Explore one of the lushest, most beautiful canyons on the Angeles National Forest with Great Outdoors on this moderate-difficulty, 12-mile / 1800-feet of elevation gain, out-and-back hike.
We’ll meet at 8:00 am at the Redbox parking lot, located at the intersection of Mt. Wilson Road and the Angeles Crest Highway (CA-2), roughly 13 miles from La Cañada Flintridge. Parked cars must display a valid Adventure Pass. There are several other nearby parking options in case the lot is full. We’ll start the hike at 8:30.
The Gabrielino Trail stretches in a 25-mile long semicircle from Pasadena to Chantry Flat. We’ll be hiking the central stretch of the trail along the West Fork of the San Gabriel River. Our starting point at Redbox is the highest point on the trail at ~4600 feet. We’ll steadily descend over six miles to the Devore trail camp, at ~2900 feet, where we’ll stop for a break before retracing our steps back to Redbox. Note that the second half of the hike is the uphill part! The trail is shaded nearly the entire way – the West Fork canyon is one of the lushest, most-forested areas on the Angeles NF. Those wishing for a shorter hike can turn around at the Valley Forge trail camp (roughly 5 miles round trip) or at the West Fork trail camp (roughly 10 miles round trip). The Gabrielino Trail is well-maintained by local mountain biking clubs, which means that we’ll need to keep our eyes open for bikers for the entire hike.
There’s no group size limit for this hike as none of it is in designated Wilderness. However, we highly recommend you RSVP so that we can reach you in the event of changed conditions. As always we recommend you show up with the “ten essentials” as listed here. Temperatures might vary over the course of the hike, so we recommend you bring at least one removable layer. Long pants are recommended over shorts as there’s a stretch of the trail that goes through scratchy brush – and poison oak is in ready supply. Reach out to hike leader Matthew Bokach at orobourical@yahoo.com with any questions. Also please let me know if you would like to carpool and/or are able to drive a carpool.
Photos courtesy of Robin McGuire.
Contact: Matthew Bokach at orobourical@yahoo.com
Pets: Pets are permitted if they are properly restrained and under the control of the owner. Dogs must be licensed, restrained on a leash not longer than six feet, and attended at all times. Dogs are not allowed in cabins or on trails. Please bring doggie bags and clean up any of their waste. Please be aware there are snakes and scorpions at this location.
Health Problems/allergies: It is the responsibility of participants to carry on their person a record of significant allergies, medications and medical history in the event of a medical emergency. Discuss any medical concerns with the hike leader if you wish.
