Claremont Hills Wilderness Park — Attraction in Claremont

We saw two snakes this past Monday. Please be vigilant and don’t walk near the sides of the path. Walk close to the middle of the path and don’t let your dog walk on the sides. We met a man who told us his dog got bit by a snake here and almost didn’t make it. His dog weighed 60 pounds and the guy was fit enough to carry his dog and run down the hill to get to an emergency room. Please don’t take your dog here if you can’t physically carry them in case of an emergency. And bring COLD WATER for your dog too! If they don’t want to drink water then splash cold water on their heads to cool them down throughout the trail. I’m tired of seeing dogs panting and in bad shape while their owners are oblivious and happily drinking water while letting their dogs suffer from thirst and heat exhaustion. DOGS HAVE A HIGHER BODY TEMPERATURE THAN HUMANS SO THEY WILL BE EXTREMELY HOT IN THE HEAT. YOU SHOULD NOT BRING YOUR DOG IN HOT WEATHER. I recommend people to takes pictures and videos of these dogs and their owners and report them and upload photos of this abuse on here. Voice your concerns to the park rangers on-site and Supervisor Ashley Dembiczak (her contact info is on the website). The three-star rating is because of the lack of regulations on pet safety. Please reconsider subjecting them to the heat because it’s abuse. And stop putting a prong collar on your dog. Look up the injuries they cause. This along with bringing your dog in hot weather should be banned! *Edited to include more snake pictures.We saw a total of three in the two days we went this week. All were rattlesnakes which...

A good hike in a long while. Makes you think you gotta get out more often. But in reality I probably do this couple of times a year at most. I got to the trail entrance parking lot at about 8:15 am to find out it was full, but I only waited couple of minutes before park rangers guided me to a spot. I saw the other lot pretty full too on the way but cars were keep moving in and out busily. A ranger even helped me with the parking machine. I hiked a counterclockwise 5-mile loop trail in about three hours taking several bench breaks. First couple of miles are uphill a little demanding but manageable. For comparison I make 6-mile walk in about 2 hours on flat of surface cement and asphalt. Those hills will give you some real workout. Honestly I thought of turning back after first mile or so but decided to take my time and do it. Slowdown was due to slight hip joint discomfort. I didn’t mind uphill but surface is tilted, so I guess I put more pressure on one side. Funny thing is I can still jog down the downhill. Somehow I found that easier than walking. Port-a-potty at miles 2 and 4 and if you do clockwise loop it’s miles 1 and 3. No bear sightings today despite some YouTube posts. Look for CHWP sign on the way down if you want to make it back to the parking lot. You don’t want to wander into other...

This well known 5mi loop is a great workout. All the trails are well marked and heavily used. Regular tennis shoes will provide most of the traction you will need. The hours the gates are open vary depending on season, staying open longer during the summer. There are signs to watch out for mountain lions, but I haven't heard of any sightings in years. Why you have to yell and shout a telephone number to a mountain lion I have no idea. Also, the sign doesn't say what name to yell at the mountain lion to call for. Do mountain lions even have cell phones? And what kind of reception do they even get in these mountains? Anyway, I have seen deer here, often in the grass, between the chaparral, and even crossing the road. Some snakes here and there, and while there may be rattlesnakes, I've never seen one in the several years of visiting the trail. If you wish to leave the loop, there are a lot of side trails that will add to mileage. I've easily done over 9mi with very little repeat sections. You may want better traction on the less traveled paths. The biggest drawback in my opinion is the cost of parking. At $7 for 4hrs, the city of Claremont has made coming here more of a luxury than just a...