully. If you’re going up there in a fast car, remember this… Don’t show off too much ;), don’t hang out by yourself when it’s lonely; people will try to assault you, and don’t be a douche by going up, drinking and smoking weed, and PLEASE DON’T TAKE GUNS. Other than that, have fun!

You drive through the residential area and park at the side of the mountain. You have the option of taking the big winding road up the mountain where most of the bicyclists go… or if you want to walk through nature with trees and bushes, there are natural trails on the mountain side as well, so you have choices. Great views, whether you’re there for serious challenge or for leisurely stroll. Just make sure you go the bathroom at the nearest McDonald’s beforehand.

A Man’s Playground.

When living in SGV it’s hard to find a peaceful place to escape and enjoy nature. GMR allows for those who live in the valley a place to relax and enjoy the view whether it be day or night. My boyfriend and I often go to star gaze or watch the sunset. It makes for a great date starter or sweet quiet place to spend with friends or loved ones. The roads are fun to drive up and down, but beware of nighttime racers in their ghetto tricked out vehicles.

Did my first GMR ride yesterday. Twenty miles up the mountain. It was difficult, physically demanding, and extremely rewarding. If you are cyclist and in-​shape enough, I would DEFINITELY recommend trying it. Bring enough water and nutrition, and make sure you understand gearing as well.
Motorcyclists like to go up and come down going pretty quickly, so watch for them, especially around corners. Also, there are some skateboarders who ride down. On the downhill, watch your speed, it gets reeeeally fast. Also make sure you are wearing glasses, there are a lot of bugs and some pretty large ones!
Great climbing workout.

Pros:
Lots of great hiking trails off this road.
Mountain biking trials can be accessed off this road.
Watch hang gliders leap off cliffs to float away on the wind.
Pack a little picnic and find a nice place to relax and enjoy the view.
Cons:
kids driving too fast
moto bikes thinking they are on a racetrack
packs of bicyclists acting like its the tour de france (but I guess I’d rather have bicyclists on GMR than in the city blocking the street lanes on my way to WORK).

I’ve been up here a couple times.
The driving is great, and if you go far enough, there are some great views of the city.

It’s really an awesome road to drive with plenty of hairpins and switchbacks, except when the sun is facing you at a blind corner (and you forget to bring sunglasses). Just avoid the ricers if you can, the aggressive ones playing Initial D.
Take the 39 up to East Fork Road, turn right on East Fork and keep going (don’t go on Shoemaker Canyon Rd; fun fact: it was supposed to lead to a fallout shelter for the Los Angeles basin) until you hit the sign that says Glendora-​14, then turn right again. You will see a large 6% grade slope, that’s the start.

Known as GMR to road bike riders and motorcyclists, Glendora Mountain Road is fun, twisty alternate route to Mt Baldy. While continuous, the grade is never very steep. The views of the San Gabriels are spectacular. To access Mt Baldy take the Glendora Ridge Road branch at the GMR/​East Fork Road split. Note that there is no water or other facilities along the way and shade is limited so plan accordingly. From the E Sierra Madre Ave junction it is ~10 miles to East Fork Road and another 12 to Baldy Village.