El Prieto Trail

It is a good trail, I been hiking a lot in Orange County, it is nothing like that. This hiking have a lot of tree and lot of shade. It is amazing.

A trail that is not busy with hikers (we only saw a couple other), but there were 40 to 50 mountain bikers. This is a trail for alert and courteous hikers that let fast-​approaching bikers pass. It is not for the oblivious or rude trail blockers.
Some of the trailheads start in residential areas, but we started in a parking lot at Hahamonga Watershed Park at Windsor Ave and Ventura St. The hike begins on the paved Gabrieleno Trail, breaks right to the dirt El Prieto Canyon Trail, and ends at a junction with Fern Truck Trail.
Instead of returning back through El Prieto Canyon for a 5.8-mile out and back hike, we took a left on Fern Truck Trail/​Brown Mountain Road for a 7.9-mile loop. When taking the loop, El Prieto Canyon is the pretty part of the hike along a shaded stream on a single-​track trail while the Fern/​Brown portion was a narrow mountain road with common views.

The old witch at the top of Rising Hill Rd is still there. Heed fellow Unilocaled John M.‘s comment (wish we would’ve read it before the hike) and AVOID THE GPS OF THIS LOCATION. We had a similar encounter with her which was quite amusing, didn’t see the «no trespassing» sign. Here’s an idea old hag, you might want to put up a fence if it’s your private property. Or better signage. Don’t be so cheap and bored. I’m pretty sure she sits there in her car waiting for people to come up to drive down and threaten them. The highlight of an otherwise unproductive life near its end.
Other than that, just GO TO THE Unilocal REVIEW FOR GABRIELINO TRAIL, because it’s the same hike with better directions and the correct GPS

Great area for hiking, not a lot of people know about this place. There is a lot of mountain bike traffic so don’t be a moron and wear earbuds. You’ll hear them coming and can announce yourself. All the bikers I came across were really courteous.
The one warning I will give, is DO NOT park at the top of Rising Hill Rd. Back in the day this was OK, but today the woman at 4950 Rising Hill flipped out when she saw me pass by. Rising Hill Road connects with 2N68 which is a public road so residents are not allowed to impede public traffic. However she started taking photos of me and told me she was calling the Sheriff. I tried asking her a question, and she kept yelling that this was private land and had been for 200 years. Instead I parked on El Prieto Rd and the neighbors waved and said hello.

We used the beginning of Gabrielino trail to head up Brown Mountain.
About a mile or so into the hike, you will see a sign (for El Prieto, Brown Mountain trails) and an option to take the trail to the right. The hike is mostly uphill but not a severe incline. It’s also not shaded. However, it’s a nice dirt path without many loose rocks hindering your way. You will arrive at a flat landing area with options for different trails and another sign to your left. Facing the sign, take the Ken Burton trail to the right of the sign and go 2.6 miles more. This part of the hike is easier but more rocky.
At the end of the hike, you will be atop the mountain and there are very nice views. All in all, I figure it’s about 6+ miles each way.
tip — go early to avoid the heat since most of the hike is not shaded and wear sunscreen.

My hiking partner and Unilocaler Kris A. and I started off on the Gabrielino Trail over by JPL to hike on 9÷23÷13. We decided we better kick up the work out a bit after consuming extra calories over the weekend.
El Prieto Trail is a perfect trail to get a work out whether you are hiking or riding a Mountain Bike. We parked near the Gabrielino trailhead by Windsor and JPL and walked about 1.33 miles until the we saw the turnoff for the El Prieto Trail. This is the second fork in the trail past JPL.
We met a guy who hikes there quite a bit named Ivan R. and he told us there was a better place to park if you go all the way to the top of Lincoln Avenue and then head west on Canyon Crest Rd. Ivan also told us to look for El Prieto Road on our GPS. He said the fire road that connects to the trail starts at a double wide driveway in this residential area of Altadena abd you can walk down to access the main trail. I am sure you can use «Maps» on your smartphone to help you while trying to find it too.
When we got to the El Prieto Trailhead there is a sign that indicates that it is 2 Miles to Lower Brown Mountain Road. We hiked quite a bit farther than 2 miles and decided to turn around because there were so many forks in the trail and we didn’t want to get lost. On our way back to our car we met Ivan again who told us that we were really close to the fire road and he explained which way to go at the last fork. Next time we’ll turn left at that last fork above the picnic tables to access the fire road.
The elevation gains in that 5.65 mile round trip hike were about 2,200 feet so it felt like a good work out. Next time, we’ll park near the beginning of the trail and make our way to the Brown Mountain Fire Road.
Tips:
— There are quite a few stream crossings, so if it rains you may end up getting your feet wet because there are no logs to help you get across.
— I didn’t need poles, but if you have bad knees then poles would help you a lot on your way back down.
— Don’t hike alone. I am sure there are Mountain Lions and Black Bears up there. Rattlesnakes were the least of my worries.
Miscellaneous:
Here are some interesting historical facts about the San Gabriel Mountains and the early settlers.

Whew!!! You have to huff your bike 4 miles up a fire road before you get to the first set of single tracks to wind you in and out of diverse flora back down the mountain. There is dry brown brush and then lush jungly greens that appear out of nowhere. There are some fast flowy sections and many tight hairpin turns. Some of the trail crumbles alongside steep hillside so if you were off your line a bit and took a tumble recovering from a fall wouldn’t be pretty. Be Careful!
You will encounter a lot of people on this trail. Hikers with dogs and some bikers run the lower portion of the trail backwards so be aware of that as well.
On the weekends there are two shuttle services available. For $ 15 you can avoid climbing completely. As arduous as it is I think it’s more rewarding to do the climb on your bike. Shuttle feels like cheating!!!

One of the most popular single tracks in Los Angeles. Popular, for good reason. It’s beautiful, mystic, challenging and 20 mins from downtown. Hike it or ride your bike, doesn’t matter. Just be safe and courteous to other trail users.

Beautiful and amazing trail for mountain biking.
Climb is moderate for a good ~2.3 miles.
Downhill straddles a calm stream, at least when I went, with fun cuts and small lips. Beautiful lush green vegetation. Trail must have ridden over the stream ~10 times, so expect your bike to get a little wet. There’s a bunch of small man made damns, warmly adds to the scenery. I loved it, absolutely gorgeous. I would definitely go back.

Great trail!!! Get ready for a long slow climb to the saddle for about 4 miles up. Completely worth it though once you descend back down El Prieto. Its mostly single track and it gets a little technical. Gotta try it.
Get an extra 2.8 miles or so by climbing to the top of Upper Brown before turning around and coming all the way back down. The upper section is not as hard of a climb as the lower. Great views once you are at the top on a clear day you can see downtown LA.

Great mountain biking segment! It’s a 1.8 miles downhill single-​track segment with some tight switchbacks and a few technical parts. There are some intimidating tight corners exposed to cliffs, but nothing too crazy compared to some other trails around here.
See for yourself:
Here’s the segment map on Strava:

The El Prieto Trail is more known to bikers than hikers. I’ve hiked this trail about a dozen times, and have came across maybe 5 hikers versus 50 bikers! Anyway, this trail is perfectly fine for both bikers and hikers. I’d say its a moderate trail and definitely not one for beginners. You’ll have to go uphill-​a-​plenty, and have to hop/​jump on rocks to cross rivers.
Its easy to get lost getting to the start of this trail. You’ll have to walk through part of the Gabrielino Trail, and at the second road split (its a grassy hill), you head uphill (I’ll take a pic next time as Point of Interest). Once you head uphill, keep following the road and you get to a small water fall with this sign
You can either head left or right, its basically a loop around Brown Mountain so it doesn’t matter which way you go. But the way most people start is from the left, since coming down on the right side is much more fun.
Starting from the left side of the mountain, the first half of the trail is basically a fire road uphill. The incline gets pretty steep and there is zero shade here. The good is that you get a great view of the city and a nice work out. Once you get to the middle part of the trail, there’s a flat area where hikers and bikers usually rest, and the large road is split into 3. I’m not sure where the other road leads, but if you keep to the left road, you’ll get to the second part of this trail. Going downhill is much different than the first half going uphill. You’ll see a lot more trees and greenery, and will have to cross some rivers. There are many paths that break off, but just remember to keep left (heading down) and you’ll get back to the base of the trail.
This is a pretty fun trail and you’ll get a great workout. The best part is that you get two different rides/​hikes in one since the terrain changes mid-​way. Just watch out for rattlesnakes! I’ve come across them a few times already.

Mountain biking steps:
Step 1. Climb your butt off.
Step 2. Descend without killing hikers or yourself.
Seriously though, this is a great trail – HUGE climb to start off, but so worth it coming down the other side.
If only it were closer to my place!

Nice trail. Mixed use, horses, hikers and mountain bikers. Nice mix of high exposed segments with great views and shaded stream side walks.
Watch out for bikes. Remember that horses, then hikers and finally bikers have right of way.

This trail is not for the faint of heart. If you are a beginner or an intermediate rider like me you have to consider this trail at least once and see for yourself the technical terrains that I have encountered during my first run down this mountain. Of course, just like what I did, you can always walk the trail if you’re hesitant to tackle hairpin switchbacks, small drops, and narrow trails. Otherwise, just go for it and enjoy!
The climb, depending on your endurance and again level of expertise, is not as bad as I thought it would be. Just pace yourself and enjoy the scenery as you head up the mountain. Once you reach the top, put on your knee pads or whatever choice of protective gear you have just in case and get your camera rolling because you are in for a nice treat of adrenaline rush on your way down the hill.
Overall, this trail is worth trying out and it won’t disappoint thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies alike.

Awesome trail but once you hit Brown Mountain, be prepared for a workout. It’s a steep 4 mile climb up and nothing but speed going down. Be careful or you just might kill a hiker on your way down.
The first part of El Prieto is a typical path with forest trees and a dirt and gravel road. It’s pretty wide for both hikers and bikers.
If you want to take the trail with kids, stop at the foot of Brown Mountain or your kids might get run over. Otherwise, enjoy yourself up and down that brown hill.

As for mountain biking El Prieto Trail is perhaps the best and one of the most technical rides in L. A county. It starts with a 2.5 mile climb up Brown Mountain fire road. Once you reach the saddle you have the option of veering to the left for another 2.5 miles of climbing or to the right not left as mentioned by Tristam for a 1.5 mile descent. The trailhead to El Prieto is off to the right dropping you into a gnarly single trail run that dumps you off at the beginning of the Brown Mountain fire road.

This Trail was awesome!!! I first started out doing the lower road till you hit the waterfall which was nice there are some good jumps and a great downhill, but then stepped up to EL PRIETO and it definitely kicked my butt. This was a great workout and i suggest getting gear before going up.