I was big into backpacking and hiking in my younger years.
I highly recomend hiking up Icehouse canyon on Mt Baldy.
Once you get past the fist 2-3 miles, the amouont of people drops quite a bit.
It is very nice forest, running creek, and like a true wilderness experience.
One of my very favorites is going up Ice house to an old helipad. you'd never find it if you didn't know it was there, and it's only a hundred or so feet off the trail...
You can also do an overnight pack trip up there, but it is wilderness, so you need to bring everything
you'll need.
Oh the memories....