The trail was pretty easy. I showed up at 6am on sunday 3-29-26 and parking was already getting…read morefull. When i left at 9:30am the parking was completely packed and people were parking on the side of the road. Mostly shaded hike besides beginning/end

It's been years since I've been to this hike. I was always hesitant to return to sturtevant falls…read morebecause parking is super packed on the weekends unless you go there super early. I made it a mission to arrive there by 6 AM to guarantee myself a parking spot and it was still a little dark so I brought my flashlight. The view of the falls was so pretty! I was the only one there by 7 and a lot of people were hiking to the falls when I was returning to the parking lot. Glad I revisited this trail again.

The trail is not open and will continue to be closed when Chantry Flats finally opens on Oct 1…read more Many of the trails up there are gone from the Bobcat Fire. Stick to open trails only, they are beautiful and worth the adventure. Search and rescue teams and the Forest Service advise the closure for safety and environmental concerns, not to kill your fun.

Hermit Falls is still closed and will remain closed when Chantry opens Oct 1st. The trails are in…read morehorrible shape and terrain poses life safety issues. Helicopter rescues are never guaranteed due to weather conditions and other safety factors (canopy, deadfall, loose boulders, rotor wash) that would put rescuers and public at risk. Sturtevant Falls is gorgeous alternative and the trail is open. Otherwise, Eaton Canyon is still a great option because of accessibility.

This place is great but if you are planing to go all the way up you must know that it's 8 miles so…read morethat's 16 miles back and forth also take lot of water, electrics and Gatorades.

This is an amazing place to visit and be in touch with nature, I have seen deers just walking…read morearound just like we all belong here

Worked on this trail recently with Bear Canyon Trail Crew and had a blast…read more The trail isn't that difficult with a few stream crossings with shallow water lines in February 2026. The trail has some decent shade in some areas, but a lot of exposed areas as well. This trail is secluded from the outside world compared to Chantry Flats and is a perfect day hike to get away from people. Highly recommend coming early to beat the heat and find parking. A day pass or an adventure pass is needed for parking. Beware of poison oak. There's a lot in this area. Would come back!

During a recent weekend backpacking trip with my son and his Boy Scout troop, I enjoyed our first…read morenight of camping at Hoegee's Camp on the Loop Trail. As posted in my other Chantry-esque reviews, I've hiked this area hundreds of times, but always with young kids or inexperienced hikers... thus, we end up at Sturtevant Falls instead of venturing into connected trails. This time, we arrived at the Chantry lot around 6 P.M., hung our Forest Adventure Passes on the rearview mirrors, and backpacked with headlamps into the local hills. At the bottom of the asphalt-paved trail from the parking lot-- just as soon as you cross the footbridge, the trail to Hoegee's branches off to your left. A slow but steady uphill climb saw us arrive at Hoegee's camp in the dark of night. Just a few other folks were availing themselves of campsites, so our group of about 15 made camp, and enjoyed a sack dinner. All trash and food was secured in bear cans (which we brought) and a bear box that was found in the middle of camp near the trail. Plenty of bears in the area at all times, so be bear aware. No, actually, you probably aren't very good at creating a bear hang, and you're doing it wrong. Use the bear box! Plenty of water rushing over the nearby spillway for late winter/early spring was a delightful sound as I fell asleep on my not-entirely flat camp spot selected in the dark. In the morning, we awoke with the morning light to a beautiful canopy of oak trees. After breakfast, we tore down camp quickly, and continued up the loop for Spruce Grove. This hike can be completed in a single day, to be sure... but if you want to stretch it into an overnighter, camping here is free for first-come, first-served folks. Do note that there are no restroom facilities at Hoegee's camp-- so you're going nature potty and/or digging a latrine. Please be sure to move far away from Winter Creek before digging your little hole... everyone downstream thanks you :) If you're doing the day loop, there is a restroom at Spruce Grove, but no running water.

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.

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. Mt Disappoinment was a moderate hike not people at all, there is no bench or bathroom. The view is ok..... Recommended to do Mt Markham, San Gabriel Peak, 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.

Most people won't hike just to Mount Disappointment. They're probably hiking to the popular ones…read morelike Mount Lowe or San Gabriel Peak, and will extend to Mount Disappointment as an added bonus. You can start the hike at Bill Reilly trailhead near redbox picnic area or Eaton Saddle trailhead. I started at Eaton Saddle because the hike in my opinion will be shorter versus starting at the bottom near redbox picnic area. You will first pass thru Mueller Tunnel. Once you arrive at Markham Saddle, you will want to go on the trail on the right. If you go straight, that takes you to the campground and to inspiration point. If you go left, you will see a rusted post sign to Mount Lowe. From here, the trail is pretty straightforward. You will reach a trail split. You want to go to the left trail. That would take you to Mount Disappointment. That's the radio tower, which is also what's left of the Nike Missile site. If you go to the right trail, that will take you to San Gabriel Peak. Once all done, just head back the way you got here. You don't have to do this. But I hiked to San Gabriel Peak, then to Mount Deception, then back up to Mount Disappointment from Eaton Saddle Trailhead. Note, you will need an adventure pass, which you can pick up at REI or like Big 5 Sporting Goods. There is also Poodle Dog Bush on the trail, so be careful to avoid touching when hiking. Also, there were a lot of bugs, luckily I was wearing a long sleeve shirt and pants. But if you hate that, maybe wait till winter time. As always, pack accordingly to the weather and have fun.

Loved this 1.8 miles hike. Lots of trees for shade, distinct trails to walk. The Waterfalls was…read moresmall but beautiful. We saw deer, squirrels , lizards , snake and butterflies. Recommended hiking shoes and sticks . It wasn't rocky but there were areas steep and slippery. It was a very good experience.

I visited Monrovia Canyon Park for the first time with a friend and had a great experience. We…read moreparked at the first lot ($5) and started our hike from there. We made it to the waterfall, continued to the Nature Center, and then looped back to the parking area about 3.3 miles total, which took us around 2 hours. The hike has a steady uphill on the way in, but nothing too difficult just be ready for the incline. There isn't much shade along the trail, but the waterfall at the end is definitely worth it. We were told by other hikers that it's even more beautiful after it rains, so I'd love to come back and see it then. A ranger also mentioned that the trail can extend up to 7 miles if you want a longer hike. There are restrooms at the entrance parking lot and at the Nature Center, and both were very clean, which is always a plus. Overall, a great spot for a moderate hike with a rewarding view at the end!

This is the 5 1/2 mile mark going up on the Mt. Wilson Trail…read more If you make it to the "bench" where the signs are, you are little over 2 miles from reaching the top of Mt. Wilson. The Mt. Wilson Trail will soon merge onto Mt. Wilson Toll Road after Manzanita Ridge but it will split again. You'll have to stick to the right to stay on the Mt. Wilson Trail to reach the parking area of Skyline Park where the Cosmic Cafe and the observatory are. If you stay on the Toll Road, you will end up by the outer gate of Skyline Park by the towers. It's quite a challenge reaching this point but if you get this far you might as well go all the way to the top, I say!

The Old Mt. Wilson Trail is one of the best trails you can hike during the cooler winter months in…read moreCalifornia. The hike is about 10.5 miles, with a 3500 ft gain in elevation. Great for those who love liking like us PHP's. You start off at Manzanita Ridge and and hike your way to First Water. From there you can go down to the falls or continue up to Orchard Camp. From Orchard Camp, hike the ridge up - 10.4 miles round trip with 3,500' elevation gain/loss (Shorter hike options: First Water - 3 miles rt with 980' elevation gain/loss and Orchard Camp - 7 miles rt with 1,990' elevation gain/loss) Great views and an awesome workout for the legs. Its a real but burner. You will be about 2 miles from Mt. Wilson, so you can continue on if your still ready to roll.

Perfect hike for a hot day…read more I love waterfall hikes and listening to the sound of calm, running water. The added challenge on these hikes is the multiple stream crossings. I brought some hiking poles which helped with balance and probing for loose rocks and logs. If you want to get parking in the lower lot, it's best to come before 8AM. We found parking in the second lot. An Adventure Pass or Day Pass is required. Parking is enforced. A car received a ticket for being in a No Parking zone. The start of the trail is nicely shaded. The second half is a hilly, narrow, sun exposed path which routes back into the canyon toward the Lower Switzer Falls. I'm glad they had fencing on some narrow and steep parts of the trail. We encountered an active rattlesnake which headed down the mountain, so be on the lookout. Overall, the hike takes about 3 hours for 5.5 miles. The additional hike back up to the parking lot was about 1/4 of a mile. Note: if you need to use the restroom, it's best to bring your own toilet paper and to go before you start your hike. It was kind of smelly, but if you gotta go... you gotta go.

This place is great for fully appreciating nature! The trail is around 5-5.5 miles round trip,…read moredepending on where you park. What impressed me most about this trail is that it's almost fully covered by shade. We went in the late afternoon, and I'd say probably 80-85% of it is covered. Very impressive! Here are some useful tips: 1. There are three parking lots: two are next to the highway, and one is near the hiking entrance. I'd recommend getting a parking pass if possible. 2. There are only three restrooms at the beginning of the trail, so use them when you see them. 3. If you're aiming to go to the waterfall, make sure to look for the signs. Some signs aren't very clear, so we had to stop and ask other hikers frequently. Luckily, people there are super friendly and happy to help. Just pay attention to your surroundings. 4. The trail is dog-friendly, but dogs must be on a leash. 5. Waterproof hiking boots are recommended. All in all, it's a fun trail. It's a great place for a picnic and camping, and it's very close to the stream. Great for kids, families, and pets!