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    Gabrielino Trail

    4.3 (80 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

    Gabrielino Trail Photos

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    Judy G.

    I was looking for a new trail to hike that isn't too far away from me. I found this trail on the All Trails app since I wanted to hike in a well shaded area. I would have to say this is my new favorite hike. I am not a hardcore hiker and wanted to stroll on some paved/dirt trail with shade and to turn back when I start feeling tired. We came here on a Sunday morning and there is a very small parking or nearby street parking. The trail had families, kids, dogs, and even horses! I was delighted to learn and see that the Pasadena Police Department patrols the trail on a horse!

    Paul Little Campsite
    Zan L.

    Great hike! 8.2 miles total to and from the dam with only about 650 feet elevation gain total. It took me 3 hours total but I wasn't in a rush and the return trip was an hour of that since it's all slightly downhill on the way back. You will need to cross the stream a total of 18 times. 7 of those are man made bridges you could drive a car across and the rest are rocks or logs placed down to cross over. Only 3 of the crossings I had to get my feet wet as there was no other option, but it was only 3-4 inches deep at max and we have had a lot of rain recently in mid Feb 2022. It's a beautiful hike that follows parallel to the running stream, with tons of shade, and it's dotted with all sorts natural and man made landmarks. At one point I saw an old 50s era car half way up the mountain that had to have fallen from the Angels Crest Highway above long ago (what a fall!). Gould Mesa is halfway to the Dam so use that as your halfway point. There were a few mountain bikers resting there and even two campers setting up for the night so it was busier at that section than I expected considering I started my hike at 8AM. The Paul Little campsite is right at the Dam so once you see the last campsite area you know you have arrived. In terms of parking there are two options: the lot on Windsor is about a mile from the trailhead and not my suggestion. Best place to park is near the entrance to JPL where the trailhead starts. There is enough space for hundreds of cars so it should never be full there. I would recommend! Hardest part is the distance and impossible to get lost since you are in a narrow canyon and pretty much just have to follow the water to the source.

    Chris P. B.

    Really enjoyable trail walk/light hike. Not particularly steep at any point, though there are a few river crossings that have stone hopping and tree walking options. Nice views. Some tree coverage as you get further down the trail, though out in the open in the early part. Great for families. Plenty of folks do this trail walk with their kids. Also great for biking. Well-trafficked trail over the course of daylight hours. Never been on it feeling isolated, so it's not 'that' type of trail. But at the same time, it doesn't feel like you're right in LA as you get about a mile or two into the walk. Bring your camera. Might see some wildlife if you're lucky as well - woodpeckers, raccoons, a black bear.

    Keith Y.

    This trail sees heavy traffic throughout the year. It has a bunch of shade from the surrounding trees and requires you to cross through small streams. It is about 8 miles out and back. There is a mix of trail users between hikers, bikers, and horses. The majority of the trail is wide and open but there are small sections of single track. It is a relatively flat trail and simple. The destination of the trail goes to a dam where there's a small waterfall. Be aware of loose rocks and fallen branches due to heavy rainfall

    Rosie H.

    Very nice hiking trail. Plenty of shaded parts specially important on the warmer days. Plenty of folks using trail but not crowded if you go in the morning. Lots of parking in the lower area by JPL bridge, and on Windsor between Mountain View and Ventura St.

    Lindsay K.

    This was a pretty cool trail! I love when you can mix an outdoor adventure with some old ruins or in this case old NASA testing grounds! My strava stats rated hiking from the car to the dam and back: Hike on 8/15/2021 Start time 7:14 AM(It was really hot by the time we finished.) 9.37 Miles 563 ft elevation gain Moving Time: 3:17:38 Avg Speed 2.8 mph This was a good easy hike. What I loved is that it was dog friendly and had tons of shade. This is an absolute must for hikes during mid-August when the sun is blazing. There were around 5 creek crossings but plenty of rocks to stabilize on and not get too wet in the process. This trail is also frequented by mountain bikers so just be mindful of trail manners and stepping aside when they come by. There are outhouses about half way into the hike however you will need to bring your own TP or tissue paper as they do not seem well maintained...and the smell....I'll leave it that! HA! There are also trash cans along the hike....please please please clean up after yourself! Leave no trace. My favorite part of the trail was the dam at the end. It had a cool US 1942 engraving at the top with a beautiful pool at the bottom which our pups thoroughly took advantage of to cool off in! Tip: keep your eyes out for the tree with the hole in the bottom and the gnome/elf! :)

    Olivia S.

    Loved it! My first proper hike since I've been in la! Don't judge me! You do have to walk around 3/4 mi before you get to the trails or where they start to split off, but it's worth it. The views are absolutely amazing. When I went last week they still had fire hazard signs up, but everything was copacetic. I saw a fair amount of people in passing, but I felt like I was alone most of my hike, which was nice. Everyone I did pass was respectful and some spoke. My navigation directed me to the wrong place to park. It's actually at the end of the street on the left. It was also cool to see the jpl facility. Bet some cool shit goes on in there! The views were amazing, it was an awesome time. I'll def be going back as I enjoyed my hiking experience

    Monica M.

    THE TRAIL IS TEMPORARILY CLOSED! The first trail river cross got washed up due to the rain. The river current is very strong.

    Nature brings out the best in me.  #HikeTrail #SundayFunday #ElLaaay
    Carl N.

    To walk in nature is a miracle in itself. Gabrielino Trail is a 10 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail in Altadena that features beautiful wild flowers, trees, creeks and animals. The trail's topography was easy and well maintained and is accessible year-round with an elevation gain of 954 feet. It has multiple shallow creeks throughout the trail but there are logged bridges to cross them. Careful not to fall but you can definitely step on the stones. Moreover, this trail is very popular among mountain bikers, families, dogs, kids and hikers. Sometimes you'll see horses. The entire trail was relatively flat with very little elevation; it's perfect for a novice hiker or simply want a cardio workout. There are plenty of shades throughout the trail and cool breeze from the creek. Hikers were friendly and respectful; most women that I crossed path have greeted/waved at me on their own volition. Parking (lot and street) was easy. Overall, I enjoyed hiking this trail and highly recommend it.

    First bridge
    Cydney M.

    Yippeee!!!! I finally made it to the Gabrielino Trail/aka JPL Trail for the first time! Thank goodness my friend and awesome Yelper Mel D. likes to hike new trails and dine at new restaurants, so we've been taking turns selecting places we want to go hiking that aren't too far from our respective homes. Then we usually find a new place to go grab lunch that isn't too far from where we've just gone hiking. Mel lives close to Griffith Park and the Hollywood Hills, so every other week we tackle a trail over in her neck of the woods. I live right next to the Angeles National Forest, so I have been choosing among the thousands of trails nearby. A good book to buy is called "Trails of the Angeles". It lists all the trails and campgrounds with a lot of historical facts which is really interesting. Today, Mel met me at my house and we carpooled the four miles to the trail in Altadena with great directions I obtained online from Dan's Hiking Pages at: www.simpsoncity.com/hiking/arroyoseco.html Personally, I love Dan's tips and directions, but my sister-in-law, who is an avid hiker, tweaked Dan's instructions a bit. Dan recommends parking by the intersection of Windsor and Ventura, but then you have to walk about about a half mile with very little shade in the Arroyo Seco wash next to JPL and their huge eastern parking lot. Please follow my instructions if you want to stay in the shade. Directions to Trail: * From the I-210 Foothill freeway exit at Windsor Avenue/Arroyo Blvd. * Drive north on Windsor about .75 miles to where the road curves to the right. * Turn right on Ventura. Go down Ventura a couple blocks. * Turn left on Casitas - Go north up the street until you see slow zone signs on the road. * Turn left on Altadena Drive - Drive to the end of the street and park. * Take trail to the right - You will go down a steep, rocky hill so poles come in handy. Print out Dan's tips from the website above for more directions on where to turn at various forks in the trail. You won't see the Gabrielino Trailhead sign unless you follow his instructions completely and park by the Ventura/Windsor intersection. We entered the trail about a quarter mile past the marker, so we did not see the sign. Trail Highlights: * Lots of shade, so even on a 80 degree day you'll stay comfortable. * Lots of water if you like the sound of running water and crossing it using logs and rocks. * Well travelled by JPL workers, joggers, hikers, dog walkers, mountain bikers and horseback riders. Yes, you will see horse droppings on occasion. Get a grip people. It's not the end of the world. * Campgrounds with outhouses, picnic benches and shade. The Gould Mesa Campground was a nice little spot to take a break if you so choose. More up the trail. Important Notes: * A good way to keep track of how far you've gone is a ap called Map My Hike. It will also give you details on elevation gains and losses as well as time elapsed and calories burned. It told me I burned 1,000 calories, so I splurged on a burger and fries for lunch. After stepping on the scale the next day I gained 1/2 pound which totally blows. Note to self: Just order a salad next time. * You can go all the way up to Oakwilde Campground, but that will be a 9 mile hike roundtrip. * If you want to go all the way up to Switzer's it will be 8 miles to get there or a 16 mile roundtrip. You can always park a car a the top if you and your hiking buddy both bring your car. A lot of the mountain bikers do this. Park on the top at Switzer's and leave a car down by JPL or Hahamongna Watershed Park. I rode down this way on a mountain bike years ago and that's a lot easier than going up. There are a lot of stream crossings. See my photos. * Bring lots of water, a picnic lunch for all the nice picnic areas and poles to aid you with stream crossings. * There were bugs, so bring some bug spray or use your poles to beat them off. That seemed to do the trick for us. * There is a nice little restaurant a couple miles away in Altadena called Fair Oaks Burger if you didn't have time to pack a lunch. I got a delicious avocado burger, fries and a drink for $6.50. They also have Mexican food and Chinese food.

    Under the waterfall
    Cyl C.

    My friends and I arrived to this trail around 7:00AM and it was packed with people due to different cross country/track and field people running on the path. But it wasn't too bad having that many people running by since my friend's and I were having a bit of trouble figuring out which path to take since there are a couple of forks in the road that would lead us astray from the path. Make sure to watch out for bikers too. So you start on a paved road for awhile and eventually pass the JPL on your left. The path splits into a curved road leading down to a parking lot to the left and the other path goes up. Take the right path and keep going on the paved road passing over a few bridges. Eventually there is a fork in the road with a sign. if you want to stick to the Gabrielino Trail, go to the left. Keep walking through dirt roads that very from wide to narrow and some of the path is a bit rocky so make sure to watch your step! There are parts when you do have to pass over water via rocks and logs. When you pass the big campsite there (a bit further down from a sign saying that you are entering the Angeles National Forest) you may be greeted some nice volunteers that will offer assistance with first aid and provide you with free water. If you decide to keep walking pass the site, you will be about 2 miles or so from reaching the waterfall at the end of the trail. Again you will be facing paths that are narrow, crossing over water, and rocky areas, but eventually there will be a part where it's sort of like a fork in the road since there is a rocky wall in the middle. Go to the right of that wall and keep going cause you are almost there! When my friends and I eventually got to the end, there was definietly water coming down. We each decided to get under the waterfall for pictures and it was definietely fun, so make sure to bring extra shirts or a towel at least. The path in total was about 7.50 miles round trip and I enjoyed the sights and sounds of being one with nature. Definitely think we will try out another path next time!

    Candace L.

    We chose this hike because we were working with a limited amount of time and needed something close and short. We also selected this hiking trail due to the birding aspect. Before even parking, we spotted a lost baby coyote wandering around near the residential neighborhood. The parking lot was full, lots of cyclists so we parked on the street. We spent a couple hours out here and stuck to the path closest to the stream. We spotted a few blue jays, hawks and woodpeckers. I didn't have my new bird book with me and I'm a total newbee and being a birding nerd so I won't bother even attempting to classify the others we saw. I'm actually waiting for Spring when I'm sure there will be plenty more. We did pass over the stream a couple times but it was not a challenging hike at all. We passed a couple picnic and campground areas, one of which had two restrooms. I'm sure I'll be back to spot more birds in the future. In the meantime, this is a fine hike for all with (like most hikes) options for shorter or longer trails. I'll have to hit that 8mile 16 roundtriper Cyd M. mentions.

    Top of the hill
    P. M.

    Perfect trail; mostly easy, with some moderate parts if you go up the hill. Lots of birds!

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    Beautiful trails. Feels like you're out of LA. Highly recommend. Dog friendly. Pretty easy parking

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    3 years ago

    Beautiful trail and plenty of parking. There are multiple trails from easy to a workout. But beautiful for the whole family to enjoy

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    Gabrielino Trail Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Gabrielino Trail

    Is it kid's friendly ? how far is the hike to get to the waterfall..

    If this is your child's first hike, I say no as it will be too strenuous for him or her. The hike round trip is about 10 miles and the terrain is rugged with several creeks to cross. Also, given the new social distancing requirements, this trail is… Read more

    What is the trail generally like? Is it a uphill/downhill trail? What's the uphill trail like?

    No, it is very flat to get to the dam. Just stay to the left when you get to the 'V' that is about a mile down the paved part of the trail. If you go right then you will do a lot of climbing and never see the dam.

    Are there any trails to run here?

    Gabrielino is a great trail running trail, if you don't mind rocky sections and river crossings.

    Can I camp here? Is there a fee? Website? Dogs allowed? Grill info? They don't list anything

    I've seen 3 camp sites on my hike to the dam, but I don't think any over night camping. No open fires allowed. There are black bear, mountain lions and coyotes in the area. Dogs allowed on leash only. There are rattle snakes, so be aware of that… Read more

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    Review Highlights - Gabrielino Trail

    The Paul Little campsite is right at the Dam so once you see the last campsite area you know you have arrived.

    Mentioned in 14 reviews

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    Millard Canyon - A butterfly that landed on my car

    Millard Canyon

    4.2(141 reviews)
    1.3 mi

    It's the @light_skin_dragon blasting off to the wilderness where I belong. I am going through…read moresomething personally where I won't speak of. My co-worker/friend hit me up saying let's go hiking. I was like bet. That would take my mind away from what I'm thinking about. So I discovered this on my app that I pay for. And I told him about it so we meet up and we came. I had my eyes on this place for a while because I haven't seen a water fall since I went hiking in Alaska. So he thought we were gonna do a Griffith hike but no this one was more intense. We have to walk into the water to get to the other side and btw the trail itself is like a mile so it literally is like a hour so together if you go there and back. We met a nice man there as well he went with his wife and 8 kids and I mean the kids were you g with 2 older children. So that inspired me to come and bring my daughter. Btw parking you need a parking pass which cost 5 bucks but we didn't get one and it was okay but just letting you know there are two different parking spots as well we parked higher up where we had to walk down to the trail.

    I have been here many times. Is a short hike with a beautiful waterfall…read more. Don't forget to bring your adventures pass or you will get ticketed... Is an easy hike family friendly you might get your feet wet, you will pass about 4 creeks . Enjoy the trails and please leave no trace.

    Photos
    Millard Canyon - Well marked trail but let's you decide how to tackle the switchbacks

    Well marked trail but let's you decide how to tackle the switchbacks

    Millard Canyon - Tres Marias

    Tres Marias

    Millard Canyon - Mushrooms

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    Mushrooms

    Inspiration Point via Castle Canyon

    Inspiration Point via Castle Canyon

    4.7(191 reviews)
    3.0 mi

    Updated review: I've been to Inspiration Point twice now, most recently after the great Los Angeles…read more"blizzard" of early 2023. And how super intense and cool (figuratively and literally) it was! Total about 10mi from the top of Lake - Echo Mountain - Castle Canyon trail - Inspiration Point - Sam Merrill trail - Echo Mountain and back down to Lake. DEFINITELY a strenuous hike and would highly recommend hiking poles, sunscreen, water, and snacks! The view is incredible, especially with tons of fresh snow everywhere. Hiked this early March 2023 and the Castle Canyon trail leading off from Echo Mountain (a decent hike in its own right) is pretty challenging, if not a bit brutal in some areas: slippery snow, downed trees and bushes blocking the path, and a heavy incline. Again, highly recommend poles. Once at Inspiration Point the view is phenomenal. The Pacific Ocean, Palos Verdes, Catalina Island, and even Anaheim and Irvine are all visible from the top, and downtown LA too of course. Lots of picnic benches and photo-op-worthy view finders for major Southern California sites. Gorgeous San Gabriel mountains in the background. The Sam Merrill trail leading down the backside of the mountain (and then curving back around to the south/west) is much more tame (but still a bit precarious with 2+ feet of snow) and very sun-exposed all the way back to Echo Mountain. All in all probably one of the more butt-kicking Los Angeles hike. Takes about 4-5hrs round trip depending on your pace.

    Long and difficult hike but worth the view! About 10 miles…read moreround trip from Cobb Estate. Bring a hat, lots of water, snacks, sunscreen, and BUG SPRAY. Me and my husband started around 7:30am and finished the whole hike around 1pm at a steady pace with about an hour break when we got to Inspiration Point. The hike from Cobb Estate to Echo Mountain was a breeze for us, but the hike from there to Inspiration was a whole other story. I recommend wearing long pants as the second half of the hiking path isn't as clear and pretty narrow on some parts. We took our time and treaded lightly but still got some minor scratches on our legs from all of the branches and leaves. My husband started getting irritated from walking into all of the spider webs lol. Not sure if the actual hike was 2 miles from Echo Mountain because it felt so much longer than that. We started getting really tired near the end from all the incline. We almost gave up until my husband saw the view of Inspiration Point. Once we got there, the views made it all worth it! Would we do it again? Maaaaaybe lol.

    Photos
    Inspiration Point via Castle Canyon
    Inspiration Point via Castle Canyon
    Inspiration Point via Castle Canyon

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    Dawn Mine Hike

    Dawn Mine Hike

    4.4(69 reviews)
    1.9 mi

    This hike had a lot to offer. Pretty green mostly covered trails a lot of crossing water when it…read morehad rained before. About a 6-7mile hike round trip depending on your starting point we started around Altadena area by fair oaks street. Bring- a lot of water depending on how you handle hiking Adventure pass is needed to park I don't use them but some walking / trek sticks could be useful in some parts. I'm a large guy it took a lot out of me to get there it's a moderate to hard hike for me. With more exercise and a few more hikes under my belt to get back into shape I would hike it again. A lot of connecting places to hike through to as well. Echo mountain connection - inspiration point .

    One of my favorite hikes in LA. I would rate this as Moderate given the elevation change and rocky…read morepaths but it's possible for all ages and skill levels. You get to hike through many different zones including goat paths on the side of the mountain, paved roads at the beginning, and multiple creek crossings and some minor boulder climbing. Parking is at the top of where you turn left to go down toward Millard Falls and there are only 6 spaces available so that area fills up quickly. We arrived @ 7:30AM and didn't have any issues parking and didn't encounter anyone until our hike back out. It's easy to follow the path as it's marked well. The first landmark you'll see is a formerly used cabin as you descend down into the canyon and as you follow the canyon to the end you will see many old mining equipment and plumbing strewn near the creek you are walking parallel to. You have to cross the creek a few times but it's only a few inches deep and there are rocks already placed for crossing. There are portions with pools deep enough to dunk in and even a section with 3 small pools with water slides into each pool. Something worth checking out when the weather is warmer. The mine at the end is underwhelming because it's blocked off with steel bars and is very low to the ground and is flooded with water. I would say the walk to the mine is the best part not the destination. Overall a great hike with beautiful scenery and hiking with the sound of running water the whole time is a real treat.

    Photos
    Dawn Mine Hike
    Dawn Mine Hike
    Dawn Mine Hike

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    Switzer Falls - USDA Forest Service

    Switzer Falls - USDA Forest Service

    4.4(293 reviews)
    5.2 mi

    Perfect hike for a hot day…read more I love waterfall hikes and listening to the sound of calm, running water. The added challenge on these hikes is the multiple stream crossings. I brought some hiking poles which helped with balance and probing for loose rocks and logs. If you want to get parking in the lower lot, it's best to come before 8AM. We found parking in the second lot. An Adventure Pass or Day Pass is required. Parking is enforced. A car received a ticket for being in a No Parking zone. The start of the trail is nicely shaded. The second half is a hilly, narrow, sun exposed path which routes back into the canyon toward the Lower Switzer Falls. I'm glad they had fencing on some narrow and steep parts of the trail. We encountered an active rattlesnake which headed down the mountain, so be on the lookout. Overall, the hike takes about 3 hours for 5.5 miles. The additional hike back up to the parking lot was about 1/4 of a mile. Note: if you need to use the restroom, it's best to bring your own toilet paper and to go before you start your hike. It was kind of smelly, but if you gotta go... you gotta go.

    This place is great for fully appreciating nature! The trail is around 5-5.5 miles round trip,…read moredepending on where you park. What impressed me most about this trail is that it's almost fully covered by shade. We went in the late afternoon, and I'd say probably 80-85% of it is covered. Very impressive! Here are some useful tips: 1. There are three parking lots: two are next to the highway, and one is near the hiking entrance. I'd recommend getting a parking pass if possible. 2. There are only three restrooms at the beginning of the trail, so use them when you see them. 3. If you're aiming to go to the waterfall, make sure to look for the signs. Some signs aren't very clear, so we had to stop and ask other hikers frequently. Luckily, people there are super friendly and happy to help. Just pay attention to your surroundings. 4. The trail is dog-friendly, but dogs must be on a leash. 5. Waterproof hiking boots are recommended. All in all, it's a fun trail. It's a great place for a picnic and camping, and it's very close to the stream. Great for kids, families, and pets!

    Photos
    Switzer Falls - USDA Forest Service - Lower Switzer Fall

    Lower Switzer Fall

    Switzer Falls - USDA Forest Service - The grand prize, Switzer falls.

    The grand prize, Switzer falls.

    Switzer Falls - USDA Forest Service

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    Gabrielino Trail - hiking - Updated May 2026

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