Don't ever go on this trail. You'll absolutely hate it. You'll be miserable and the grueling hours…read moreyou spend hiking it will be time you'll never get back. Just don't even consider it - move on to other trails. No seriously don't keep reading bc it's a waste of time. Ok, now that I've weeded out the people who don't really read on haha...Actually this "trail" is truly a whimsical hidden gem! I hesitate to review it bc it's still largely quiet and lightly trafficked! A real local secret treasure! We LOVED our hike here! It's along a "fire road" but don't let that fool you - it's not paved. It's rocky and bumpy and definitely still feels like a nature trail (but the incline is very gradual and we didn't need any poles). Seems like only service vehicles use it and not very often. It's wide and easy to hike on. The incline is a good butt-kicker - a great workout but very manageable if you're at all used to any incline. I found it to be pretty easy, even though AllTrails calls it moderate (and I'm not "in shape" by any stretch of the imagination lol). We did 6 miles total with a gain of just under 1100 feet. Incline all the way in, downhill all the way out - just how I like it! I love trails that have a little "reward" to work towards and this one does not disappoint!! If you make it all the way, you're rewarded with a really cool tee pee (although it's bare right now with no canvas), a cool bee farm next to a lavender field, amazing views, and a small rock maze with a treat inside! We sat up on a high rocky vantage point to really soak it all in and refuel before heading back down. But really you're rewarded all along the way bc the views are just breathtaking! There's a nice bench about halfway where you can see all of the SGV, the LA basin, DTLA, and even Marina del Rey!! It was a tad smoggy but you can see the ocean and Channel Islands too when it's more clear. I bet sunsets are just incredible here! The other name for this trail is the "Tee Pee trail" and that's how you find it on AllTrails. It's right off the Angeles Crest Hwy. We just plugged "Mt Lukens Fire Road" into our gps and it took us right to the parking area. Parking is a dirt/gravel pull out on the side of the highway. It's narrow and backs right up to a steep mountain drop off so be very careful when parking or you'll go over the side of the mountain!! Kinda scary! You'll know you're there bc you'll see a ranger station across the hwy from the parking and that's where the trailhead is...even though it says "not open to the public" - it's ok to hike it - they just don't want anyone driving inside. Crossing the road from the parking is also a little scary though bc it's hard to see cars coming around the bends so be careful and RUN! Lol To get to the tee pee and bee farm, you'll eventually come to a cute mailbox marked "Bee Flat" with a chain across the road at the top of a hill. You'll see a nice, grassy area with a well worn trail. Go to the left of the mailbox and head towards the beehives. The tee pee is all the way at the end. It's private property but the owners allow hikers unless otherwise stated. It's not residential at all so it's not like it's someone's house or yard or anything. It's just a small little bee/lavender farm area. I think an adventure pass is required to park. And it's limited and seems to fill fast - it was almost full when we arrived at 745am on a Friday! But it was virtually empty when we left around lunch time. And there aren't any bathrooms so come prepared. This trail does go far on beyond the tee pee area - my understanding is it takes you all the way to the Mt Lukens peak which is the highest point within the LA city limits! #hikinggoals!!

Surprisingly or not, there are so many awesome hiking trails in and around the LA area and this is…read moreone of those nice hiking trails that is not too difficult but also long enough and enough elevation gain to get some good exercise and enjoy the outdoors and the views of LA.

Hiked up Strawberry Peak on April 14 and had a great experience. What I really liked about the…read moretrail were the two separate rock climbs near the peak of the mountain. Both rock climbs are located at an elevation between about 5000 to 6000 feet, so if you're planning to do the hike during the winter season, it's probably a good idea to check the snow level before heading out. No equipment is needed for the rock climbs, and there are markings on the rocks (arrows in a variety of colors) that point out the best route to take. It can be a little difficult at times to find the arrows or the correct route to take, but if you take your time you shouldn't have any problems. I have to admit though that there was a moment or two when I was hanging onto a rock (on the side of a mountain and without any equipment) where I thought to myself - uh, what am I doing? The trail is pretty steep, about a 2700 feet elevation gain during the 3 mile ascent up to the peak, so with the two rock climbs it provides a pretty good workout. Definitely a much better workout than a 5-6 mile run on relatively flat ground. Even though the hike is only 6 miles round trip, I would budget at least 4 to 5 hours to complete the hike. The two rock climbs take some time to navigate.

Definitely not for the faint of heart!…read more PARKING 2 dirt lots off of Highway 2 just past the Switzer Falls turnoff. Must display Adventure Pass. There is no trail sign or marker but take the obvious dirt path and stay on it (don't go up the rocks) COLBY TRAIL Clearly defined winding trail. It's certainly steep, but I didn't have any issues with it. After 2.2 miles (maybe 40 minutes-1 hour of hiking) you'll come to a water tower where the trail splits and is unmarked. Take the trail on the right and after a couple hundred feet is a small rock pile designating a smaller trail to the right. Take this if you're intent on the mountaineer route up to Strawberry. STRAWBERRY MOUNTAINEER TRAIL The steepness definitely increases as you continue up the ridge line. You'll come to the first rocky cragg where you'll need to use your hands and feet to climb. Be very careful as some of the rocks are loose and will crumble as you grab them. There is no defined trail just get to the top of the crag however you like. After that you'll continue on the ridge to the summit. The trail is very overgrown with Spanish Bayonets and Poodle Bush. Avoid touching the plants as much as possible but you WILL touch them. Although the trail is overgrown it's pretty obvious where you should be going. I unfortunately had to turn around before the last bouldering part because I started the hike too late in the day. Will have to come back! Happy hiking!

Verdugo Mountains are a small, rugged mountain range of the Transverse Ranges system, located just…read moresouth of the western San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles County, Southern California. These mountains offer seven different elevation trails: (a) La Tuna; (b) Hostetter; (c) Vital Link; (d) Stough trail; (e) Skyline Motorway; (f) Beaudry and (g) Las Flores Motorway. I took the Vital Link trail, a 3-5 miles with 1,275 to 1,890 ft of elevation. The Verdugo Mts have a wide variety of wild plants, trees, rodents and lizards. What I like about this mountain is its 360 degree view of LACounty. Little to no shades going to the summit, so bring sunscreen and water. Overall, I enjoyed hiking this mountains. It keep me fit af!

"There's only one hill!' said the announcer before the Verdugo Mountains 10k this morning, waiting…read morefor knowing chuckles from returning runners. Only one hill......yep. The steepest hill ever and straight up 1,735 feet! Even though I've lived in the area for almost 20 years, I had never actually hiked the fire road out of Brand Park. The Verdugo Mountains 10k gave me the opportunity at last. I'd had this 10k on my radar for several years but, quite frankly, was quaking in my running shoes at the prospect of actually doing it. I'd heard it described as extremely grueling; to be honest, if anything, this aspect of the race has been under-hyped. I'd been "training" and thought I might be kind of ready. Well.......I finished it but not in any kind of decent time for me and found this the hardest race ever. It's a given that running straight uphill is difficult. But a bigger problem was coming downhill. I'd assumed it would be possible to make up some time; but the road was SO steep and rocky that this was not to be. If anything I ran more slowly downhill than up so as not to slip and fall and to avoid killing my knees. Thankfully it wasn't just me; my friend and goddaughter agreed that this was the toughest run EVER. The http://www.runtheverdugos.com/ organization did an excellent job with this race. Staff was placed strategically to ensure safety on the trail, with plentiful water stops. Everything went very smoothly, even the pancake breakfast at the end. (Five stars for the pancakes!) The Verdugo Mountains themselves offer lovely views and wonderful cool breezes floating down the canyons. This being spring, wildflowers bloomed everywhere. If you are into high intensity workouts and challenging runs, this is the road for you. Who needs to pay money to a gym? Just drive to Brand Park, take the road past the Doctor's House, breathe deeply, and start running. Enjoy!

+ Mt Zion Trail is a great hike. Good amounts of shade and opportunities to see animals throughout…read morethe trail. + I encountered a family of deer during my ascent, and a big bear during my descent! Both the bear and I were startled by each other. The bear quickly scampered away, thankfully. I didn't have to be the one to choose fight or flight. + A good next-door alternative to the burned down Mt Wilson Trail. + Nice thing about this hiking area is there's a restaurant both at the base (Adams Pack Station) and at the alternative summit (Cosmic Café at the end of Mt Wilson Trail). . Chantry Flat has a decent parking lot size. I found a spot right away at 10am, likely because it was a hot weekday. - The trail's often overrun with flies. Two flew in my mouth during my hike. Tasted bitter. Managed to spit them out. - Restrooms lacking amenities and in need of repair. No hand-washing sink or hand sanitizer available. - Required parking pass ($5/day). - No registry at the summit. Still decent view of Pasadena though.

I've tried to come here on 2 separate occasions years apart from each other and the drive up to the…read moretrail head has been closed on both occasions. Does anyone know why? I can't find any information online which is pretty annoying because I drive an hour to get here and have been unable to hike the trail!

Afraid to leave the house due to coronavirus? Tired of being confined? Need something that is time…read moreconsuming and safe? Hiking to the top of Mount Pacifico is a good choice. Out of the way, driving to the trailhead takes time (unless coming from Acton). A 12.0-mile hike obviously took most of the day. Best of all, we crossed paths with NOBODY during the entire hike. The parking entrance is at a sign for Mill Creek Picnic Area with overhead power lines on Angeles Forest Highway. Drive past the fire station and park when the paved road ends in the Pony Park Day Use Area. A $5 Adventure Pass is needed to park here. Two dirt roads depart the parking lot. The obvious looking flat and sandy road on the right is not the trailhead. Find the other dirt road on the left with the Pacific Crest Trail marker. Follow this dirt road with gradual 2100' elevation change to 7100'. Motorized vehicles are allowed on this road if given the key to the gate by the forest service to reach Pacifico Campground. The campground is at Mount Pacifico's summit - a rarity when the campground sits at the peak. The campground has an outhouse and many picnic tables. Definitely can't see the Pacific from Pacifico Campground but the northern view is of the Antelope Valley and the southern view is of other mountains in the Angeles National Forest. We didn't encounter any bears as other Yelpers warn but a quail skittered across the path. Don't be afraid to go when the weather isn't perfect. The best part of the hike were trees flocked with shards of ice (see pic from 3/7/20) with a few patches of snow flanking the trail.

The campgrounds seem a little dry and bare but you are in southern california…read more What makes this place so awesome are the trails and fire roads you can hike and ride your bikes on. This is bear country so you better bring a bear bell, plenty of water and maybe some bear spray. Just be smart about it all.

Such a unique and beautiful hike!!!! We even got to see some very hard snow that was almost gone,…read moredue to the rain and winds. I would highly recommend that at least 50% of the group have the trail downloaded, and you carry extra phone chargers. A few people who were with us almost got lost. It is very easy to do so if you are not paying attention. There is also one portion that becomes very steep. Take your time and bring a stick or poles if you need to. Other than that, the views are breathtaking, so enjoy! I would 1000% do this trail again, but only in a larger group with more experienced hikers. Hoping they are able to locate Monica Reza!! Please, please, please, do not leave anyone behind on their own. This is not an easy trail to guide yourself. There was a lovely man we met on the trail who hikes this consistently, and he cautioned us against losing people.

I bagged a peak this summer!! And the Waterman Mountain loop trail has become my number one fave…read morelocal trail here in SoCal. Getting up to Waterman peak isn't terribly technical - more of a straightforward moderate hike on well marked trails with tons of biodiversity and beautiful views. I hiked it towards the end of June and there were beautiful native SoCal blooms scattered along the trail - with so many native bees! The hike is through a burn scar (from the Peak Fire in 2021 I think) - so it can be a bit barren and burned up in places but it's heartening to see how well the area is recovering. I also ran into countless Pygmy Nuthatches (a lifer for me!!), White-headed Woodpeckers, squirrels, chipmunks, and even some cute tiny spiders! But this is Black Bear and Mountain Lion country so be vigilant and carry bear spray. All in all, I hiked around 6.4 miles with around 1380+ feet elevation gain. The trails are narrow in a lot of spots and mostly consists of rocks, loose dirt, and fine gravel. The first half of the trail is through forest and burn scar. The last half after the peak and old ski resort (long closed) is very exposed fire road with no shade and minimal views. On subsequent hikes I tend to skip that part and just turn around after the peak bc I like that part of the trail better lol. The peak of Waterman Mtn sits at 8030 feet. There's a great sign at the peak made by @peakart125 (on instagram) - it's lovely and makes for a fun way to celebrate making it all the way up! There's a sort of false peak right before the actual peak so I highly recommend making sure you've downloaded the trail map on AllTrails before heading out since cell signal is minimal to nonexistent on the trail. The views from the peak are a tad obstructed by rocks and trees - but you still get nice pocket views of Twin Peaks, the valley, and Mt Wilson observatory. It's also interesting to explore the old ski resort near the peak. There's tons of equipment and a chair lift but it doesn't look like it's been opened for years probably. AllTrails also shows a bathroom up there but I didn't find one so come prepared. There's a bathroom next to the paved parking area in a campground entrance at the trailhead. There's plenty of parking - almost all paved. You'll need an adventure pass to park bc it's in the Angeles National Forest - but they accept America the Beautiful passes too! I pretty much had the trail to myself on the weekday early morning. I only ran into two people - turned out it was search and rescue looking for missing hiker Monica Reza who went missing the weekend before my hike (I think she was last seen June 22nd, 2025). I helped a bit in the search on my way out but no luck. My understanding is she's still missing (I included a photo - they're still looking for volunteers to help search if you're interested!) - be aware and keep a lookout if you do the trail! They also have Instagram and FB pages for updates.

Great quick hike up to "sunset bench" ... a little less than 3 miles round trip (2.67 miles)…read more Entrance as others have mentioned is tricky to spot. Go up private looking drives with a few mailboxes out front. Brick pavers and a beautiful mid century modern home on the right is the entrance area.

Well maintained trail, it's a short hike with a steep uphill climb for a good part of it…read more It was a clear day so you can see all the way to DTLA! There's plenty of deer around so don't bother them and keep your distance. Parking on the street, be mindful of the neighborhood steet signs as the entrance to the trail is very suburban.

Great group of people. I knew Mikey from before and I'm glad he invited me to come along,…read moreespecially since I'm an avid photographer. I did the full moon hike at Echo Mountain and took a lot great night shots. Then I went w/ a big group of hikers from Pasadena Hiking Pacers to Escondido Falls in the Malibu mountains the week after and had a blast. There was a range of abilities, and some of us, including myself, were daring enough to go pretty high up beyond the upper falls! Luckily, there were definitely some knowledgeable (and friendly) people who knows how to handle the difficult trails. Great location, great hikers, great experience. I can't wait for the next excursion!

I would give the Pasadena Hiking Pacers 10 STARS if I could…read more The Pasadena Hiking Pacers is a hiking group that hikes all over the place. Pasadena, Altadena, Azusa, even MALIBU! What I like about these guys is that they are consistent. There is a hike EVERY Sunday at 7AM. The hike leaders are pretty knowledgeable. And, the locations are usually nice. You're either getting wet, going to a place with a nice view, or hiking up high elevations ... working out your legs! I also like that the group is pretty relaxed. There are no fees. And, everyone is welcoming! Sometimes at the beginning of our hikes, Kevin will have us all introduce ourselves. Usually after the hikes, we'll all go out to have brunch! Definitely check them out! http://www.facebook.com/PasadenaHikingPacers