5 min
Overview
A 10.5 mile loop from the top of Mount Wilson to two trail camps along the East Fork of the San Gabriel River, then back up to the top of the mountain. This trail is entirely along the mountain’s cooler, more forested north face, and the route follows seasonal streams and rivers that can provide nice swimming holes. A few dangerous stretches of track and the down-then-up route make this a strenuous day hike, or a more moderate overnighter. Mount Wilson has more routes to the summit than any other mountain in the San Gabriels. This route actually starts at the top, then sinks down to a canyon and climbs back up the mountain’s northern and eastern slopes. It’s a shaded route that’s fine for warm days (especially if you go during the spring, when the San Gabriel River will have a good flow of water). This route starts at a parking lot near the observatories — just past the little loop of Audio and Video Roads. Park just north of the visitor center and then backtrack along the road toward the antenna farms you just drove past. Where Audio Road intersects with the Mount Wilson Circle, look to the north. There is a small sign marking the beginning of the Kenyon Devore Trail (on some maps, called Rattlesnake Trail). Before I went in, I crossed the road for a great view of some of the nearby peaks (L-R: Mount Lowe, Mount Markham, San Gabriel Peak) … … and then it was off the road and into the forest. Almost immediately, the pine-needle blanketed trail drops along the north ridge of Mount Wilson. It is a nicely graded descent, mostly-shaded and well-marked. In fact, it might be too well marked. Large portions of this route are part of a popular trail-running route, and the runners have left all sorts of ways to mark the trail along the way — from bright orange streamers hanging from the trees … … to prominent white arrows, chalked into the ground and along rocks: Helpful, I suppose … but not necessary at all. Aside from the junction near the beginning of the trail (which is clearly marked and leads to another parking lo
Trail Stats
17.7 km
860 m
1734 m
867 m
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