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I am a sucker for these hikes along Hwy 2...such a beautiful area. We parked at the Eaton Saddle Trailhead...remember to display your Adventure Parking Pass. Great views early on and throughout and cool going through the tunnel in the 1st half mile. At about .6 you will reach a spot with trails intersecting...stay to the left...go right if you want to go to the nearby San Gabriel Peak and Mount Disappointment. It is not very steep and you reach Mount Lowe with the bench and poles and picturesque views. It took about 45 minutes to hike the 1.7 miles to get to the top of Mt Lowe at about 5,600 ft with a little over 600 ft of elevation gain. On the way back at about 2.2 miles I took a small path on the right that will take you steeply up to Mount Markham. It is only .5 miles with about 400 ft of elevation gain.
There are longer routes you can use in this area, like start from Bill Reilly trail near Redbox picnic area. But the fastest route to Mount Lowe will be at Eaton Saddle trailhead. Remember to display your adventure pass. It's a nice short hike to Mount Lowe. The hike up was gradual and easy, seems like a 2-3 miles round trip. I've extended to Mount Markham to make it about 4-5 mile round trip with some rock scrambling in the end at Mount Markham. When you start hiking from the parking lot trailhead. It's straightforward. You will see a lot of rocks on the trail, seems like the recent rainfall caused a lot of rock slides. So definitely be aware of falling rocks. First thing you will arrive is Mueller Tunnel. After passing the tunnel you will see a 5 trail split. You want to go left, you will see a rusted post sign stating "to mount Lowe summit". If you go straight and down, that will take you to inspiration point. If you go right, that will go to San Gabriel Peak, Mount Deception and Mount Disappointment, and all the way back down to Bill Reilly trail. I'm not quite sure, but the far left trail is the rock scramble to Mount Markham. As you continue up the Mount Lowe summit trail, it's easy to follow with plenty of posted signs for direction. There will be a sign that shows a split. One for Mount Lowe, West trail, and East trail where you hiked up on. So remember when coming back down, go back east trail. Otherwise, you will go down the wrong path. Once you make it up to Mount Lowe, enjoy the view...there is a swing there, but be careful, kind of sketchy. Then hike back down the way you came up. If you want to tackle Mount Markham, you will see a thin trail going up a saddle to Mount Markham. There will be a bit of rock scrambling and lots of overgrown bush. So wear long pants, and poodle dog bush is visible on the trail, so try to avoid touching them. As always, pack accordingly to the weather as summer will be tough on mid afternoon. You will be okay in early morning.
Yelp map markers usually indicate the start or end of a hike. Here, the marker is oddly located in the middle at Echo Mountain. Some uploaded photos are also of the destroyed hotel at Echo Mountain (really a ridge) along with the covered Inspiration Point (really a saddle). Granted, these locations can be passed while going to the summit of Mt. Lowe (actually a mountain) when taking the Sam Merrill and Castle Canyon Trails but we took a different route which was actually called Mt. Lowe. Perhaps people are confusing Mt. Lowe with Echo Mountain (see https://www.yelp.com/biz/echo-mountain-via-the-sam-merrill-trail-altadena) and Inspiration Point (see https://www.yelp.com/biz/inspiration-point-via-castle-canyon-altadena). We started at Millard Campground and followed the Mt. Lowe Railway Trail for 5.7 miles with a 2600' elevation gain to Mt. Lowe Campground. The trail follows the same route as the former railroad trolley and has periodic descriptions of the rail line. The campsite used to be the Alpine Tavern with cottage lodging that burned down in the 1930s. The West Trail to the summit of Mt. Lowe is 1.5 miles more and 1150' higher than the campground. If you're into swinging (the playground type, not the bedroom type), a swing is at the top (see pic). The southern view covers the entire Los Angeles Basin while the lesser northern view into the Angeles National Forest consists of a higher mountain range topped with ugly transmission towers. As with any 14.5-mile roundtrip hike, it can get repetitively boring (like my Yelps) - particularly the three miles of abusive foot-pounding pavement on the return. Because most of the trail is road, this route is also popular with mountain bicyclists. Mt. Lowe Railway Trail really starts where it intersects with Chaney Trail road and not Millard Campground. We wanted to start at the true trailhead but there are only eight meager parking spaces which forced us to start at Millard. The lack of parking is highly annoying considering the amount of space on the other side of the barricade. A $5 Adventure Pass is needed to park in both areas.
What a site to see! You definitely feel like you're in the wild. You get to enjoy the beautiful views of the mountains. The singing of the birds and the woodpecker drilling into the tree creates this sense of beauty and peace. The trail however has many inclines and I highly recommend to wear very good hiking shoes due to the slippery rocks. Definitly a great place to get lost in nature's beauty.
Really enjoyed our hike to the swing. Be sure to stay left at the water tanks. You can do a loop or you can go up and down the same way. We only saw 1 other group the whole time we were hiking. We clocked around 6 miles (we did a loop). We saw one rattlesnake. Adventure pass for parking.
I did Mt Lowe via Easton Saddle this past weekend (5/12/2018) - it's a fairly easy ~5 mile roundtrip hike. The elevation is high and there's a few parts where the terrain gets steep or you climb over rocks, but for the most part I was surprised how easy this out and back trail was. We went here first to check out Mt Lowe and the swing - unfortunately, the swing was broken and taken down (not left at Mt Lowe). From reading the journal of other hikers, its been broken since April. Whoever has the swing, please bring it back and repair it! If you're heading to the Mt Lowe areas I'd definitely say to try to hit up more trails. After finishing Mt Lowe we walked back and then did San Gabriel Peak. If we had camped, we would've done Mt Lowe to Inspiration Point.
Mount Lowe has an elevation of 5,603'. It is easily accessible from the Red Box parking lot or Eaton Canyon Saddle lot. There are loose rocks under foot on the trail. The climb to the peak is not very steep from the fire road. Once on the top, there are nice 360 degree views. This climb can be easily combined with hiking to other peaks for a greater challenge.
Brandon D., Lee A. and I got to take part in the annual drive up Mount Lowe, raising funds and awareness for the Mt. Lowe Volunteers Group. Normally the road is closed off and only for hikers and bicyclists, but the rangers let in a small convoy of vehicles. The drive was a bit harrowing at times with large rocks banging around our undercarriage, no guard rails, and jagged outcroppings. Cars were barely making it up the steep, dirt roads without needing a push to get them out of the holes they were digging nearly burning out. But the views were AMAZING. Anyway, our final destination was the Mount Lowe Trail Camp where the Alpine Tavern used to be. The road we'd traveled used to be a scenic trolley line. Mount Lowe Trail Camp has first-come/first-serve space for setting up tents. A small boy scout troop was set up when we arrived. There's men and women's vault toilets. No water. Someone left Lysol wipes for cleaning up. Around the camp there are signs for what area that used to be tavern you're standing in. The tavern was dynamited in the late 1930s. By that point it was just a shell left over from the fire that previously devastated it. Hiking around the camp we kept finding debris from what was left of the place. The camp is a short walk from Inspiration Point, up the hill. Every now and then we were gathered 'round to hear about the history of the trolley line, the tavern, and Thaddeus Lowe. After a talk on the Union Army Balloon Corps, one of the volunteers said the Forestry Service is thinking about abandoning the road, but with that would mean dropping care of the campsite as well. They say they hope it doesn't come to that. The volunteers also said they are looking to recruit. There's no minimum amount of time to put in, but it would be to help maintain the area.
Took the Sam Merrill Trail to Echo Mountain from the Cobb Estate Entrance. It's 2.5 miles up a narrow dirt path consisting of a dozen + switchbacks. Although you climb a few thousand feet, the incline isn't that bad, but it's very congested. Once here, it's gorgeous. Pretty views and rich in historical significance with great signs detailing the hotel and railway that once stood. In addition to the pretty views and remnants, there are a few picnic tables available to rest at or enjoy a snack. Be sure to bring water, wear sunscreen and DON'T LITTER (that old reservoir is NOT a trash can!)
Awesome hike and amazing views in every direction from the top of Mt. Lowe. Started at Millard Canyon and took the Sunset Ridge Trail up to the Mt Lowe Fire Road. Once you get to the old Alpine Tavern ruins (Mt Lowe Campground) you can take either the West or East Mt Lowe trail, I prefer the West. You can also continue up the Mt Lowe road to San Gabriel Peak or Mt Wilson, or come back through Inspiration Point or Castle Canyon to Echo Mt. So many options make this one of my favorite trails in the front range.
Yes there are easier ways to reach Mt Lowe, but Sammy, my hiking Pit Bull decided to take the longer Sunset Ridge Trail. http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-sunset-ridge-trail-altadena?hrid=bvCUJ_G0ifDJuB1toVGTGg&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct) This route from the Millard Campground will take you on a 14.5 mile round trip with an elevation gain of 3,765 feet to the 5,603 foot Mt Lowe summit. Add another 0.6 mile on the way down to stop at Inspiration Point. The Sunset Ridge Trail is a very nice smooth and narrow dirt trail with a gradual incline. It is mostly shaded and follows along the wider Mt Lowe Road. Eventually the dirt trail meets up with the road and you stay on that until the non-existing Alpine Tavern that burnt in 1936. From the Alpine Tavern, take the almost hidden trail in between the 2 white signs. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mt-lowe-altadena?select=kHtZYTwyCLmRVOmsT55zsg&utm_campaign=www_photo_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct) This narrow Mt Lowe East Trail gets steeper as it starts off in the shade from the oak trees. All too soon, you find yourself in the HOT sun on those rolling switchbacks along the canyon's edge as you make your way up to the Mt Lowe summit. I really liked this East Trail as it finally gave me the feeling of being on a mountain hike! You can use this address, or the directions below since my GPS wanted to take me in a very indirect way. 4041 Chaney Tail, Altadena, Ca, 91001 From the Westbound 210 Fwy/ exit Rt on Lake Ave / Lt on Loma Alta Dr. / Rt on Chaney Trail (at the yellow flashing light) to a gate that opens at 6am. From the gate go 1.4 miles to the 2nd larger Millard Camp Ground parking lot. You need to display a Wilderness Adventure Parking Pass. * Millard Camp Ground Trailhead (1,838') * 0.80 - Sunset Ridge Tr. reaches Mt Lowe Road. Take the asphalt road uphill 1/4 mile. * 1.04 - Take the Sunset Ridge Tr. on the Left. * 1.50 - Dawn Mine Tr. Jct. Go Rt on Sunset Ridge Tr. * 2.42 - Sunset Ridge Tr. meets up with Mt Lowe Rd. Continue up dirt trail. (2,990') * 3.18 - Sunset Ridge Tr. meets up with Mt Lowe Rd again. * 3.24 - Echo Mtn Jct. at 'Cape of Good Hope'. Stay on road. * 3.54 - Upper Dawn Mine Tr. Jct. * 5.92 - Alpine Tavern (4,435'). Burnt in 1936. To summit Mt Lowe, head up the trail in between the 2 white signs 'To Mt Lowe' & 'Mt Lowe Campground'. * 6.04 - Cross the wide dirt road & head up the Mt Lowe East Trail * 6.15 - Mt Lowe / Inspiration Point Junction. Go Left. * 7.13 - Mt Lowe / Mt Wilson Junction. Go Left. * 7.32 - Mt Lowe East Trail / West Trail Junction. (5,550') Go Straight. * 7.40 - Mt Lowe Summit (5,603'). What a Great view! * 8.73 - Heading back down on the East Trail. Back at the Mt Lowe / Insp. Point Jct. Go Straight. * 8.83 - Come up to back side of Mt Lowe East Trail sign. Go LEFT, (S. East) on the Mt Wilson Rd. * 8.95 - Reach multi trail junction saddle. HEAD to INSP. PT. * Far Right (North) heads back to Alpine Tavern on the Mt Lowe Rd. * Next jct to the left heads to Idlehour & Mt Wilson Toll Rd. * Next jct to the left heads S. East to Inspiration Point. * Far Left jct is the Sam Merrill Trail to Echo Mtn. & Cobb Estate (Lake Trailhead). * 9.25 - Inspiration Point (4,540'). The Pacific Electric Railway originally built this in 1924. * 9.55 - Headed back down to the multi trail junction saddle then down the Sam Merrill Trail. * 10.6 - Sam Merrill Trail Lt to Echo Mtn Jct. Take the small dirt trail to the Rt towards the ridge crest. The Devil's Backbone of Altadena. * 10.9 - This dirt trail ends up back at the Mt Lowe Road with a 4 foot drop off near 'Circular Bridge' trail sign. On the way down take the Sunset Ridge Trail. * 15.0 - Back at the Millard Camp Ground Trailhead.
We hiked up echo mountain first which was 2.5 mi. Then hit Mt. Lower which was an additional 3.5 mi. We started around 11am and made it to the summit around 4pm. Was a heavy workout that kick our butts! Incredible view and great spot for pictures with a bench and a swing up there. We didn't beat the sunset coming down so had to bust out the flash lights. I'd suggest parking a 2nd car on the other side of the mountain that way is would just be a 10 minute walk from the summit and you can drive down the mountain!
Good destination hike. 2.5 miles uphill from Cobb Estate to Echo Mt House hotel ruins and abandoned railway was worth the effort. Intermediate hike. Low clouds prevented a clear view of downtown LA, but beautiful just the same. Good hike for children, but take water and snacks!
Had so much fun hiking here. We climbed to the peak of a couple mountains, made it to two stone piles. Our starting point was at the opposite way of the loop, the trail wasn't very clear but we kept moving forward. We began hiking around 9 AM made 4 or 5 stops and finished at 5:40PM, I started tracking the distance roughly by the 3rd hour of our hike and it marked 14.7 miles. Most of the signs up were all rusty and unreadable. The combination of strong and cold winds, the rocky trail, a loose sandy ground on the steep areas were to die for- literally. Some parts were incredibly challenging but it was an exhilarating experience. read more
4 years ago
Will never give nature less than 5 stars but this was a CHALLENGING hike. So beautiful and plenty of rest points to break up the hike but man was I feeling it afterwards. We packed plenty of water and snacks and followed the trail etiquette(downhill hikers mover over to uphill hikers, ect) Our figure 8 route included: 2.5 miles to echo Another 2 to inspiration point where we sat and ate a quick lunch- love the telescopes all over!! Another 1.5 to Mt Lowe! This part was definitely the hardest for me, quite a bit of elevation gain in a small space but I did it! The swing wasn't at the top but still a gorgeous view. 10/10 would hike again and a great conditioning hike for Mt Wilson! read more
Hiking with a good friend + Mt Lowe + gorgeous clouds + snow + sunshine + green trees + fresh air + swing = made a perfect way to spend a Sunday. What is your idea of a perfect Sunday adventure? Throughout my lifetime, I've hiked to Mount Lowe summit several times. Due to recent road closures (1/24/21) on the east side, I drove to Cheney Trail Road and parked at the end of the road, which has Camp Millard nearby. I used and have an adventure parking pass for this year -though lots of cars didn't have one. This trailhead will start you from the west side of Mount Lowe. You could hike the fire road or the dirt trail to the summit. I hiked the dirt trail. Clocked in 14 miles round trip, with a 3,554ft elevation gain. In 8/2020 there wasn't a swing, so thank you to the amazing soul who put a new swing up. You're appreciated! :) Bring your 10 essentials, microspikes, gators, hiking poles and dress in layers for this hike in winter weather (check weather reports before heading out). Be careful of the occasional mountain biker, plowing downhill with no bell to alert you. Despite that, happy adventuring to you!!! Stay safe and healthy (mind, body and soul) Yelping out there :) read more
I am a sucker for these hikes along Hwy 2...such a beautiful area. We parked at the Eaton Saddle Trailhead...remember to display your Adventure Parking Pass. Great views early on and throughout and cool going through the tunnel in the 1st half mile. At about .6 you will reach a spot with trails intersecting...stay to the left...go right if you want to go to the nearby San Gabriel Peak and Mount Disappointment. It is not very steep and you reach Mount Lowe with the bench and poles and picturesque views. It took about 45 minutes to hike the 1.7 miles to get to the top of Mt Lowe at about 5,600 ft with a little over 600 ft of elevation gain. On the way back at about 2.2 miles I took a small path on the right that will take you steeply up to Mount Markham. It is only .5 miles with about 400 ft of elevation gain. read more
7 years ago
There are longer routes you can use in this area, like start from Bill Reilly trail near Redbox picnic area. But the fastest route to Mount Lowe will be at Eaton Saddle trailhead. Remember to display your adventure pass. It's a nice short hike to Mount Lowe. The hike up was gradual and easy, seems like a 2-3 miles round trip. I've extended to Mount Markham to make it about 4-5 mile round trip with some rock scrambling in the end at Mount Markham. When you start hiking from the parking lot trailhead. It's straightforward. You will see a lot of rocks on the trail, seems like the recent rainfall caused a lot of rock slides. So definitely be aware of falling rocks. First thing you will arrive is Mueller Tunnel. After passing the tunnel you will see a 5 trail split. You want to go left, you will see a rusted post sign stating "to mount Lowe summit". If you go straight and down, that will take you to inspiration point. If you go right, that will go to San Gabriel Peak, Mount Deception and Mount Disappointment, and all the way back down to Bill Reilly trail. I'm not quite sure, but the far left trail is the rock scramble to Mount Markham. As you continue up the Mount Lowe summit trail, it's easy to follow with plenty of posted signs for direction. There will be a sign that shows a split. One for Mount Lowe, West trail, and East trail where you hiked up on. So remember when coming back down, go back east trail. Otherwise, you will go down the wrong path. Once you make it up to Mount Lowe, enjoy the view...there is a swing there, but be careful, kind of sketchy. Then hike back down the way you came up. If you want to tackle Mount Markham, you will see a thin trail going up a saddle to Mount Markham. There will be a bit of rock scrambling and lots of overgrown bush. So wear long pants, and poodle dog bush is visible on the trail, so try to avoid touching them. As always, pack accordingly to the weather as summer will be tough on mid afternoon. You will be okay in early morning. read more
7 years ago
Yelp map markers usually indicate the start or end of a hike. Here, the marker is oddly located in the middle at Echo Mountain. Some uploaded photos are also of the destroyed hotel at Echo Mountain (really a ridge) along with the covered Inspiration Point (really a saddle). Granted, these locations can be passed while going to the summit of Mt. Lowe (actually a mountain) when taking the Sam Merrill and Castle Canyon Trails but we took a different route which was actually called Mt. Lowe. Perhaps people are confusing Mt. Lowe with Echo Mountain (see https://www.yelp.com/biz/echo-mountain-via-the-sam-merrill-trail-altadena) and Inspiration Point (see https://www.yelp.com/biz/inspiration-point-via-castle-canyon-altadena). We started at Millard Campground and followed the Mt. Lowe Railway Trail for 5.7 miles with a 2600' elevation gain to Mt. Lowe Campground. The trail follows the same route as the former railroad trolley and has periodic descriptions of the rail line. The campsite used to be the Alpine Tavern with cottage lodging that burned down in the 1930s. The West Trail to the summit of Mt. Lowe is 1.5 miles more and 1150' higher than the campground. If you're into swinging (the playground type, not the bedroom type), a swing is at the top (see pic). The southern view covers the entire Los Angeles Basin while the lesser northern view into the Angeles National Forest consists of a higher mountain range topped with ugly transmission towers. As with any 14.5-mile roundtrip hike, it can get repetitively boring (like my Yelps) - particularly the three miles of abusive foot-pounding pavement on the return. Because most of the trail is road, this route is also popular with mountain bicyclists. Mt. Lowe Railway Trail really starts where it intersects with Chaney Trail road and not Millard Campground. We wanted to start at the true trailhead but there are only eight meager parking spaces which forced us to start at Millard. The lack of parking is highly annoying considering the amount of space on the other side of the barricade. A $5 Adventure Pass is needed to park in both areas. read more
5 years ago
What a site to see! You definitely feel like you're in the wild. You get to enjoy the beautiful views of the mountains. The singing of the birds and the woodpecker drilling into the tree creates this sense of beauty and peace. The trail however has many inclines and I highly recommend to wear very good hiking shoes due to the slippery rocks. Definitly a great place to get lost in nature's beauty. read more
7 years ago
Really enjoyed our hike to the swing. Be sure to stay left at the water tanks. You can do a loop or you can go up and down the same way. We only saw 1 other group the whole time we were hiking. We clocked around 6 miles (we did a loop). We saw one rattlesnake. Adventure pass for parking. read more
8 years ago
I did Mt Lowe via Easton Saddle this past weekend (5/12/2018) - it's a fairly easy ~5 mile roundtrip hike. The elevation is high and there's a few parts where the terrain gets steep or you climb over rocks, but for the most part I was surprised how easy this out and back trail was. We went here first to check out Mt Lowe and the swing - unfortunately, the swing was broken and taken down (not left at Mt Lowe). From reading the journal of other hikers, its been broken since April. Whoever has the swing, please bring it back and repair it! If you're heading to the Mt Lowe areas I'd definitely say to try to hit up more trails. After finishing Mt Lowe we walked back and then did San Gabriel Peak. If we had camped, we would've done Mt Lowe to Inspiration Point. read more
11 years ago
Mount Lowe has an elevation of 5,603'. It is easily accessible from the Red Box parking lot or Eaton Canyon Saddle lot. There are loose rocks under foot on the trail. The climb to the peak is not very steep from the fire road. Once on the top, there are nice 360 degree views. This climb can be easily combined with hiking to other peaks for a greater challenge. read more
5 years ago
13 years ago
Brandon D., Lee A. and I got to take part in the annual drive up Mount Lowe, raising funds and awareness for the Mt. Lowe Volunteers Group. Normally the road is closed off and only for hikers and bicyclists, but the rangers let in a small convoy of vehicles. The drive was a bit harrowing at times with large rocks banging around our undercarriage, no guard rails, and jagged outcroppings. Cars were barely making it up the steep, dirt roads without needing a push to get them out of the holes they were digging nearly burning out. But the views were AMAZING. Anyway, our final destination was the Mount Lowe Trail Camp where the Alpine Tavern used to be. The road we'd traveled used to be a scenic trolley line. Mount Lowe Trail Camp has first-come/first-serve space for setting up tents. A small boy scout troop was set up when we arrived. There's men and women's vault toilets. No water. Someone left Lysol wipes for cleaning up. Around the camp there are signs for what area that used to be tavern you're standing in. The tavern was dynamited in the late 1930s. By that point it was just a shell left over from the fire that previously devastated it. Hiking around the camp we kept finding debris from what was left of the place. The camp is a short walk from Inspiration Point, up the hill. Every now and then we were gathered 'round to hear about the history of the trolley line, the tavern, and Thaddeus Lowe. After a talk on the Union Army Balloon Corps, one of the volunteers said the Forestry Service is thinking about abandoning the road, but with that would mean dropping care of the campsite as well. They say they hope it doesn't come to that. The volunteers also said they are looking to recruit. There's no minimum amount of time to put in, but it would be to help maintain the area. read more
10 years ago
Took the Sam Merrill Trail to Echo Mountain from the Cobb Estate Entrance. It's 2.5 miles up a narrow dirt path consisting of a dozen + switchbacks. Although you climb a few thousand feet, the incline isn't that bad, but it's very congested. Once here, it's gorgeous. Pretty views and rich in historical significance with great signs detailing the hotel and railway that once stood. In addition to the pretty views and remnants, there are a few picnic tables available to rest at or enjoy a snack. Be sure to bring water, wear sunscreen and DON'T LITTER (that old reservoir is NOT a trash can!) read more
13 years ago
Awesome hike and amazing views in every direction from the top of Mt. Lowe. Started at Millard Canyon and took the Sunset Ridge Trail up to the Mt Lowe Fire Road. Once you get to the old Alpine Tavern ruins (Mt Lowe Campground) you can take either the West or East Mt Lowe trail, I prefer the West. You can also continue up the Mt Lowe road to San Gabriel Peak or Mt Wilson, or come back through Inspiration Point or Castle Canyon to Echo Mt. So many options make this one of my favorite trails in the front range. read more
4 years ago
Yes there are easier ways to reach Mt Lowe, but Sammy, my hiking Pit Bull decided to take the longer Sunset Ridge Trail. http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-sunset-ridge-trail-altadena?hrid=bvCUJ_G0ifDJuB1toVGTGg&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct) This route from the Millard Campground will take you on a 14.5 mile round trip with an elevation gain of 3,765 feet to the 5,603 foot Mt Lowe summit. Add another 0.6 mile on the way down to stop at Inspiration Point. The Sunset Ridge Trail is a very nice smooth and narrow dirt trail with a gradual incline. It is mostly shaded and follows along the wider Mt Lowe Road. Eventually the dirt trail meets up with the road and you stay on that until the non-existing Alpine Tavern that burnt in 1936. From the Alpine Tavern, take the almost hidden trail in between the 2 white signs. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mt-lowe-altadena?select=kHtZYTwyCLmRVOmsT55zsg&utm_campaign=www_photo_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct) This narrow Mt Lowe East Trail gets steeper as it starts off in the shade from the oak trees. All too soon, you find yourself in the HOT sun on those rolling switchbacks along the canyon's edge as you make your way up to the Mt Lowe summit. I really liked this East Trail as it finally gave me the feeling of being on a mountain hike! You can use this address, or the directions below since my GPS wanted to take me in a very indirect way. 4041 Chaney Tail, Altadena, Ca, 91001 From the Westbound 210 Fwy/ exit Rt on Lake Ave / Lt on Loma Alta Dr. / Rt on Chaney Trail (at the yellow flashing light) to a gate that opens at 6am. From the gate go 1.4 miles to the 2nd larger Millard Camp Ground parking lot. You need to display a Wilderness Adventure Parking Pass. * Millard Camp Ground Trailhead (1,838') * 0.80 - Sunset Ridge Tr. reaches Mt Lowe Road. Take the asphalt road uphill 1/4 mile. * 1.04 - Take the Sunset Ridge Tr. on the Left. * 1.50 - Dawn Mine Tr. Jct. Go Rt on Sunset Ridge Tr. * 2.42 - Sunset Ridge Tr. meets up with Mt Lowe Rd. Continue up dirt trail. (2,990') * 3.18 - Sunset Ridge Tr. meets up with Mt Lowe Rd again. * 3.24 - Echo Mtn Jct. at 'Cape of Good Hope'. Stay on road. * 3.54 - Upper Dawn Mine Tr. Jct. * 5.92 - Alpine Tavern (4,435'). Burnt in 1936. To summit Mt Lowe, head up the trail in between the 2 white signs 'To Mt Lowe' & 'Mt Lowe Campground'. * 6.04 - Cross the wide dirt road & head up the Mt Lowe East Trail * 6.15 - Mt Lowe / Inspiration Point Junction. Go Left. * 7.13 - Mt Lowe / Mt Wilson Junction. Go Left. * 7.32 - Mt Lowe East Trail / West Trail Junction. (5,550') Go Straight. * 7.40 - Mt Lowe Summit (5,603'). What a Great view! * 8.73 - Heading back down on the East Trail. Back at the Mt Lowe / Insp. Point Jct. Go Straight. * 8.83 - Come up to back side of Mt Lowe East Trail sign. Go LEFT, (S. East) on the Mt Wilson Rd. * 8.95 - Reach multi trail junction saddle. HEAD to INSP. PT. * Far Right (North) heads back to Alpine Tavern on the Mt Lowe Rd. * Next jct to the left heads to Idlehour & Mt Wilson Toll Rd. * Next jct to the left heads S. East to Inspiration Point. * Far Left jct is the Sam Merrill Trail to Echo Mtn. & Cobb Estate (Lake Trailhead). * 9.25 - Inspiration Point (4,540'). The Pacific Electric Railway originally built this in 1924. * 9.55 - Headed back down to the multi trail junction saddle then down the Sam Merrill Trail. * 10.6 - Sam Merrill Trail Lt to Echo Mtn Jct. Take the small dirt trail to the Rt towards the ridge crest. The Devil's Backbone of Altadena. * 10.9 - This dirt trail ends up back at the Mt Lowe Road with a 4 foot drop off near 'Circular Bridge' trail sign. On the way down take the Sunset Ridge Trail. * 15.0 - Back at the Millard Camp Ground Trailhead. read more
9 years ago
We hiked up echo mountain first which was 2.5 mi. Then hit Mt. Lower which was an additional 3.5 mi. We started around 11am and made it to the summit around 4pm. Was a heavy workout that kick our butts! Incredible view and great spot for pictures with a bench and a swing up there. We didn't beat the sunset coming down so had to bust out the flash lights. I'd suggest parking a 2nd car on the other side of the mountain that way is would just be a 10 minute walk from the summit and you can drive down the mountain! read more
11 years ago
11 years ago
Good destination hike. 2.5 miles uphill from Cobb Estate to Echo Mt House hotel ruins and abandoned railway was worth the effort. Intermediate hike. Low clouds prevented a clear view of downtown LA, but beautiful just the same. Good hike for children, but take water and snacks! read more
10 years ago
Absolutely loved it! It was my first time, it's pretty much 2.5 mi switch backs to get to the top & 2.5 mi to get to the bottom. It's an easy trail just need to have endurance to get up! It's very clean (there are no trash canS or bathrooms). It has picnic areas so bring food if you can and make sure to bring your trash down with you! It's absolutely beautiful, I really enjoyed it! read more
8 years ago
11 years ago
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Mt Lowe Railway Trl
Altadena, CA 91001
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