2 min
Overview
Most Southern California residents wouldn’t be able to tell you where the San Rafael Hills were, let alone that most of them who’ve gone hiking in the region have likely passed them dozens if not hundreds of times without even realizing it. The San Rafael Hills sit just across the CA-2 from the more well-known Verdugo Mountains, and although there is a fair amount of development on them, they still offer up lovely multi-use trails for foothill residents, easy accessibility to one of the best parks in Los Angeles County, some Cold War history relics at the Cerro Negro lookout, and spectacular views of the front range of the San Gabriel Mountains. Although there is an extensive network of trails in this neighborhood, this particular route starts on the relatively new Descanso Trail, which begins – as you’d expect – near the entrance to the Descanso Gardens. From the street, the trailhead just looks like a delivery access point for the Gardens, but upon closer examination you’ll see it’s a wide, well-established footpath. This multi-use trail begins by skirting the northwestern edge of the Gardens through a beautiful grove of oak trees, then makes a sharp turn toward the south at 0.1 mile, where it climbs up a series of steep, winding switchbacks. It’s a short climb up, though, and you’ll get a short break from the climb as well as some nice views of the Gardens just before you reach 0.2 mile. The trail follows a ridge westward, and after one more big climb, turns south at 0.4 mile. As you continue south, you’ll have nice views of the gardens, as well as some ever-increasingly spectacular looks north at the San Gabriel Mountains. There’s an enormous patch of California buckwheat here that will sprout showy white pom-poms in early summer that will last for several months, slowly turning a rusty color as the weeks pass by. The trail stays relatively level until it intersects with the Descanso Lateral just before the 0.7 mile mark … and after that, get ready for another incline. On clear days, you’ll be able to look
Trail Stats
7.8 km
157 m
573 m
397 m
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