Hiking is a passion and love affair with me. I love the outdoors and enjoying nature. This is a…read morespot that allows peace of mind and a true enjoyment of the natural area. The joys of walking, running as well as biking can be enjoyed at this spot. Bring your dogs as well and show them the outdoors as they will enjoy it.

Easy hike. Beginner trail. Parking in the street. Started 6am no one on trail. No shade, go early…read moreif you don't like hikes in the sun.

AMAZING! A very steep trail I might add. We only did 3.5 miles, only half of the trail. The trail…read moreis very narrow and rocky. I highly recommend to wear good hiking shoes because it can be a bit slippery. The best part was the views of the mountains and how quiet and serene it looked. Definitely a place to burn off your calories. I would rate this trail as hard.

What a great historical hike to Inspiration Point, with the…read more Mt Lowe Railway dating back to 1915. It was 13 miles round trip with 2,700 feet of elevation gain. Throughout the trail you have the choices to stay on the Mt Lowe Road or to take the more narrow and senic Sunset Ridge Trail. Too bad there aren't more ruins left behind. On the way down from our hike we even found about 12 emergency vehicles parked by the 'Cape of Good Hope', even a Coroner's truck... something I didn't expect to see on a hike. Turns out some hikers found a human (femur) leg bone on Echo Mountain. 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') * 0.8 miles - The Sunset Ridge dirt trail reaches the wide asphalt Mt Lowe Road. * 1.04 - On the wide Mt Lowe Road, the narrow dirt Sunset Ridge Trail takes off to the left. It will meet up with the road again in 1.2 miles. * We took the wide road up and went down the Sunset Ridge Trail. Next time I will just take the nicer and more senic dirt trail up and down. * 2.16 - The Mt Lowe Road splits. We went to the left to stay in the shade, but they both meet up later. * 2.22 - While on the Mt Lowe Road, the Sunset Ridge Trail meets up with the road then continues up a narrow dirt trail. We took this dirt trail. * 2.95 - The narrow dirt Sunset Ridge Trail meets up with the Mt Lowe Road again. * 3.00 - Mt Lowe Road / Echo Mountain trail junction. Stay on the road for Inspiration Point. * 3.26 - Mt Lowe Road / Dawn Mine Trail junction. * 5.56 - Mt Lowe Trail Camp / Ye Alpine Tavern (4,420'). The tavern burned in 1936. There are only picnic tables and a couple of signs there now. Continue up the wide dirt road. * 5.90 - Reach a multi trail junction saddle. * Far Left heads to Mt Wilson Road * Next junction to the right heads to Idlehour & Mt Wilson Toll Road. * Next junction to the right heads to Inspiration Pt. * Far right junction is the Sam Merrill Trail to Echo Mtn & Cobb Estate * 6.17 - Reached Inspiration Point (4,540'). The Pacific Electric Railway originally built this in 1924. * Castle Canyon Trail junction here. Heads to Echo Mtn in 2 miles & Lake Ave. Trlhd in 4.7 miles. * 6.46 - We headed back down to the multi trail junction saddle and headed down the Sam Merrill Trail. A very nice rolling narrow dirt trail. Heading down you get a great view of the LA city below. * 7.15 - The Sam Merrill trail heads to the left towards Echo Mountain. We took the small dirt trail to the right towards the ridge crest and down the steep descent on the loose dirt. The view was awesome here! It felt like the Devil's Backbone of Altadena. * 7.82 - This dirt trail ends up back at the Mt Lowe Road with a 4 foot drop off near the 'Circular Bridge' trail sign. On the way down we took the narrow Sunset Ridge Trail. This trail was very nice, most of it was in the appreciated shade during the hotter afternoon. It also passes by a cool cabin, which is where you can also catch a trail to the Dawn Mine. You will also get a great view of the Millard Waterfall after the cabin. * 13.0 miles - Back at the Millard Camp Ground Trailhead.

Quiet, easy hiking trail for the whole family. Baby stroller access may be a little tricky the…read morefirst 10-15 minutes. But after that it's smooth sailing. A very pleasant and peaceful walk. You may notice some freeway noise in some parts. HOW TO GET THERE: Set your GPS/Navigation to "Descanso Garden". You're going to park inside Descanso Garden anyways. Its free and its a 3 minute walk from the Trailhead. Do Not use the Yelp app's "Get Directions" on your smartphone. It'll take you to someone's house. I wish Yelp would correct this. PARKING: Don't tell anyone I told you this but I always park at Descanso Garden Parking Lot. It's free. I park my car right at the entrance to Descanso Garden so that I'm close to the entrance. There's always a gazillion empty parking spaces here. As soon as you park your car, walk back to the entrance (towards the main road, Descanso Drive) and then turn left onto the dirt sidewalk. You'll walk for a minute and find the 3 little yellow steel posts that other Yelpers described. That's your landmark for the entrance to the Trail. TRAILHEAD ACCESS: The trail begins about a 3 minute walk from the Descanso Garden parking lot. So when you exit the Descanso Garden parking lot, immediately turn left. Walk on the dirt sidewalk for less than a minute and on the left hand side you'll see 3 yellow steel posts (you know the kind that prevents people from driving over it). Walk through these 3 yellow posts and you'll find yourself walking on asphalt flanked by 8 feet tall brown colored fencing. You'll ask yourself "Am I at the right place?". Trust me, you are. Follow the signs and suddenly you'll find yourself at the trailhead. DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Easy. I went to Descanso Trail with my in-laws today. They're both in their mid-70's (very healthy) and they had no problems. The most difficult part of this trail comes about 5 minutes into the walk. You'll find yourself staring at an uphill climb consisting of several switchbacks. There's lots of loose rocks that someone can slip on. Especially small children and elderly. Climbing up is not bad. Even for my mid-70's in-laws they had no trouble. Did it without resting. Coming down these switch-backs is a little more challenging but definitely do-able for the healthy elderly. A walking/hiking stick will help. The rest of the hike is smooth sailing. Slight uphill and downhill walking here and there. Nothing challenging. The trail is made of compacted dirt, mainly about 5 feet to 10 feet wide. If you're a good hiker, if you've hiked Half Dome then this Descanso Trail hike will be a 'walk in the park'! BABY STROLLER: For about 99% of this trail, a stroller will have no problems whatsoever. However, within 5 minutes of starting this hike (read my "Difficulty Level" section above) you will find yourself at the bottom of an upward climb through some switchbacks. I think some healthy parent with a capable stroller probably could push the buggy uphill. But I believe for most parents, this will pose a challenge. You're better off holding the baby in your arms and having someone else carry the stroller uphill. Luckily, this uphill walk will take less than 5 minutes. After this, the rest of the trail is easy sailing for a stroller. Mainly compacted dirt. Keep in mind there are some gently upward and downward hills you need to navigate. CELLPHONE RECEPTION: I had 3 to 5 bars on my Verizon iPhone the whole time on the trail. No problems with reception at all.

Hiking is a passion of mine which I truly enjoy. This is a trail that allows the flexibility of…read morebeginner to advanced workouts. For starters if you are into running, jogging or bike rides this trail is perfect. I enjoy the running aspect as I love a great workout. If you enjoy some chill time or a read this is a great spot as well. From enjoying a great sunrise or sunset this is a great spot.

Absolutely lovely short hike for a spring day. The spring wildflowers and the views are the…read morehighlights! There was literally no one on the trail so bring your camera to capture your memories. It's a hike on the edge, on the boundary of civilization and nature, and well worth a visit. About one mile round trip.

Its not really a trail considering its a road that leads to the peak. Not much dirt its a paved…read moreroad. Also considering its next to the dump site/quarry or whatever that is at the top its not very pleasant to look at. But if you live in the neighborhood and want a quick escape it will do just fine. Just don't head down to the Lida Motorway which will take you to a work site with HUGE trucks. But if you do? Don't head down the other way towards scholl canyon road on your bike because they lock the gate after a certain time and you will have to climb back out the way you came in or JUMP the fence to get out. I opted to jump the fence.

"Life is but a wanderlust." - The Boss Let us begin this…read moreholiday hiking trail review. Owl Trail is a short loop half-mile trail Cherry Canyon Park that connects Flint Canyon Trail to Cerro Negro Trail. It's located in Hampstead Rd and Cherry Canyon Motorway in La Cañada Flintridge, CA. I came late morning after Christmas (12/26) and savoring the warm weather (75F). The trail is considered Easy Moderate for experienced hikers with an elevation gain of 390 feet. Moreover, the Owl Trail, Cherry Motorway, and Liz's Loop is a loop trail with a distance of 1.57 miles. The northeastern portion of the Owl trail from Flint Canyon trail to the trail marker is a beautiful shady trail among magical oaks. The upper portion of Cerro Negro Trail is steep and rocky which lead to Five Points and Sugar Loaf. The trail is doggo friendly, single friendly, married friendly, family friendly, good for running, biking and dancing. Lol. ;D The trails were well kept and free of graffiti. Furthermore, the trail has ample of direction sign post which was helpful. I spent roughly 2 hours (6.07 km) hiking, a perfect cardio workout. As for parking, there's no designated parking area for visitors. Thus, park along Hampstead road but careful the road has Tow Away Zone. Overall, I enjoyed hiking Owl trail and it's other interconnected trails. I recommend this trailhead.

The Owl Trail is probably my favorite in Cherry Canyon. It is sheltered by mature Oak trees for at…read moreleast half the way to the top. The trail starts on the left when you enter the main entrance to Cherry Canyon on Hampstead Rd. It is a nice cardio workout because it goes uphill the whole way and gets really steep in some parts. The erosion of a few parts of the trail makes it a little slippery, so make sure you wear some shoes with tread on them. My son was wearing his Vans and I was amazed he didn't slip or fall going up. There is also a section with a lot of loose rocks, so watch your step. I much prefer going up this trail than going down. I have gone down it once and that was enough. To get to the top of the trail it is .68 miles and about 332 feet in elevation gains. You heart rate should increase quite a bit if you don't stop or are talking to a friend. When you get to the top of the trail you will intersect the Ridge Motorway. You can either turn left and extend your hike up to the Lookout Station, take a little trail called The Ultimate Destination Trail on the left or just head toward Glendale. If you chose to take the Ridge Motorway to Glendale then you can take a detour to the Catalina Verdugo Trail by the Glendale Sports Complex. If you turn right on Ridge Motorway when you get to the top of the Owl Trail you can do a loop to get you back down to the bottom. When you see the paved road on the left there will be large signs for Descanso Motorway and Cherry Canyon Motorway. To get back to you car take Cherry Canyon Motorway. If you want to take the Descanso Motorway you can add a few miles to you hike. I would suggest that you park another car down by Descanso Gardens or you'll just have to walk back along Descanso Drive to Chevy Chase and then Hampstead Road. Miscellaneous Information: The La Canada Trails Council indicates that the Owl Trail is .53 miles, but I measured it on Map My Hike and it is .68 miles from the bottom to the Ridge Motorway. http://www.lcftrails.org There are waste bins and bags at the bottom of the trail, so if you forget your doggie waste bags then grab a couple. Please pick up after your dog.

Such a unique and beautiful hike!!!! We even got to see some very hard snow that was almost gone,…read moredue to the rain and winds. I would highly recommend that at least 50% of the group have the trail downloaded, and you carry extra phone chargers. A few people who were with us almost got lost. It is very easy to do so if you are not paying attention. There is also one portion that becomes very steep. Take your time and bring a stick or poles if you need to. Other than that, the views are breathtaking, so enjoy! I would 1000% do this trail again, but only in a larger group with more experienced hikers. Hoping they are able to locate Monica Reza!! Please, please, please, do not leave anyone behind on their own. This is not an easy trail to guide yourself. There was a lovely man we met on the trail who hikes this consistently, and he cautioned us against losing people.

I bagged a peak this summer!! And the Waterman Mountain loop trail has become my number one fave…read morelocal trail here in SoCal. Getting up to Waterman peak isn't terribly technical - more of a straightforward moderate hike on well marked trails with tons of biodiversity and beautiful views. I hiked it towards the end of June and there were beautiful native SoCal blooms scattered along the trail - with so many native bees! The hike is through a burn scar (from the Peak Fire in 2021 I think) - so it can be a bit barren and burned up in places but it's heartening to see how well the area is recovering. I also ran into countless Pygmy Nuthatches (a lifer for me!!), White-headed Woodpeckers, squirrels, chipmunks, and even some cute tiny spiders! But this is Black Bear and Mountain Lion country so be vigilant and carry bear spray. All in all, I hiked around 6.4 miles with around 1380+ feet elevation gain. The trails are narrow in a lot of spots and mostly consists of rocks, loose dirt, and fine gravel. The first half of the trail is through forest and burn scar. The last half after the peak and old ski resort (long closed) is very exposed fire road with no shade and minimal views. On subsequent hikes I tend to skip that part and just turn around after the peak bc I like that part of the trail better lol. The peak of Waterman Mtn sits at 8030 feet. There's a great sign at the peak made by @peakart125 (on instagram) - it's lovely and makes for a fun way to celebrate making it all the way up! There's a sort of false peak right before the actual peak so I highly recommend making sure you've downloaded the trail map on AllTrails before heading out since cell signal is minimal to nonexistent on the trail. The views from the peak are a tad obstructed by rocks and trees - but you still get nice pocket views of Twin Peaks, the valley, and Mt Wilson observatory. It's also interesting to explore the old ski resort near the peak. There's tons of equipment and a chair lift but it doesn't look like it's been opened for years probably. AllTrails also shows a bathroom up there but I didn't find one so come prepared. There's a bathroom next to the paved parking area in a campground entrance at the trailhead. There's plenty of parking - almost all paved. You'll need an adventure pass to park bc it's in the Angeles National Forest - but they accept America the Beautiful passes too! I pretty much had the trail to myself on the weekday early morning. I only ran into two people - turned out it was search and rescue looking for missing hiker Monica Reza who went missing the weekend before my hike (I think she was last seen June 22nd, 2025). I helped a bit in the search on my way out but no luck. My understanding is she's still missing (I included a photo - they're still looking for volunteers to help search if you're interested!) - be aware and keep a lookout if you do the trail! They also have Instagram and FB pages for updates.

Mt Wilson was an amazing hike, utterly beautiful. The observatory at the top and the picture…read moreopportunities were fun. We hiked on a perfect weather day and enjoyed ice cream at Mother Moo Creamery at the bottom. Wonderful experience. Please come and create your own adventure.

+ Fun hike! Good exercise if - it weren't for the fires…read morecausing destruction. Mt Wilson trail is now in disrepair and inaccessible. No notice of when it'll reopen. - Before driving 1 hr up there, I searched online "mt wilson forecast" to check for road/trail closures. The websites don't mention any. I drive up there, turns out Mt Wilson is closed! D:{ + But thankfully Chantry Flat just 5min drive away is open. + Decent single restroom at the Mt Wilson trailhead. + There's a restaurant at Mt Wilson summit, near the Observatory haha . Moderate amount of shade on these trails. - Lots of flies on these trails trying to fly into my mouth.

This hike going up the firebreak ridge to Lawlor, then to Strawberry Peak saddle and back is about…read more4.8 miles round trip. The hike starts at the same trailhead as Strawberry peak. You will continue on for about 1 mile, then see the steep ridge ahead that will take you directly to the peak. The climb is a little less than 1000 feet elevation in 0.6 miles. This ascent is very steep, and there will be some rock scrambling/climbing and loose gravel and scree to contend with. At times it may be difficult to get a foot hold. Take your time. At the top, the mountain starts to flatten and you will follow the trail to the right to Mount Lawlor peak (marked with a partial telephone pole). I would recommend to take the firebreak trail to Strawberry Peak saddle (about 0.7 miles) to descend, as it will be much safer. The trail is overgrown in parts and there is some rock scrambling down as well, but the trail is mostly visible and easy to follow. At the saddle, take a hard left and follow the single file trail back to the trailhead. This part of the trail is quite easy. If you are looking for a challenging alternative to Strawberry Peak, this hike fits the bill. parking - adventure pass required if you park in the designated parking lot (which is closed at this time due to covid-19 restrictions). Alternate parking is available across the street

Great hike but get ready for a tough ascent and a tougher descent. The first couple of miles are…read morefairly easy, the trail is straight forward and clear until you reach your U turn to head up to the summit (this is where it splits for strawberry peak) That trek up is tough, lots of climbing over rocks and spiky bushes. At times it feels like you've lost the trail but just keep heading up. I did not see anyone on my way up to the summit or down and I started around 10:30am. So this is definitely the path less traveled which I appreciate when I'm hiking. The way down is fairly straight forward, again it doesn't look much like a trail and there was LOTS of challenges- spiky bushes, loose dirt, it's a kicker for sure. If you're confused where to go basically continue on the trail south and it's a straight shot down. Very literally straight down. There's some cables to hold on to so keep an eye for those they're very helpful! I checked my GPS a couple times to make sure I was heading in the right direction but again it's really just down. A couple of things: WEAR PANTS!!! The spiky bushes are real and even with capris my legs are all cut up. Definitely wear hiking boots to protect your ankles on the way down. I'm writing this review during Covid 19 shelter in place, so the main parking lot is closed but there is a small parking lot just past the paved one where you can park and walk up. This trailhead as of when I'm writing this review is open and you're able to hike it still!