Emily T. Troscianko

The greatest delight of spending some of my time in Pasadena, LA from autumn 2016 to 2019 was the chance to walk, most weekends, in the beautiful wildernesses of the San Gabriel Mountains, which frame Los Angeles to the north, rising steeply up from Pasadena’s palm-treed streets. Here are some photos and descriptions of the walks James Anderson and I did together there. We didn’t plan on this blog from the start of our hiking adventures, so we didn’t necessarily record all the information that would have been most helpful if you want to try them yourself, but maybe they’ll serve as appetisers nonetheless.

Where we give hike numbers, they’re from the classic hiking book Trails of the Angeles, by John W. Robinson and Dough Christiansen (we’re using the 9th edition). We give the metadata for each hike, but you can find descriptions and route instructions in the book. We also find Modern Hiker a useful complement to the book, often providing much more detailed descriptions. You can also find large-scale (1 inch to half a mile) maps for some of the hikes (those which coincide with the Pacific Crest Trail) via the Halfmile Project (you want California Section D).

• Earl Canyon to Mount Lukens - 14 miles up and down with gorgeous LA views.
• Condor Peak - 17 steady miles (plus a short final scramble) to and from a solitary summit.
• Mount Baldy via Bear Canyon - The longer, steeper, less-frequented way up Baldy.
• Mount Wilson: Newcomb Pass loop - Disappointing slog round the east side of Mount Wilson.
• Eaton Canyon to Mount Lowe railway - A deserted trail through a secluded valley, with open tracks at either end.
• Fern Truck Trail - 5-mile track loop with Altadena views.
• Mill Creek West: camping - Gorgeous wild camping spot in a north-facing clearing with desert views.
• Mount Williamson and Pleasant View Ridge - Rugged summit and ridge route with Mojave views, plus valley walking with streams for the second half.
• PCT west from Mill Creek - A gentle 9-mile there-and-back ramble along the PCT with northerly views.
• Baden-Powell from Islip Saddle - Glorious long PCT ridge route through the High Country to "North Baldy", the range's second highest peak.
• Mugu Peak - Short simple seaside hike to an accessible summit.
• Mount Lukens via Stone Canyon - A tedious tiring scratchy slog up to the highest point within LA city limits -- a peak much better approached from the south.
• Mount Lawlor - A short, fun, varied little trek from Red Box.
• Mount Baldy via the Devil’s Backbone - A dramatic route up to the highest peak in the San Gabriels.
• Smith Mountain - A short and sweet hike through the Middle High Country, mostly easy with a fierce final climb to the splendid views from the summit.
• Anza Borrego Desert wind caves - A desert ramble on the southern edge of the Anza Borrego Desert State Park, culminating in fantastical sandstone wind caves.
• Sunset Peak - Fire road and firebreaks for a Baldy Bowl peak.
• Bridge to Nowhere - Up the East Fork of the San Gabriel River to a gold rush folly.
• Mill Creek to Pacifico Mountain - An easy PCT and fire road loop with westerly, northerly, and southerly views.
• Crystal Lake to South Mount Hawkins - Valley and desert views and a secluded ridge.
• Dawson Saddle to Throop Peak and Mount Hawkins - Two high peaks with very little serious climbing.
• Placerita Canyon to Wilson Saddle - A genuine ridge walk, with lots of short-and-steep up and downs, and sweeping views on all sides across the north-west corner of the San Gabriels.
• Switzer’s picnic area to Arroyo Seco trail - Short, sweet, and quickly accessible from Pasadena.
• Burkhart trail: Devil’s Punchbowl to Pleasant View ridge - A mixture of desert and alpine terrain on the north side of the San Gabriels.
• Big Sur: Andrew Molera Loop - Beautiful Big Sur loop with big seaside views.
• Colby Canyon to Strawberry Peak - Proper mountain-climbing up the 'fun peak' of the San Gabriels
• Josephine Peak - Steady fire road with sea views.
• Mendenhall Ridge - A short fire road stroll in bleak burnt backcountry.
• The Hollywood sign - A nice route up through Griffith Park to the summit of Mount Lee, aka where the sign lives.
• Gaviota Hot Springs and Peak - A short and simple peak hike near Santa Barbara, complete with stunning sea views and disgusting hot springs.
• Mount Lukens via Haines Canyon - The pleasant way up Lukens, from Tujunga, on a mixture of fire road and trail.
• Variations on Inspiration Point - A few easy-to-moderate options around Mount Lowe.
• Mt Islip, Little Jimmy Campground, and Mt Hawkins - Sweeping north and south views from the San Gabriel Crest, with detours for two peaks.
• Disappointment, San Gabriel, Deception, and Lowe - A fun four peaks from Eaton Saddle.
• The Verdugos: Beaudry Motorway loop - An easy introduction to the Verdugo micro-range, on looping service roads with two peaks and LA/Burbank views.
• Joshua Tree: Willow Hole - Simple 8-miler through the spectacular Wonderland of Rock.
• Dawn Mine - A smattering of history close to home.
• Hoegee’s Camp loop - 9-mile loop through forest and along a stunning long ridge with city views.
• Jones Peak - Varied circular route to a peak right on the edge of the city.
• Wildwood and Stough Canyons - A Burbank loop: tough on the way up, gentle thereafter.
• Joshua Tree: Lost Palms Oasis - Easy there-and-back walk through a varied desert landscape to a hidden palm oasis.
• Baden-Powell from Vincent Gap - The direct route up to the second highest peak in the San Gabriels.
• Eaton Canyon - A short sweet south-facing fire road for LA views.