We started the hike around 9am on 12/3. The first 2 miles are very easy, then it's all uphill. We…read moreused the All Trails Map and we got to the peak with no problem. On our way back gets very slippery it's all downhill, be cautious and wear proper shoes. We saw two ladies falling multiple times and we ended up helping them. Take your time and go slow. We did it in almost 4hrs. It was 7.44 miles complete. Enjoy the trails and please leave no trace.

Red box gap picnic area parking lot on Hwy 2 is right across from the start of Strawberry trail. A…read morefew things to note, around 1.2 miles into the trail there will be a split without a sign indicating where the trails lead. Continue heading north (or to the right) to stay on Strawberry. Again around 2.5 miles there will be another split, closer to the left side going up you'll see the marker indicating Strawberry. The trail is relatively "easy" the first 2 .5 miles. The last mile to the peak is where the climbs start to kick it. There will be a few parts where you're climbing over rocks, and for a few moments it might seem like you may be off trail, but you'll be able to glance around and see if you're still on path. The closer you get to the peak you'll hit about 2 false peaks, but don't be discouraged the actual summit is close in distance, you just have a little more climbing to do. My picture don't to the peak much justice. While the views aren't as amazing as Cucamonga peak, you'll still have some nice views of the mountain range to the north and Downtown LA to the south west. So far out of the So Cal six peak challenge alternate peaks this one might be my favorite since the hike is a combination of a relaxed walk & some intense climbs. One last thing to note, the trail is on the outside of the mountain so there isn't too much shade from trees so make sure your properly prepared during the summer time.

+ Mt Zion Trail is a great hike. Good amounts of shade and opportunities to see animals throughout…read morethe trail. + I encountered a family of deer during my ascent, and a big bear during my descent! Both the bear and I were startled by each other. The bear quickly scampered away, thankfully. I didn't have to be the one to choose fight or flight. + A good next-door alternative to the burned down Mt Wilson Trail. + Nice thing about this hiking area is there's a restaurant both at the base (Adams Pack Station) and at the alternative summit (Cosmic Café at the end of Mt Wilson Trail). . Chantry Flat has a decent parking lot size. I found a spot right away at 10am, likely because it was a hot weekday. - The trail's often overrun with flies. Two flew in my mouth during my hike. Tasted bitter. Managed to spit them out. - Restrooms lacking amenities and in need of repair. No hand-washing sink or hand sanitizer available. - Required parking pass ($5/day). - No registry at the summit. Still decent view of Pasadena though.

I've tried to come here on 2 separate occasions years apart from each other and the drive up to the…read moretrail head has been closed on both occasions. Does anyone know why? I can't find any information online which is pretty annoying because I drive an hour to get here and have been unable to hike the trail!

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.

I wanted to find a trail that was secluded and didn't have mass crowds following me my entire hike…read more This trail is not too much further than most of the other "popular" tourist hikes available in the surrounding area, however, it is very isolated. My buddy and I hiked over 4 hours and never saw or heard a single soul. This fact alone makes the hike worth the small drive. As far as difficulty, the original hike down is pretty straight forward. There are some steep cliffs with very little room for error at certain points. While this isn't immediately frightening for the average hiker, I wouldn't recommend it for the faint of heart. Just be sure to watch your step! It will seem easy at first because you are going down the whole time. Remember, the way back up isn't your run-of-the-mill trek. . You must make your way back up the same route you originally came down. Keep this in mind and be sure your in good enough shape to complete the hike. Bring lots of water and stay hydrated. Most importantly, be sure to buy a day pass for parking or you will be fined. You can pick one up for $5 at Big 5 and other participating locations. I how you enjoy it as much as did!

Lovely place to hike. Not many people hiking there and many paths to choose. My dog and I had a…read moregreat time

Had so much fun hiking here. We climbed to the peak of a couple mountains, made it to two stone…read morepiles. 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.

Will never give nature less than 5 stars but this was a CHALLENGING hike. So beautiful and plenty…read moreof 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!

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!

Hiked up Strawberry Peak on April 14 and had a great experience. What I really liked about the…read moretrail were the two separate rock climbs near the peak of the mountain. Both rock climbs are located at an elevation between about 5000 to 6000 feet, so if you're planning to do the hike during the winter season, it's probably a good idea to check the snow level before heading out. No equipment is needed for the rock climbs, and there are markings on the rocks (arrows in a variety of colors) that point out the best route to take. It can be a little difficult at times to find the arrows or the correct route to take, but if you take your time you shouldn't have any problems. I have to admit though that there was a moment or two when I was hanging onto a rock (on the side of a mountain and without any equipment) where I thought to myself - uh, what am I doing? The trail is pretty steep, about a 2700 feet elevation gain during the 3 mile ascent up to the peak, so with the two rock climbs it provides a pretty good workout. Definitely a much better workout than a 5-6 mile run on relatively flat ground. Even though the hike is only 6 miles round trip, I would budget at least 4 to 5 hours to complete the hike. The two rock climbs take some time to navigate.

Definitely not for the faint of heart!…read more PARKING 2 dirt lots off of Highway 2 just past the Switzer Falls turnoff. Must display Adventure Pass. There is no trail sign or marker but take the obvious dirt path and stay on it (don't go up the rocks) COLBY TRAIL Clearly defined winding trail. It's certainly steep, but I didn't have any issues with it. After 2.2 miles (maybe 40 minutes-1 hour of hiking) you'll come to a water tower where the trail splits and is unmarked. Take the trail on the right and after a couple hundred feet is a small rock pile designating a smaller trail to the right. Take this if you're intent on the mountaineer route up to Strawberry. STRAWBERRY MOUNTAINEER TRAIL The steepness definitely increases as you continue up the ridge line. You'll come to the first rocky cragg where you'll need to use your hands and feet to climb. Be very careful as some of the rocks are loose and will crumble as you grab them. There is no defined trail just get to the top of the crag however you like. After that you'll continue on the ridge to the summit. The trail is very overgrown with Spanish Bayonets and Poodle Bush. Avoid touching the plants as much as possible but you WILL touch them. Although the trail is overgrown it's pretty obvious where you should be going. I unfortunately had to turn around before the last bouldering part because I started the hike too late in the day. Will have to come back! Happy hiking!

Verdugo Mountains are a small, rugged mountain range of the Transverse Ranges system, located just…read moresouth of the western San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles County, Southern California. These mountains offer seven different elevation trails: (a) La Tuna; (b) Hostetter; (c) Vital Link; (d) Stough trail; (e) Skyline Motorway; (f) Beaudry and (g) Las Flores Motorway. I took the Vital Link trail, a 3-5 miles with 1,275 to 1,890 ft of elevation. The Verdugo Mts have a wide variety of wild plants, trees, rodents and lizards. What I like about this mountain is its 360 degree view of LACounty. Little to no shades going to the summit, so bring sunscreen and water. Overall, I enjoyed hiking this mountains. It keep me fit af!

"There's only one hill!' said the announcer before the Verdugo Mountains 10k this morning, waiting…read morefor knowing chuckles from returning runners. Only one hill......yep. The steepest hill ever and straight up 1,735 feet! Even though I've lived in the area for almost 20 years, I had never actually hiked the fire road out of Brand Park. The Verdugo Mountains 10k gave me the opportunity at last. I'd had this 10k on my radar for several years but, quite frankly, was quaking in my running shoes at the prospect of actually doing it. I'd heard it described as extremely grueling; to be honest, if anything, this aspect of the race has been under-hyped. I'd been "training" and thought I might be kind of ready. Well.......I finished it but not in any kind of decent time for me and found this the hardest race ever. It's a given that running straight uphill is difficult. But a bigger problem was coming downhill. I'd assumed it would be possible to make up some time; but the road was SO steep and rocky that this was not to be. If anything I ran more slowly downhill than up so as not to slip and fall and to avoid killing my knees. Thankfully it wasn't just me; my friend and goddaughter agreed that this was the toughest run EVER. The http://www.runtheverdugos.com/ organization did an excellent job with this race. Staff was placed strategically to ensure safety on the trail, with plentiful water stops. Everything went very smoothly, even the pancake breakfast at the end. (Five stars for the pancakes!) The Verdugo Mountains themselves offer lovely views and wonderful cool breezes floating down the canyons. This being spring, wildflowers bloomed everywhere. If you are into high intensity workouts and challenging runs, this is the road for you. Who needs to pay money to a gym? Just drive to Brand Park, take the road past the Doctor's House, breathe deeply, and start running. Enjoy!