How fortunate we are to live close to truly a magical and extraordinary place! The moment you set…read morefoot on the trail, it's an eye awakening experience and you'll momentarily forget you're still in the Los Angeles County. Yes, the parking is a nightmare but it should be expected on a weekend so your best bet is to arrive early. We wanted to avoid the hassle of fighting over a parking spot so we paid $20 at the deli shop area. If it was anywhere else I wouldn't have paid that much but you guys should've seen the road. Carmageddon '19. There's two waterfalls within the canyon, the Hermit and Sturtevant. The Hermit falls is fairly the smaller one while the Sturtevant is more packed with people hanging around for an afternoon delight of packed lunches. The hike to both falls is enjoyable and tons of greenery to see, you'll also come across mild creeks in between the trails. But the absolute brutal part of this hike is the return back to your car. We're talking about a true form of evil inclining up a hill, vicious steps that seem to make no progress, but just as hard as it is .. the outcome is rewarding when you reach the top.

For a first hike in California, this turned out to be a really great one! The trail isn't too long…read moreand doesn't take too much skill to hike, which makes it a great afternoon trip out. There are a few nice views at the start but the rest of the trail was largely in the woods. And honestly? That's totally fine! It had great shade cover and helped make the whole thing feel peaceful.

Amazing Hike but it's not for beginner hikers here!! Steep but rewarding!!!…read more I would say this is moderate to advanced-level hiking. This is our first time hiking at Bailey Canyon to Jones Peak. Bailey Canyon trail is located at the Bailey Canyon Park in Sierra Madre. We parked our car at the parking lot at around 8 in the morning. The parking lot is so small so make sure to get there early. (We got lucky and found a parking space). We were planning to hike to the "Old Foundation" because it was our first time to hike there so we didn't want to overdo it. This trail is considered a challenging route because it's a very steep and narrow climb all the way. We started from Bailey Canyon Park and passed the small reservoir before hiking uphill into the foothills. We saw the map and the "Old Foundation" should take about 2.2 miles but we hiked more than 2.8 miles and still didn't see the sign. We almost gave up and wanted to take our return route. Glad we saw and asked other hikers when they came back down and they told us that we passed the "Old Foundation" for a while and we had almost arrived at the Peak (Jones Peak) in less than 15 minutes. We were very surprised that we were close to the Peak so we got motivated again. The views were breathtaking and absolutely beautiful. The weather was so perfect. When we arrived at the Jones Peak, we saw the beautiful and colorful rocks in heart shape and gorgeous panoramic breathtaking views. We finally got to Jones Peak at 3375 feet!!!! The map said it's about a 5.7-mile out-and-back trail near Sierra Madre and it takes an average of 4 h 2 min to complete. I checked my Strava app (I forgot to wear my Apple Watch that day) and it shows that I hiked 6.7 miles and we finished our hike around noon so it took us about 4 hours. We were so proud of ourselves. Make sure that you bring plenty of water, and you can also bring trekking poles if you have them. They'll help on the steep slopes. (We didn't use trekking poles this time but I'll probably prepare it for next time)

This a nice, less crowded hike in the area. Although signs says beware of the Sun we found plenty…read moreof shady areas in the early part if the trail- plus a lovely,small stream. Also, the variety of plants, flowers, and beautiful vegetation made it more pleasing. Nice views, too. Worth checking out.

This trail is a serious hike into the foothills. The views are stunning, the wildlife is varied…read more You might see bears, deer, bobcats, rattlesnakes, coyotes, even mountain lions. There is very little to no shade. Bring water and hats. If you bring your dog it should be on a leash - as much for your pet's safety as anything else. People who don't respect the wildness and steep mountain trail can get seriously hurt. Airlifts are not uncommon.

Mt. Wilson is such a great and fun climb. It's long but not overly challenging or technical. I…read morewas looking forward to the cafe at the top, but they were closed for the winter. A couple of people told us they spotted bears. The descent towards the parking lot seemed long. The hike is about 15 miles with 4,400 ft of elevation gain. My favorite part though and the primarily reason why I would do this hike again and again is the amazing ice cream shop in town! Mother Moo Creamery has the most amazing homemade ice cream and pies and anything and everything they make. I will do anything, absolutely anything for good ice cream. Easy parking and there is a very disgusting bathroom at the trailhead. Come and create your own adventure.

Make sure to get there early! Fills up on weekends. Make sure you have an adventure pass, $5 for…read moreday pass at REI or whatever sporting store or borrow one for free from your library. We arrived at 6:30a on a Saturday and still ended up parking along the road about 0.4 miles away. Or (if available) valet for $20 with the shop. Has decent pit toilets and porta potties. It's a good starting point for Mt Wilson hiking loops (about 14 miles) or shorter trips to the nearby campgrounds or waterfalls.

Great place to experience several different hiking trails in the San Gabriel Mountains. I arrived…read morevery early on a weekday morning, so plenty of parking was available; however, supposed to be rough on weekends. Make sure you have an Adventure Pass! If not, one can be purchased at Adams Pack Station (but they don't open until 9 am?). Trails are well-maintained and there are many signs, keeping you from being lost. Well worth a visit!

Sunday I hike with a friend through red box parking lot to do San Gabriel 5 peaks Circular a total…read moreof 13 miles. The wind was wild but we did all 5 peaks. San Gabriel peaks was a moderate hike not the many people and there is bench and have two plaques if you want to take pictures with it The view is ok..... Recommended to do Mt Markham, Mt Disappointment, Mt Deception and Mt Lowe since all are close by and you can do a loop. Look in All trails San Gabriel 5 Peaks Circular and you can download the map. Enjoy the trails and please leave no trace.

Fantastic local hike - definitely one of the easier peaks in the area in terms of strenuous level…read more But if you're afraid of heights (like me) then it's a feat of psychological endurance as well haha! Amazing views follow you almost the entire trail - on clear days you see the whole SGV from multiple spots along the trail, not just the top! The trail is well maintained but has definitely experienced some washout from all these storms. It's extremely narrow with no safety enhancements so take your time and be careful. A lot of the time you're up against the wall of the mountain with sheer drops on the other side of you. It's all very rocky and loose gravel too. I recommend hiking boots with good traction and poles! I don't usually bring my poles but they were a lifesaver on this trail. I was more terrified on this trail than even Angels Landing in Zion so it's definitely not for the faint of heart if you're scared of heights haha! There were patches of snow and ice at the top - I really was wishing for my spikes. It was slippery and scary - and yes, I slid back down on my butt for part of it haha! No shame! The top has amazing views on clear days. The clouds came rolling in right as I made it up so I didn't get to see the valley but the clouds were very dramatic and beautiful- and made it haunting and eerie on the way down. So worth it! There are several places you can start the hike from - I started from the Eaton Saddle trailhead as it's the most straightforward. AllTrails tells you it's 2.8 miles but my tracker read 3.5 miles at the end. You'll gain just over 1030 feet in elevation - half of that elevation gain is in the last half mile so be prepared - it's a great workout and totally doable. If I can do it, you can do it! You pass through Mueller Tunnel pretty early on - it was flooded at the end from all this rain - but if you keep to the right there's some shallow rocks you can cross on to keep dry. After about a mile (maybe less) you'll come to a crossroads - the left takes you to the Mt Lowe trails so keep right for San Gabriel peak. The next crossroads you come to, you'll also keep right. If you go left, you can also summit Mt Disappointment- I skipped it to save my energy but it doesn't add too much - less than a mile I think but several hundred feet in elevation is gained. The top of the peak is just over 6160 feet so it's a great vantage point - it's even higher than Mt Wilson!! There used to be a sign and a registry box up there but they were both gone when I went sadly. The parking lot is small at the trailhead but I had no issues - I arrived around 1030am on a weekday. To get there, put "Eaton saddle trailhead" into your gps - don't put "San Gabriel Peak" bc it'll take you on a wild goose chase - and that's why I got such a late start lol! It's a lovely drive along highway 2 and you turn into Red Box - there are bathrooms right at that turn so I recommend to stop there bc there aren't any on the trailhead or along the trail. There are also bathroom stops along highway 2 on the way. An adventure pass is required to park - but the national parks pass works too. Such a great challenge and you can't beat the views! Highly recommend!

(From 2022) Was here last year and had the day off highly…read morerecommended place for a walk/hike and water I'm commonly the "person" (one of them) witnessed at the top of the waterfall most of the images during my trip this last time were shared on various "check ins" here One thing I noticed is that this time there wasn't as many face masks on the ground so it appears that the volunteers are doing an excellent job at removing all of the random trash

Eaton Canyon is a popular destination, especially in the spring when wildflowers bloom…read more Not much water right now. Go after a rain and you will see a wonderful waterfall.

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.

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.

I did the trail counterclockwise. And that was by accident. Usually I like to do the steepest part…read moreon the outbound leg. In the end, I think I made the right decision. As one of the other reviewers mentioned, the only way to ascend going clockwise is to do so on your hands and knees. Coming down that stretch was pretty death-defying, although my hiking boots definitely proved their worth. Once you get off the main trail, most of the ascent and descent is grown over. Wearing shorts, that meant getting some pretty serious bushwhacking. Although somehow I escaped without any cuts or bruises. Weather could not have been more perfect. High clouds, no direct sunlight, and a decent breeze. Parking is on the street in a residential neighborhood, but it seems pretty safe. That said, there isn't much curbside parking. I am not one who enjoys an early morning hike. On a May afternoon I started around 1400 and finished around 1800. Perfect timing.

This trail was brutal especially for my older badminton friend who had to stop several times on the…read moreincline. Parking is on the street with limited space on Saturday morning! Looked like there were a few trails that branch off as you hike further in. Many people on this trail until you hit the last 1 mile to Jones Peak. The trail was very narrow; some areas can only fit 1-2 people so watch your steps! This was supposed to be a 5.3 mile loop, however we missed a turn and it ended up being 6.83 miles. We ended up at Bailey Canyon Park which was 0.75 miles away from where we parked. My friend was dead tired to walk that 0.75 miles so he called his wife to pick us up. Haha