Mt Wilson

I’ve hiked this mountain 5 times and it never gets easier! It’s less painful every time but it’s definitely a knee buster!
I normally start from Chantry Flat and go on the Upper Creek trail towards Mt. Wilson.
The people who frequent this mountain are mainly very friendly. There seems to be an old Korean hiking group that frequent this mountain very often.
Today I hiked it by myself to see the snow on top of Mt. Wilson. As I got nearer to the top, the more cold it got! We were above the clouds and the view was amazing. As I was eating my breakfast/​lunch/​snack my fingers started to freeze because I forgot my gloves.
I’ll post some awesome photos from my hike today. It took me 8 hours but I’m a little sore from hiking Mt. Baldy on Friday. Also the snow made it a little hard to gain good footing hiking upwards, luckily I had hiking poles for balance and anti-​slippage.
I would recommend this to everyone! If you can’t do a 16 mile hike just go half way or there are various other trails that you can do that loops around Chantry Flat.
My video blog of my trip and the snow at the top:

The views here are amazing on a clear day. I think this is the highest peak in the San Gabriel Mountains, and usually has local snow when it does snow in the winter. When our kids were little, we would bring them here and play in the snow. Also, there are huge telescopes about a quarter mile further, where you can see planetary alignment and star shows. There are special lectures, as I understand, and at night, the place is perfectly dark and away from City lights. I think the restaurant, Cosmic Café is only open until November 29^th, so just a few more weeks of real food will be available up here. I was hoping to get a clear shot of the basin, but due to an inversion layer, I could not get a very clear shot to the ocean. I’ll have to come up in the winter time I guess.

Mt Wilson is a nice destination for hikers, children, and people of all ages. It can be reached by vehicle or by hiking from one of the various, surrounding trails.
There is a nice covered picnic area with a café that is open during the summer months. The actual observatory is about ½ mile further. Views here are nice but not as spectacular as I had imagined them to be. If you hike to reach this area, the views are better on the way up.
Still, it’s worth visiting at least once, especially if you are a Los Angeles resident.

I don’t get what’s with the 4 star reviews for such a beautiful place as this.
I’m a newbie hiker, so maybe I just haven’t seen enough of what nature has in store, but I thought this hike was amazing. With that being said, I still got my ass handed to me by a mountain.
I realized that there are a million ways of getting to the top, but the way I got there was via Chantry Flats and I took the Sturtevant Trail up. I’m not sure if it became a different trail before I got all the way up, but I followed it and got to where I needed to.
I was somewhat unprepared to deal with the entry and parking situation, so I’m hoping maybe I can shed some light on that. The road to Chantry Flats opens at 6am. I repeat, THE ROAD TO CHANTRY FLATS OPENS AT 6AM. I got there at 5:30 hoping to start a little before 6, and ended up waiting in a line of cars to get into the park. This might not have been such a bad thing seeing as how the lot seemed to fill up within 30 mins of me arriving, but just be prepared for that.
Another thing, parking is $ 5 bucks, or you can get an adventure pass for $ 30. All good and straight forward, HOWEVER, the register is CASH ONLY until 7am when I guess they «officially» open the registers. So, if you’re like me and never carry cash, BEWARE! You will have to wait until 7am to get your parking situation squared out.
Other than that, the hike itself was great. The first few miles are easy peasy. You walk along a cliff and then start following a little creek all the way up to the campgrounds. From there, it really gets going. The first mile and a half after the creek aren’t TERRIBLE, but they aren’t easy either. There are no switch backs so you’re walking along a gentle incline that gets your heart and gluteus maximus going. The next 1.5 miles are made up of a series of switch backs that aren’t a walk in the park, but not TOO bad. However, the last .5– 1 mile have you questioning why you ever decided to do something like this EVER.
Your saving grace might be the view and your surroundings. The trees are absolutely beautiful and block out the sun. And the views are AMAZING. You’re above the smaller mountains and can see straight across LA to the peaks of Catalina Island!
The top is NOT anticlimactic like so many have said. It’s full of interesting info about the observatory and the history of the place. And they have a café! I had a phenomenal crunchy pb&j sandwich for lunch.
All in all, it was a great hike. I made terrible time because I started cramping about ²⁄₃ of the way up, but I’ll be coming back and I’ll be better prepared.
I wont let it beat me again! :)

Okay here it is. My first review. yes. very first. This is specifically in regards to the top of wilson itself. I hadn’t been there for at least 20 years but was excited to show the kid one of my all time favorite places. wanted to be there for the sunset so parked in front of the trail head gate making sure not to block it. looked in my rear view mirror and there was the local sheriff. after a minute I got out and asked if it is ok to park here. he said no so I moved the car into one of the designated parking spots. he yells to and says again don’t park there I am going to give you a ticket. meanwhile his partner is tagging all the hikers cars as fast as possible. supposedly the antenna guys complain so they literally write their own version of the law. these are the same fatass. worthless excuses for cops that will pass you right up when you are stranded on the side of the road. ok didn’t want to be too wordy or snarky. maybe the next one. anywho. don’t give them the pleasure. watch where you park.

Excellent place for hiking & clearing the mind. Several trails to choose from. Definitely bring a backpack equipped with water, snacks, and nun-​chux (in case of a run in with the cast from Deliverance).
I liked that there was low to zero mobile signal. Nature was much more enjoyable without calls/​texts. So if you’re that attached to your cellphone, you’re in for an upsetting evening.
It was a cool experience to walk through clouds at 7000 ft elevation. I almost forgot how refreshing fresh air was like. After the hike, we took the long windy drive that lead to Victorville.
Parking pass was fairly priced, & the therapeutic experience was priceless. I highly recommend this place to all nature lovers.

The drive up to Mount Wilson takes a bit of time (I think it’s about 20 miles up) but the view is spectacular. the first time I saw it, I fell in love with it. its a nice place to take a date and enjoy the view of Los Angeles and relax, watch out if you park on the side of the road and not in one of those designated lots on top, the park ranger up on top was pretty rude and gave my friend a ticket.

If you’re looking to train for Whitney, do Mt. Baldy Ski Hut Trail 2 times in one day and you’re good, if you’re looking for a nice day hike and some nice scenery, (I’m not just talking about the view), then Mt Wilson is a good one.
My favorite part about this hike is that when you get to the top, you can see all the people who drove up the road munching on gut busters while you fill up your bottle and catch a quick view (unless its cloudy) before your head back down.

It’s a bit difficult to review any particular Mt. Wilson «hike», as there are so many independent trails that cover various portions to and from the summit. That said, this seems the appropriate Unilocal entry versus the Observatory listing.
The good part about the Mt. Wilson hike is that the destination is a prominent landmark visible from various points in the San Gabriel Valley and Pasadena. The bad part is just about everything else. We did the Devore Camp Loop, which worked out to right around 11 miles according to GPS. It’s actually several portions of an intertwined network of trails, many of which you can switch up to make the overall hike shorter or, more likely, incredibly longer. While the views are okay from certain points during the hike, trees tend to block off most of the meaningful vistas. And while the hike itself was an excellent workout, the conditions made it less-​than-​enjoyable overall. Tons of poison oak, thorny bushes, poison ivy, weird purple-​plant-​things that a white guy said will give us blisters (white people know these things, I took his word for it). Seeing that we only ran into one other hiker during our trip, I can see why the portions of the trails for this loop aren’t well maintained. But the real buzz-​kill: all the buzzing things. Biting flies, mosquitoes, gnats, chiggers — I’m going to be honest, I don’t even know what the last one is, but they’re listed on all bugspray bottles and the name sounds incredibly racist and it’s super fun to say with an angry honky-​tonk accent. You’ll find yourself unable to stop and rest because the moment you do, you are swarmed with bugs that will start biting nonstop. Judging by other peoples’ accounts of the various hikes around here, it’s pretty much like that whenever it’s warm enough and enjoyable to hike. Quite a shame.
Seems a lot of the hikes up along the Angeles Crest range simply aren’t maintained to the level they used to be before the fires. That’s acceptable, I suppose. It’s just a shame that right when this becomes a very big hobby for me, half the «good» trails are no longer… well… good. Wait a few years, then do some of the other hikes to/​from Mt. Wilson.

Got a late start after staying up celebrating after the Niners whooping the Packers– so we got began at about 1pm with the intention to only get to Orchard Camp. I am an avid hiker, trail runner and consider myself in good shape. This hike though was pretty challenging, going up about 2000 feet in just three miles which is about half what up to the Summit. Great place to train or just get away as there were not too many people on the trail. Got back down around 5pm. Planning on heading back up there and reach the summit sometime soon.
I highly recommend this trail as it offers a nice views and solace from the world and is easy to get to. (Entrance off the 210 in Sierra Madre, plenty of public parking.)

When I visited from Chicago my sister and her husband drove me to the summit. We drove at night in the dark. There were signs advising tires be chained. There were hairpin turns. It was icy. I got carsick. I saw LA at night, the blacked out spot that is Griffith Park, the black Pacific Ocean. My sister and her husband are rugged folks. They have hiked the 16 mile route and I think it made them stronger.

For my 500^th review, it shall be Mt. Wilson!
Mt. Wilson gives another dimension to the lives of Angelenos. I am not aware of another place that is so close to the city providing a challenging hike up an actual mountain, a scenic drive through mountains and forests, and of course chance to see and feel snow in the winter. While it’s not the most beautiful nor the tallest mountain in the area and the observatory up there is… not very visitor friendly, I don’t think you can ask for more for a place so close to a major metropolitan city that is LA; it’s all about accessibility!
There are several ways to get to (or attempt to get to) Mt. Wilson. You can:
Drive up the 2, the scenic Angeles Crest Highway from La Canada Flintridge, and take Mt. WIlson Red Box Road. It’s a pretty scenic and winding drive, about 20 miles from where the highway starts. Once you get to Mt. Wilson and want to park, you will be required to have the $ 5 Adventure Pass. You can buy this at the Cosmic Café by the observatory once you’re up there.
As for hiking, there are 3 ways to get up to Mt. Wilson. Hike up from the west, east, or straight up from below it.
1. The hike from the west starts in the Altadena/​Pasadena area via Mt. Wilson Toll Road. Best bet would be to start at Eaton Canyon and take the Toll Road up past Henninger Flats to the top. While the Toll Road provides for a very wide and safe trail, this hike isn’t as scenic or as interesting as the others. This hike is almost 10 miles from Eaton Canyon, so it’s about a 20 mile round trip. Alternatively, you can start your hike at Bailey Canyon Park in Sierra Madre and hike up past Jones and Hastings Peaks to the Toll Road; this would be about a 16 mile round trip hike.
2. The hike from the east starts from the Chantry Flats area. You hike the Big Santa Anita Canyon and take Sturtevant trail to Mt. Wilson at the Upper Zion Trail junction which would take you to the observatory side of Mt. Wilson. You can then come down on the Mt. Wilson trail from the Skyline Park parking lot, and transfer to Upper Winter Creek at Manzanita Ridge. This hike is about 15 miles rountrip, and offers the best amount of shade and with great scenery and I would say is the easiest way to hike to the top of Mt. Wilson.
3. The last way is to hike up via Mt. Wilson trail, one of the oldest trails in the area that pretty much goes from the base to the top. It starts in the streets of Sierra Madre and is about 15 miles round trip, though it can feel slightly more if you transfer to the Toll Road at the end instead of staying on the Mt. Wilson Trail. This is a beautiful trail, without much shade at first and then gets better. The spaces are open and you can look out to the city in the distance unlike the Chantry Flats route where you are often surrounded by trees and canyons. This is a very popular trail and has some pretty heavy traffic for at least the first half of the trail.
If you’re driving up to Mt. Wilson during the winter, be mindful of the chain requirements and road closures when the conditions get bad; you can check the status online. Also, the Skyline Park (
) which is where the Cosmic Café and the observatory are located in closes during the winter so don’t be a noob like me and hike up the mountain in the snow without bringing lunch expecting to eat at the café. They’re closed from Dec. 1 to March 31 (
).

We hiked up to the peak via the Upper Winter Creek Trail.
This trail is not for amateurs and sissies! Its a 7-​mile hike to the top (7 ½ according to the ranger). It’s probably best to hike on this trail during Fall season, since there is not much shade on this trail. The first 4 ½ miles along the San Olene Fire Road should be pretty easy. It is definitely the heat that will slow you down. The remaining 2 ½ miles will start once you reach the memorial bench. At this point, it’s a good idea to shower yourself with a lot of bug spray! The bugs on this trail are a pain in the butt! I called those bugs «consistent little devils”– that should give you a little idea about those little pests!
A great view of Los Angeles and the surrounding cities can still be enjoyed while switchbacking to the peak. Once you reach the summit, you will be welcomed by a dozen of tall antennas, and the famous Cosmic Café. The Café is open from 10AM-​4PM during the weekends; although it was open on a Monday (Labor Day 2011) when we went.
TIPS:
— Bring snacks and a lot of water (at least 3liters each person)! You will definitely need to hydrate yourself!
— Bring Trekking Poles; they can be very useful when you’re heading downhill.
— Don’t get locked inside the gates of Chantry Flats Road. Leave the parking lot before 8PM. If this happens, you will have to call the Sierra
Madre Police Department to have the gates opened.
— Pack your own trash! It’s the least we can do to help preserve the wilderness that we enjoy. If you wanna enjoy nature throughout your lifetime, do your part in keeping it clean.
— Take your time and enjoy! It is very seldom that we breathe fresh air, and enjoy great, breathtaking views.

This hike kicks your ass. 7 miles pretty much uphill the whole way. Great scenary though. First two miles is unshaded and you’re along about a 200ft cliff. The next two miles is much better, you’re in the shade and there’s a constant stream and some waterfalls off the side you can hear. The third leg is similar to the 2^nd. The last leg to the top you’re in the pine trees with some good views of smoggy pasadena to one side and the rest of the angeles forest to the other.
The downside to this hike are the freakin’ flies. From mile 2 through 7, they are all over you. I stopped for water and had about 30 buzzing all over, got bitten a few times (not really painful, just annoying). I even doused myself with 15% deet. Another guy on the trail had 40% deet and that didnt help either. On the way back I saw guys with full beekeeper head screens… hmm that would have been good. No mosquitos though.
Best to do in the early morning, because on your way down nearing mile 13 – 14, its hot and no shade.
One plus was a cool little waterfall on the way. That was a nice stopover to catch your breath.

Wonderful hike. If you’re hiking on a weekend, it’s important to get there before 7am. The parking lot gets packed rather quickly unless you don’t mind parking your car near/​next to car sized boulders on the shoulder of a 2 lane highway then be my guest. You’ll find a lot of people hiking towards the falls or by the stream the first 1.5 miles into the hike then they slowly start to disappear the closer you get the those cabins reminiscent of «Friday the 13^th» and «Swamp Thing». Anywho, I digress.
The hike is about 7 miles from Chantry Flats and it’s a fairly easy trek until the last 1.75 miles to the summit. It’s an incline but if you’re in good shape… it shouldn’t be too bad. You can take the same way down (which we did) back to our car so total mileage is 14 miles. If you’re training for Whitney I can recommend this as a good start then you can work your way up Mt. Baldy, San Jacinto and San Gorgonio.
WORD OF CAUTION: we hiked this trail this past weekend and early this year so if you plan on hiking DURING THE SUMMER be mindful that on the last 2 miles to the summit and back down you will encounter SWARMS OF FLIES. They can bite and they do. They’ll accompany you and possibly whisper sweet nothings in your ear. Bring a hat or netted hat that covers your ears. This is one of the main reason why I don’t really like low elevation and muggy/​summer weather because of these uncomfortable little things. If you want more warning, read my review on Zuma Canyon Trail. Anyway, had to do it before Whitney part deux this July. So Happy Trails and don’t let the bugs bite!

I’m not too proud to say it — this hike kicked my ass.
My friends and I are hiking half dome in June, so we are getting our hike on every weekend before that so that we can, you know, make it up half dome. Also it’s just fun to hike!
We followed the trail posted on the modern hiker (which is linked in a review below). The first two miles of the hike are pretty easy — and beautiful! There are a lot of people on that part of the trail — it’s not until you get to the sign for Mt. Wilson and start that part of the trek that people become more and more sparse. And the trail becomes ridiculously steep. But at least the scenery helps ease the ache in your legs and feet.
I completely forgot to pack lunch (except for one cliff bar) so I was pleasantly surprised to see that the Observatory had food! I inhaled half of a turkey sandwich like it was my job!
The hike down was where I realized just how steep the trail was. Hike this if you want an intense full day workout.
Don’t forget to pack bug spray!

Great Hiking Trail. I hike about 16 miles this weekend for 8 hours. It was tough but really enjoyed.

The hike to Mt Wilson started from Chantry Flat via Sturetvant Trail to the Mt Wilson summit. We returned via Mt Wilson Toll Rd to Upper Winter Creek ending at the parking lot of Chantry Flat. The roundtrip mileage is about 14 mi.
This was our second hike to prepare us for Mt Whitney and it was a hike that provide me with a lot of answers about the value of timed breaks, pace and electrolyte intake. It’s because of this it’s my favorite trail to hike. The trail has enough difficulty and was long enough to prepare me for Whitney.
At the start of the hike I had forgotten to bring my watch which was important because it reminded me when to take my hourly and 20 min breaks. My energy levels were strong at the beginning but due to the inconsistent intake of food and electrolytes I became a stumbling fool several miles before the summit. I felt terrible, I wanted to die.
At the summit I rested for about 30 min but didn’t feel like eating. That was a big mistake. My friends soon descended the summit and I could barely walk. I brought a walking stick which I literally clung on to with my dear life because my legs were so wobbly and weak. After several miles of my legs cramping up, it was pure torture, I came upon some of my friends waiting for me. I rested 10 min and in the mean time I ate my M&M’s and drank my electrolytes. What a difference this made and soon realized what my problems were. After this hike, I purchased a Camelbak backpack with a 3 liter bladder and I made sure my trail snacks were close at hand so I could eat and drink without too much effort. All the subsequent hikes after this became much easier. Without this hike I may have never resolved my problems, before the Whitney hike.
The Sturetvamt Trail and Upper Winter Creek Trail are very scenic and heavily forestrd, you’re always in the shade. The temp in Los Angeles was in the 90’s but the ambient temperature on the trail was very comfortable. The only time you’re in the sun is several miles prior to the summit which are the switchbacks (these are equivalent in difficulty to Whitney) and on Wilson Toll Rd.
As I write this, this area may have been involved with the «Station Fire», the largest fire to occur in LA. I hope this particular area is OK. I know it will probably take many years for the crews and volunteers to remediate this area for recreational use.