Nonvemnous hike, I survived :) Rattlesnake peak is known to be "Baby Iron Mountain" and it certainly lives up to that reputation. As who doesn't love babies? Right? Lol, I love, love babies! From the gate, it's about a mile hike on a flat dirt road to the trailhead ...then get ready for an awesome climb and a bit of rock scrambling at the top! Hiking the loop, my iwatch clocked in at 11 miles with an elevation gain of 3,984ft. The descent, after the summit, is so so very overgrown (bleh). Make sure to wear long sleeves, pants as I was pretty scratched up on my slightly exposed areas, from trekking through all the brush. So many sharp yucca plants here too. Descent is sandy with areas that are pretty slippery -I had no shame in using my microspikes then. During this hike, you're exposed to the elements most of the time (not much shade) - so best to do this hike during winter or colder weather. Bring hat, sunscreen, sunnies (sunglasses), hiking poles, water and I wear gloves (to protect myself from the cold, sun and brush). Don't forget to share here on Yelp, your "witch-jump," "broomstick stick jump," at the summit, lol. I had enough energy to muster up a couple jumps for this photo at the peak ...and I have confidence that you will too. Happy adventuring to you !!! Stay safe and healthy (mind, body and soul) out there :) read more

Rattlesnake Peak Trail - Rattlesnake Peak - Hiking Near Me

Me and my group did this on Saturday (1/8/22). This can be enjoyable if you go in knowing that it will test you and not enjoyable if you are just looking to be in nature and for great views...there are much easier hikes that can provide you with that ****Warning***** I have hiked hundreds of times and I found this hike to be very difficult so only do this hike if you are prepared for this. It is considered to be the 2nd hardest hike in the Angeles National Forest...only Iron Mountain being harder and this hike is often called Baby Iron or Iron Mountain's Little Brother...there are longer hikes but because of the incline, terrain, etc...it doesn't get much harder in the LA area; Location- north of Azusa, take HWY 39 and turn R on East Fork Rd...the same way as you would go for the Bridge to Nowhere hike...but you make a left on Shoemaker Rd about a mile or two before; the parking lot is pretty big and since this hike is difficult and not a lot of people do it the parking is not croweded; you need an Adventure Pass displayed Trail- you hike for about 1.5 miles on a pretty wide fire road that has gradual incline that is pretty easy...keep an eye out to the left for the small trail that you will want to take...if you get to the first of two tunnels you have gone too far...from all the reviews I have read it is better to do the out and back and not the loop that would include the tunnels since beyond the tunnels the trail is overgrown and not enjoyable; after you take the small trail to the left the next 3 miles will be very slow going with really steep rocky sections and some ups and downs where the dirt is loose and it is easy to slip and fall and this is especially true when coming back down. There will be some false summits and just some areas of up and down that will really slow the pace down. The trail is exposed and because it is so hard it would be wise to pick the right time of year and weather conditions and of course to start the hike at a good time (EARLY) Peak- the views at the peak are really good since you have views to the south looking toward the nearby cities, to the west and Mt. Wilson, to the east and Iron Mtn and Baldy and to the north and Baden-Powell; there was the metal 39 martker and a box with hiking stickers on it but no wooden sign when we were there Difficulty- extremely strenuous Distance- about 8.5 miles Elevation Gain- about 4,300 ft Peak Elevation- about 5,800 ft Duration- there are some people who breeze through this in 5 hrs but I think most people will need about 7-10 hrs depending on how many breaks you take and how long you spend at the peak Tips- wear shoes with good grips (hiking or trail running shoes); wear layers for different weather conditions but also to stay covered up for the bushes and plants that you may bump up against; bring lots of water(3-4L), and trekking poles read more

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Tough. Sketchy. Rough. Fun and worth it! Great views as you ascend higher. Highly recommend trekking poles and legit hiking shoes as there is lots of loose dirt and gravel. Especially heading back down, I was literally on my hands trying not to slip. I only do this hike 1-2 times a year as it's a very tough hike, mentally and physically. I would recommend doing this on a cool day as there is zero shade. Of course bring lots of water as you'll be sweating your ass off. You will need to hike about 1.1 miles from the parking lot to reach the start of the trail on your left. If you passed the first tunnel you've gone too far. Look for the mile marker 3.39 and you'll see a little steep hill that climbs up to start. Level: Hard Parking: Small lot, Adventure Pass required but they never come here to check it so park at your own risk. Distance: About 9 miles RT Elevation gain 3500. read more

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The difficulty and length of this hike varies, depending on which starting point you choose. One option is to start at mile marker 339 (before the 1ST tunnel and about 1.5 miles from the parking lot) for about 8.5 miles round trip and 3500' elevation up and back. The longer option is to continue on the trail past the 2ND tunnel. This route is about 10.5 miles round trip and 4100' elevation. Unless you enjoy bushwhacking and the potential for lots of cuts and scrapes from the brush, I would recommend taking the shorter trail. Unfortunately, our group did not. The trail is very arduous and difficult to locate at times, as the brush is overgrown and thick. GPS is helpful if you are taking the long route. The entire trail to reach the peak is essentially an ascent, and most of it is a very steep climb - very steep! You will feel like you are in reach of the peak over and over, but it just keeps going. Definitely wear long pants and use trekking poles if you have them. Most importantly, take more water than you think you need. There is no shade, and if it's a hot day, you will become dehydrated pretty quickly. The views are nice but not the most impressive. On the way back, we took the route that reaches mile marker 339. I'm so glad we did, as this route has very little high brush and it is much easier to locate the trail. However, there are still several steep climbs over hills in order to eventually descend. The descent is pretty steep much of the way down. This is a much tougher hike that I anticipated, even though I was told that it is the 2nd hardest climb in the area, only 2nd to Iron Mountain. It is great training and an exhausting workout, but I probably would not consider doing it again. tip - adventure pass required parking - small lot read more

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This was a very challenging hike. It is pretty easy to find: from LA, take the 210 east, exit Azusa Ave, turn right on East Fork Rd (12 miles up), then drive about 3 miles and make a left on Shoemaker road, and finally drive a couple of miles until you see a yellow locked gate. That's where the trail starts. We had absolutely no issue with parking (there was just one group that was camping out there by the entrance). At the beginning of the hike, it was really hot because there is no coverage. We found some shady spots to take breaks in, but you definitely do not want to forget the sunblock! Eventually, you get to two different tunnels, which was really cool (in both senses). It was nice to get a little break from the sun and the tunnel was full of graffiti that was cool to look at. :) After the second tunnel, we turned right and hiked through a part where there's an old rusty storage tank and a little stream. At this point, we lost the trail. We did a little exploring in order to figure it out (this part was fun but kind of saddening because it was a hiccup in our hike). My boyfriend noticed that the trail had been washed out and it continued up higher than where we were. It is a little dangerous getting up this part, but we made it back onto the trail. (If you choose to do this, I recommend using the roots to climb). We continued on the hike, but it seemed that there were a few other parts that had been washed out. Also, many plants were overgrown and poked us (make sure to wear long pants). We had to turn around because we ran out of water, but we really liked the hike nevertheless because of how challenging it was. It is a difficult hike if you continue past the second tunnel. If you're looking for a moderate hike, it is also nice to just hike to the stream after the second tunnel. There are a lot of cool spots for pictures! read more

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This is a difficult hike. It is easy getting to the parking lot but hard locating the trailhead. Follow other reviewers directions. There are very steep portions which make it quite challenging on the descent. As mentioned by others, bring hiking poles or you may be Falls me on your butt a few times. Also, bring a lot of water, try to start early and go on a cool breezy day. Good luck read more

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Here is our quick video review: https://youtu.be/n2moXAMNgGY This hike was one of the tougher ones. You are going to need to bring lots of water and if you have them bring your hiking poles. Rattlesnake Peak has a distinction of being one of the most inaccessible peaks in the San Gabriels. Its Considered the 2nd most difficult peak to reach in all of the Los Angeles National Forest second only to whats know as its big brother Iron Mountain which you have great views of along this hike. It's about 8 miles round trip and 3500' of elevation gain. We went in 95 degree weather which is why we made the call to stop and finish this hike another day. The route up the ridge is easy to follow, but it's pretty steep in places with loose footing. Be prepared for a grueling hike. Even with five bottles of water we went through quickly to fight the heat. Coming down is worse. Trekking poles are a real help. *Adventure pass for parking. Distance: 8 miles round trip Elevation gain: 3500 feet Estimated round trip time: 6 - 8 hours read more