San Gabriel Peak Hike Trail Guide

San Gabriel Peak is a moderate hike that will offer you some tough uphill climbs and beautiful views while also avoiding crowds if you head there during non-peak hours (weekdays and early morning/late afternoon).  It’s a fun hike to introduce to some of your friends who want to get out of the city and try a new trail without having to commit to a full day of hiking. It will make you amazed you’re only thirty minutes outside of LA. 

San Gabriel Peak Quick Facts

San Gabriel Peak Rating: ★★★ (3.5/5 Stars)

Distance: 4.7 miles 

Elevation Start: 4,605ft 

Highest Point: 6,161ft 

Total Elevation Gain: 1,556 ft 

Estimated Time to Complete: 3-4 Hours RT 

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate-  What does this mean?

Class: Class 1 – Class System Explained

Season: Year Round (Nov-March you may encounter some snow)

San Gabriel Peak Weather: Check the Weather

Directions to San Gabriel Peak

Trailhead: Bill Reily Trailhead 

Getting Here: (From Los Angeles) Head North on the CA 2, merge onto the CA 210 towards Pasadena. After 1.2 miles exit CA 2 Los Angeles Crest Highway, turn left at the end of the ramp. Follow the Los Angeles Crest Highway for 14 miles before turning right into Mt Wilson Red Box Road. After .3 miles turn into a small paved road to find a small parking area. The trailhead is on the left before the white gate for the fire road. Look just south of the parking lot and you will see a hill of switchbacks, this is where you begin.

Fees: There is no fee to hike San Gabriel Peak. 

Parking: Parking for San Gabriel Peak is a small dirt lot, that can fit 5-10 cars. If that’s full you can also park on the Los Angeles Crest Highway and walk up to the trailhead adding about .5 to your hike. There are no restrooms at the trailhead. 

Summary

Camping: San Gabriel Peak does not offer camping along the trail but there are many places to camp nearby in the Angeles National Forest. Some require a reservation, some do not. Read more about camping in the area here. 

Dogs: The trail is very dog friendly, but if it’s a hot day definitely bring some water for your pup! Angeles National Forest requires your dog to be on a leash, but you will typically encounter very few people on this hike. 

Make it a Loop: This trail is an out and back, but you can add on some extra distance by climbing up Mount Disappointment that’s right next door! 

Trail X Factors: Due to fire damage from years ago there is a growth of Poodle-Dog Bushes, a lovely looking purple flower bush, that will cause a rash and swelling if you brush up against it. Keep your distance and wear pants if possible! 

Hike Tip(s): Even on a busier weekend this trail is very secluded but if you want to avoid crowds on San Gabriel Peak, head there during off hours (weekdays or early/late in the day).The mile before the summit will be tough in direct sunlight so if you want to avoid the heat, start early. If you really want to avoid the crowds/heat and have a unique hike, you can try for a sunrise or sunset hike up San Gabriel Peak. 

Best Views: The views for San Gabriel Peak start even before you begin hiking. On the Angeles Crest Highway there are a ton of beautiful vistas to stop and take in scenery.. After the first half a mile as you climb your switchbacks, there are a few beautiful views to the east. It’s a great place to stop and catch your breath as you head up! The summit of course has beautiful views, to the south you can see Downtown LA on a clear day and all around you will see the Angeles National Forest.

San Gabriel Peak Trail Route

The trailhead starts right off the road and can be challenging to find. The trail is fairly straightforward and easy to follow. The first mile of the hike is strictly uphill so take your time. You will follow a series of switchbacks as you continue to gain elevation. At around 1.3 miles the trail will lead you onto a paved service road, take a left and stay hiking on this service road for about .3 miles. This will eventually lead you to a cross section of roads. To the right you will see Mount Disappointment, and the satellites/telecommunications equipment on top of it. Keep the left (heading east) on the road and you will see the dirt trail continuing eastward to the summit of San Gabriel Peak. From there you will continue to climb to the peak for about .7 more miles. Once you have reached the peak you will see a summit marker and a long metal bench. Continue back down the same way you came to complete your hike 

Gear Needed

• Mickey’s Mountain Kit
• Backpack
• Protection from sun, hat and sunscreen
• Optional: Bug Spray
• Optional: Camera
• Optional: Men’s Trail Runners/ Women’s Trail Runners OR La Sportiva Trango Hiking Boots (Men’s) / La Sportiva Trango Hiking Booths (Women’s)
• Optional: Hiking Poles

Katelyn’s Trip to San Gabriel Peak: May 2020

When I hiked this trail up San Gabriel Peak, Mount Wilson Red Box road was closed forcing me to park on the Angeles Crest Highway. It is not a bad walk to get to the trailhead, though the road lacks a shoulder in a few places.

I started my hike unusually late in the day at 11am. Even though it was a holiday weekend and the middle of the day, I encountered only a few other hikers. I was surprised by the consistent uphill climbs and switchbacks from the very start of this trail. I didn’t expect to start climbing so early in the hike, there’s no “warmup” with this trail you just jump right into ascending. The trail gives you very few chances to catch your breath until about 1.3 miles into the hike. I would definitely suggest taking in the views and taking some breaks as you trek up. This part of the trail is luckily almost all in shade. The tree coverage is really beautiful and something you don’t encounter on a lot of Southern California hikes.

 As I got closer to the summit I was (no pun intended) initially disappointed to see another peak, Mount Disappointment to my right. The old missile testing site with satellites took me out of the beautiful natural environment I had just hiked up. But fear not, once you turn left to complete your trek to the summit of Gabriel you will be back to nature. There is some fire damage as you hike up, but nothing has affected the trail.  

There were very few bugs as I hiked but once I was at the summit the bugs were almost unbearable until I put on some bug spray. There’s a great metal bench you can take a break on and also a journal of names to sign in a box on the bench. The summit is very clearly marked with a metal stake, so it doesn’t leave you wondering if you’ve completed the hike. 

On the way down be careful of loose dirt. I don’t think hiking boots are necessary on this hike but they were extremely helpful as I began my descend to keep my foothold strong and my ankles supported. Overall I really enjoyed this hike. I loved how I barely saw any other hikers and though I cursed them on the way up, the switchbacks were completely covered in shade making the uphill battle that much easier. I think this is a great hike for anyone from an experienced hiker wanting an easier day to a more novice hiker who wants to branch out to tougher hikes. There are some sharp drops on the edge of the trail that I think make this hike better for older children/teens and adults. Happy hiking!