Mount Lowe Trail to San Gabriel Peak | Los Angeles

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Mount Lowe Fire Road to San Gabriel Peak
in the San Gabriel Mountains

Los Angeles | Trails Add Comments | Trail Rating: Forgetable

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This trail is currently closed due to damages from the 2009 Station Fire

Waterman Angeles

This route up San Gabriel Peak leaves from the Eaton Saddle trailhead along Mt. Wilson Red Box Road. Start up the fire road and you will be greeted immediately by a view of Mt. Markham. The dirt road turns toward San Gabriel Peak and continues gradually uphill until it reaches Mueller Tunnel.

A rock slide on the far side of the tunnel closed this trail even before the Station Fire, making the trail from the Mt. Disappointment Fire Road the prudent route to the summit.

A view of Mt. Markhan from the trail to San Gabriel Peak

A short distance beyond the tunnel, the trail arrives at Markham Saddle. To the right, there is a cement water tower and a single-track trail. After half a mile on the Mt. Lower Fire Road, leave it here, turning right onto this new track headed west. The next 3/4 of a mile are spent weaving up the slope of San Gabriel Peak. The trail carves around several outcroppings that provide a feeling of adventure. There are great views to the south and west, where the mountains give way to the city below.

The trail Ts at a saddle half a mile from the top. To the left is Mt. Disappointment, whose summit offers a great view of San Gabriel Peak and surrounding Mountains. To the right, is San Gabriel Peak, the second tallest mountain in the front range of the San Gabriel Mountains (Strawberry Peak is three feet taller).

Turn right and press on for San Gabriel Peak. The trail switches steeply through chaparral before summiting at 6,161 feet to offer fine views of the lower San Gabriel Mountains. The brush obscures some of the panorama, but there is still a good view of Mounts Baldy, Wilson, and Lowe. Legend has it, you can see Catalina Island on a clear day, but you probably won’t see much beyond Pasadena.

San Gabriel Peak
Looking down on Mt. Lowe Fire Road

For a less obscured view, the adjacent Mt. Disappointment offers a clearer summit (because it was leveled in the 50s to serve as host to a military satellite installation). Mt. Disappointment served as an air-defense Nike Missile site. Radio towers and other military installation still stand on the summit.

Over a hundred years ago, surveyors gave Mt. Disappointment its name. After reaching the top, they realized that the high peak they sought was actually San Gabriel Peak, which is two hundred feet taller.

To get to Mt. Disappointment, descend back to the T junction and continues across the saddle. The trail will end at a clearing that is filled with cement slabs. From here follow the paved Mt. Disappointment Fire Road up to the summit. This adds about half a mile to the hike, and yes the views are different enough to warrant the extra effort.

Mt. Disappointment from San Gabriel Peak

The round-trip distance of this hike to San Gabriel Peak is 3.2 Miles (3.7 if you visit Mt. Disappointment). There is an alternate route to the summit from the Mt. Disappointment Fire Road that starts further down Mt. Wilson Road. This is a slightly longer hike with more elevation gain (1,400 feet vs. 1,000 feet). This route from Eaton Saddle is the more enjoyable of the two. The trail offers better views and packs more into a shorter excursion than the longer and steeper alternative.

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 2.3 miles to Eaton Saddle. Display your adventure pass and park in one of spaces on either side of the road.

Use the map below to create your own directions to the trailhead:

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