Mount lowe hike hiking in portland, oregon and washington. These locations were the most popular in southern california in the late 1800s, before being destroyed by floods and fire. Those with less energy or time can visit the ruins on echo mountain and return the same way. There was already established a trail to the peak of mount wilson, but that trip was arduous and ofttimes required more than a day to travel up and down. Search trip reports for mount lowe from graham pass hike. The northern section of this trail rises to the summit of mount lowe, the site of an old lookout with expansive views. The trail is rated as moderate and offers a number of activity options. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible yearround. Lowe railway loop to inspiration point and echo mountain, drive to mt lowe rd, altadena, ca 91001 the final turn onto cheney trail rd from w loma alta dr can be easy to miss, so be vigilant.
Now, readers can enjoy local history and fabulous vistas without the effort of a days hike. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, and horses and is accessible yearround. From i210 in pasadena, take the lake avenue exit and head north left if you are coming from the west, right if from the east and go 3. Once you get to red box, take the fork to mt wilson and about a mile or two up the road, theres a dirt parking lot on the right side at the mount lowe motorway entrance. Mount lowe from graham pass hike hiking in portland, oregon. Mount lowe road to inspiration point and mount lowe trail. Bookstore mount lowe preservation society secures and shares. Lowe, inspiration point, and others at the summit of echo.
Fascinating historic railway, great views, pine trees, deep canyons. Mount lowe railway trail altadena 2020 all you need to know. The mount lowe railway was born from a desire of the pasadena pioneers to have a scenic mountain railroad to the crest of the san gabriel mountains. Please submit any useful information about climbing mount lowe california that may be useful to other climbers. As you hike toward mount lowe, the trail takes you in and out of the forested areas, but often comes out into the open so you can catch some great views of mt.
Mount lowe railway, california then and now series by. The hike is only a mile and a half long, and the trail climbs very gently along rho ridge. The lower portion of the trip was up a tramway to echo mountain, where you can still see massive gears and other machinery, and the foundation of a hotel. For this hike, veer left and begin climbing uphill on the mount lowe trail east, which is marked with a sign. The mount lowe railway was the third in a series of scenic mountain railroads in america created as. For a longer hike to mount lowe, see the mount lowe from graham pass hike. Hikers taking castle canyon to inspiration point from echo mountain can return by the same route or make a loop by hiking down mount lowe road past mount lowe trail camp to cape of good hope. Lowe railway was one of the mustsee attractions in southern california. The separate trail up the last section of mount lowe is a steep, singletrack switchback with. As you begin to ascend, the mount lowe road should drop away on your right. This loop would extend a hike to cape of good hope by 6. Trail guide for a hike to the historic ruins of the white city from altadena into angeles national forest, san gabriel mountains.
Originally named oak mountain, it was renamed for professor thaddeus s. Park on the right side of the road in a small turnout. Lowe, who is credited for being the first person to set foot on and plant the american flag at its peak, and who built the mount lowe railway to its foot in 1896. California is so full of amazing places to hike and this book is a good push in the right direction. Consider things such as access and accommodation at the base of mount lowe california, as well as the logistics of climbing to the summit.
Sorry, there are no tours or activities available to book online for the dates you. The complete guide to 1, 000 of the best hikes in the golden state moon outdoors stienstra, tom, brown, ann marie on. Jun 01, 2018 100 classic hikes in northern california has the best day hiking and backpacking trails in the trinity alps, the marble mountains, the mount shasta area, lassen volcanic national park, the northern sierra nevada, the san francisco bay area, the wine country, and the north coast redwoods. Tucked away in southern californias san gabriel mountains, the mount lowe railway was. Mount lowe preservation society secures and shares the. The mount lowe railway is a historic railroad grade that used to transport people up the mountains to several different hotels and resorts that used to rest high up in the san gabriels. Part of henry huntingtons, pacific electric railway red. I print them out and use them to mark our progress. Given the southern california heat and a trail with little to no shade, its an intimidating prospect to say the least. This is a hike along the ruins of the mt lowe railway, echo mountain. Altadena north of pasadena, on the corner of lake avenue and loma alta drive. Today the train tracks are gone, but you can still ride through an old tunnel, see old bridges, and even the ruins of some of the hotels. You are not likely to encounter others on this short hike, so the views from mount adams to the three sisters will be yours and yours only to take in.
The best hikes in san luis obispo county san luis obispo. Tucked away in southern californias san gabriel mountains, the mount lowe railway was an internationally renowned tourist destination, serving nearly four million passengers between 1893 and 1936. I dont always agree with the authors choices for best or descriptions, but its nice that they break the trails out into categories. If you are looking for an alternative to the crowded and expensive mountain bike parks, join this biking adventure in californias san gabriel mountains near mt wilson. Approximately 6 miles out and back to the summit of mount lowe. Inspiration point via mount lowe motorway california. Another good book on this piece of history is mount lowe railway ca images of rail which is a little easier to read. Patris, steve crise, the mount lowe preservation society on. Mount lowe california mountain photo by magi media 5. Along the trial youll find historical markers that relate the story of the rail line.
Lowe historic railway tour hiking trail, altadena, california. This is a hike along the ruins of the mt lowe railway, echo mountain, and the alpine tavern. In a small group, spend the day riding the singletrack trails through spectacular scenery. Venture down to inspiration point and mount lowe trail camp from the top of mount lowe road where it meets mount wilson red box road. Mount lowe is a mountain on the southern fold of the san gabriel mountains. Mount lowe was also the site of the mount lowe railway, which enabled one to ride from altadena to mount lowe hotel and resort now the site of mount lowe campground. The trail is wellmaintained with only a few trees to hobble over, but it looks like trail maintenance is actively being done. Lowe, have hiked the trail many times and used both of these books to look into the past of what was once on this mountain. Mount lowe sits at the head of the front range of the san gabriels looking over pasedena and the rest of the city mess below. Since mount lowe railways abandonment in 1936, millions of hikers, mountain.
John mckinney, mckinney is the author of hiking books and a. I have used a number of your hike information in the past. California hiking the complete guide to of the best hikes in. Given the southern california heat and a trail with little to. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. Lowe is an easy hike with a trail going all the way to the top, and is surrounded by a few close peaks such as san gabriel peak, mount disappointment, and its closest neighbor mount markham. Thaddeus sobreski coulincourt lowea professor, inventor, civil war balloonist, and man of fame and fortunewas the quintessential california dreamer. Historic mount lowe railway, the disneyland of its day. Today the mount lowe railroad trail offers access to the ruins at echo mountain and the alpine tavern mt. Since mount lowe railways abandonment in 1936, millions of hikers, mountain bikers, and railfans have followed the longdeserted rail beds to glimpse the scenic grandeur of what was once the earths grandest mountain ride.
Mount lowe railway mountain bike trail in pasadena. Mount lowe railway trail altadena 2020 all you need to. Jan 31, 20 mount lowe railway, altadena, california train tunnel the mount lowe railway is a historic railroad grade that used to transport people up the mountains to several different hotels and resorts that were located high up in the san gabriels. Lowe railway ruins hiking trail, altadena, california. Novice hikers, tourists and families will enjoy the wonderful views ive seen to long beach from here before. A few routes reach inspiration point and mount lowe trail camp from the base of the san gabriel mountains including castle canyon trail, but this writeup offers a topdown approach. Nov 17, 20 my wife, son and i did the echo mtn, inspiration point and muir peak loop today 102018 and it was a wonderful hike. The hike to mount lowe on the sam merrill trail is daunting to say the least with a 4,000 climb to the summit spread out over 6. Hardbound with dust jacket and just loaded with great information about the history of the building, operating and destruction of mount lowe and the personalities behind it.