1.4 hr
Overview
This trail begins about halfway up the road to Table Mountain Campground. You'll see a nice parking pullout, usually with several cars parked there, with views of Mountain High West Ski Resort. The trail begins at the white gate, where signage is marked 4N21.<br><br>Expect a nice mix of easy riding combined with a good uphill portion toward the end. Along the way, you'll have nice views of the Table Mountain Observatory (TMO), which is JPL's dedicated astronomical observing facility. Lots of cool stuff goes on there\u2014check out <a href="https://tmoa.jpl.nasa.gov">their website</a> to learn more. <br><br>Although the trail is paved the entire way, there are plenty of jumping off points of singletrack dirt road for more experienced riders who would like to explore the area. <br><br>The paved road ends at a smaller observatory, and just a bit farther up a steeper hill, at a transmission tower, where you'll get fantastic views of the High Desert, Mount Baden Powell, and the San Gabriel Mountains.
Trail Stats
4.7 km
132 m
2277 m
2175 m
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Photos
Radio tower installation.
Radio tower installation.
Beautiful views of both sides of the mountain. This portion looks out over the High Desert and El Mirage Dry Lake.
Beautiful views of both sides of the mountain. This portion looks out over the High Desert and El Mirage Dry Lake.
Tower at the top of the trail.
Tower at the top of the trail.
Start of the trail - look for 4N21.
Start of the trail - look for 4N21.
Gate to trail is closed to cars, but bikes and hikers are welcome!
Gate to trail is closed to cars, but bikes and hikers are welcome!
Steep climb - the last leg is a real workout.
Steep climb - the last leg is a real workout.
Lots of dirt trails off the paved road to explore.
Lots of dirt trails off the paved road to explore.
Shady trees - perfect for a break or picnic.
Shady trees - perfect for a break or picnic.
View of NASA's JPL perched atop the mountain.
View of NASA's JPL perched atop the mountain.
Another dirt trail off the main road to explore.
Another dirt trail off the main road to explore.
Smaller observatory near top of the trail.
Smaller observatory near top of the trail.
The smaller observatory - almost to the top!
The smaller observatory - almost to the top!
Wildflowers and view from the top of the trail.
Wildflowers and view from the top of the trail.
Another view of Mountain High Ski Resort taken from the trail.
Another view of Mountain High Ski Resort taken from the trail.
Another view of the JPL lab from the top of the trail.
Another view of the JPL lab from the top of the trail.
View from the trail of Mountain High Ski Resort.
View from the trail of Mountain High Ski Resort.
View from the top of the trail.
View from the top of the trail.
Views from the radio tower are wonderful.
Views from the radio tower are wonderful.