Mount Disappointment Fire Road to San Gabriel Peak
in the San Gabriel Mountains
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An ideal hike starts with a level warm-up and gradually works in to its climb. This is not one of those hikes. This trail to San Gabriel Peak begins with several steep switchbacks. Your heart rate will go up quickly, and then the trail keeps climbing. It is 4 miles round trip to San Gabriel Peak with 1,400 feet of elevation gain (4.5 if you also visit nearby Mount Disappointment).
Spruce, Oak and brush shade the trail as you begin the steep climb. There are several points where the trees part, allowing you to catch your breath and enjoy views toward Mount Baldy.
The switches level out as the trail joins Mount Disappointment Fire Road toward the top of the mountain (the longer paved route for bikers). The road reaches a small clearing covered with cement slabs. Here the road turns sharply to the right and finishes the climb to the summit of Mount Disappointment.
The road up Mount Disappointment
Continuing up to the top of the mount will add another half mile to your hike, along with views of some old military installations, San Gabriel Peak, and the lower San Gabriel Mountains.
Over a hundred years ago, surveyors named this rock Mount Disappointment. After reaching the top, they realized that the high peak they sought was actually San Gabriel Peak, which is two hundred feet taller and just a bit further to the east. Modern visitors however, will not be let down.
Mount Disappointment served as an air-defense Nike Missile site in the 1950s. Buildings and radio towers from the military installation still stand on the mountain. To visit other Nike missile sites around Los Angeles, check out San Vicente Mountain in the Santa Monica Mountains and White Point on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
San Gabriel Peak and Mount Disappointment are so close together that it is very easy to see both summits in one hike. And yes, the views are different enough to warrant the extra effort.
San Gabriel Peak from Mount Disappointment
To get to the summit of San Gabriel Peak, return to the clearing beneath Mount Disappointment and take the unmarked trail across the saddle between the peaks. As you pass along the saddle, you will cross another trail leading up San Gabriel Peak from the Mount Lowe Fire Road. Continue straight ahead and start the final climb to the summit. This is another fairly steep trail of about half a mile in length. The summit lies at 6,161 feet, offering views of Mount Baldy, Mount Wilson, Mount Lowe, Mount Disappointment, Strawberry Peak, and many more. Legend has it, you can see Catalina Island on a clear day, but you probably won’t see much beyond Pasadena.
Take in the view before returning the way you came. The round-trip distance of this hike to San Gabriel Peak is 4 miles (4.5 if you visit Mount Disappointment). The alternate route to the summit from Mount Lowe Fire Road is 0.8 miles shorter with 1,000 feet of elevation gain.
To get to the trailhead: From the 210 Freeway in Altadena, take the Angeles Crest Highway (CA 2) northwest for 14 miles (4 miles past the turnoff for Switzer Picnic Area). Turn Right on to Mt Wilson Road Box Road (After mile marker 38). Drive 1/3 of a mile and make the first right on the Mount Disappointment Fire Road. The roads leads up to a small parking lot. Display your adventure pass and start hiking. The trail is unmarked but easy to locate.
Use the map below to create your own directions to the trailhead:
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Photos
The trail from Mount Disappointment Fire Road
Views from San Gabriel Peak and Mount Disappointment
The trail from Mount Lowe Fire Road
Nearby Trails
 | San Gabriel Peak from Mount Lowe Fire Road This 6,161 foot peak is also reachable via a 3.2-mile round-trip trail from Eaton Saddle. |
 | Switzer Falls This 4.5-mile hike starts out above and finishes below a 50-foot tall waterfall. |
 | More trails in the San Gabriel Mountains Explore other destinations in the range. |
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