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!

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.

Pretty great. There are fire pits and picnic tables at each site. The pit bathrooms were in pretty…read moregood shape.

-First come first serve. -Trust system $12 fee paid in a…read morebox at the entrance -This campground is small and intimate which is actually really nice. -There's no water faucet on site. -Porta potty with swarms of flies living inside. Gnarly! - Not much shade!! It is so hot in June -Dogs are allowed. It was cool for a quick weekend getaway but I think Id rather drive out of LA a little longer for a campground with amenities.

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.

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!

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!

Don't ever go on this trail. You'll absolutely hate it. You'll be miserable and the grueling hours…read moreyou spend hiking it will be time you'll never get back. Just don't even consider it - move on to other trails. No seriously don't keep reading bc it's a waste of time. Ok, now that I've weeded out the people who don't really read on haha...Actually this "trail" is truly a whimsical hidden gem! I hesitate to review it bc it's still largely quiet and lightly trafficked! A real local secret treasure! We LOVED our hike here! It's along a "fire road" but don't let that fool you - it's not paved. It's rocky and bumpy and definitely still feels like a nature trail (but the incline is very gradual and we didn't need any poles). Seems like only service vehicles use it and not very often. It's wide and easy to hike on. The incline is a good butt-kicker - a great workout but very manageable if you're at all used to any incline. I found it to be pretty easy, even though AllTrails calls it moderate (and I'm not "in shape" by any stretch of the imagination lol). We did 6 miles total with a gain of just under 1100 feet. Incline all the way in, downhill all the way out - just how I like it! I love trails that have a little "reward" to work towards and this one does not disappoint!! If you make it all the way, you're rewarded with a really cool tee pee (although it's bare right now with no canvas), a cool bee farm next to a lavender field, amazing views, and a small rock maze with a treat inside! We sat up on a high rocky vantage point to really soak it all in and refuel before heading back down. But really you're rewarded all along the way bc the views are just breathtaking! There's a nice bench about halfway where you can see all of the SGV, the LA basin, DTLA, and even Marina del Rey!! It was a tad smoggy but you can see the ocean and Channel Islands too when it's more clear. I bet sunsets are just incredible here! The other name for this trail is the "Tee Pee trail" and that's how you find it on AllTrails. It's right off the Angeles Crest Hwy. We just plugged "Mt Lukens Fire Road" into our gps and it took us right to the parking area. Parking is a dirt/gravel pull out on the side of the highway. It's narrow and backs right up to a steep mountain drop off so be very careful when parking or you'll go over the side of the mountain!! Kinda scary! You'll know you're there bc you'll see a ranger station across the hwy from the parking and that's where the trailhead is...even though it says "not open to the public" - it's ok to hike it - they just don't want anyone driving inside. Crossing the road from the parking is also a little scary though bc it's hard to see cars coming around the bends so be careful and RUN! Lol To get to the tee pee and bee farm, you'll eventually come to a cute mailbox marked "Bee Flat" with a chain across the road at the top of a hill. You'll see a nice, grassy area with a well worn trail. Go to the left of the mailbox and head towards the beehives. The tee pee is all the way at the end. It's private property but the owners allow hikers unless otherwise stated. It's not residential at all so it's not like it's someone's house or yard or anything. It's just a small little bee/lavender farm area. I think an adventure pass is required to park. And it's limited and seems to fill fast - it was almost full when we arrived at 745am on a Friday! But it was virtually empty when we left around lunch time. And there aren't any bathrooms so come prepared. This trail does go far on beyond the tee pee area - my understanding is it takes you all the way to the Mt Lukens peak which is the highest point within the LA city limits! #hikinggoals!!

Surprisingly or not, there are so many awesome hiking trails in and around the LA area and this is…read moreone of those nice hiking trails that is not too difficult but also long enough and enough elevation gain to get some good exercise and enjoy the outdoors and the views of LA.

Great local hike with well-mantained trails and great signage, making it hard to get lost. It's…read morearound 2.5 miles long, not too strenuous, and made a perfect walk before work. There are plenty of native plants to look at, if that's your thing. Great views of Glendale and Los Angeles. Free parking in the lot.

My first hike of the 2024 year!…read more Catalina Verdugo Trail is a 2.8-mile loop trail near Glendale Sports Complex in Glendale, California. This trail is considered an easy route, with an elevation gain of 550 ft which takes an average of 1 h 24 min to complete. If you want to lengthen your hike, the CVT interconnects with Ridge Motor Way. The C.V. trail begins at the back of the soccer field (walk adjacent by the wired fence). I suggest visitors park at the very end of the parking lot. The loop ends at the entrance of the sport's complex by the baseball field-parking lot. I hiked the CVT today around noon with no humans on sight. It's just me and nature. The trail has a short steep elevation at base and mostly flat at top; trailhead has narrow single file path, copious tree shades, budding flora-fauna, and three rest benches. It's nice to hear the sounds of wild life despite the noise of The (2) freeway. The highlight of my hike was seeing a hummingbird. Overall, it's a nice quick easy hike and a good cardio/leg workout. I recommend this trail.