Mt. Wilson Trail

This hike is serious. It’s not very shaded so try to plan accordingly and bring a lot of water. The first water is about a mile down the path. It’s completely uphill and gets rather narrow, but the views are lovely.

Well it’s my favorite hiking trail, it is freaking hard, but I really love it. It starts out with a 1.7 mile hike to first water, and that is tough., Then It goes harder to Orchard camp, then manzanita ridge. I love this place even though its freaking hard. I think this place is a good workout. There is plenty of parking. Be careful though of snakes, and such I seen a few.

Wonderful hike from Chant Flats to Mt Wilson summit. Tree lined for most part with moderate steepness, yet still offering a great workout. Plan on 4 hr hike to summit and only 3 hrs down. Take your own water of course, as well as a light lunch to enjoy at ranger station covered Pavillion at summit.

Review ⁷²⁄₃₆₆
This hike is no joke. It’s a super intense workout that makes you earn every single calorie you will want to consume afterwards :) We arrived around 9am and had to park 0.7 miles away from Chantry Flats (the start of our hike). While 0.7 miles was no problem to start the day, it definitely felt like infinity to get back down at the end of the hike– in other words, go SUPER early so you can find parking.
The Mt Wilson hike is a 14 mile loop, 7 miles up and 7 miles down, with a total elevation gain of ~4,000 ft. The trail starts off pretty easy– in fact, it’s part of the hike down to Studevant Falls (sp?). However, don’t let that fool you. We went with a group of 19 for this hike, when we hit about mile 4, our group split off into 2… then 3… then 4… then 5… then back down to 4… all the way to the top. Starting from mile 4, it’s basically a steep climb to the top. You’ll be working your thighs and gluten on the way up. When you reach the top, there’s a café that’s opened on weekends and serves sandwiches and chili– however, there is an incline on paved road that you have to hike up to get to the café… and trust me, after 3 miles of some pretty steep uphill climbing, the LAST thing you want to see is another hill.
You can come back down the way you came up, or you can go past the café, and to the parking lot. There’s a trail that will be all downhill… where you’ll eventually meet the Upper Winter Falls trail. You’ll have 2 options, go Upper Winter Falls, which is 3 miles… or take the Lower Winter Falls trail, which is supposedly around 2 miles. We went the Upper since it was a short steep uphill climb, but were rewarded with over 2 miles of flatness. The Lower path, while shorter, takes you downhill… and is an up hill climb up for a mile. Pick your poison :)
Anyways, this hike is not for the out of shape. make sure you’re mentally and physically prepared for this strenuous hike…’cause once you’re 4 – 5 miles in, there’s really no turning back… you’re damn’d if you do, and damn’d if you don’t. To prep, I’d work on strengthening those leg muscles and wear shoes with plenty of support. Squats are probably a good choice. Get some cardio in too while you can. I’ll admit, for me… I hate squats, so I definitely struggled in the last 2 miles… but all the cardio I do prepped me for the endurance I needed for this hike.
When you finish the hike… go look up some places to eat in the Arcadia area. 10 of us went to Din Tai Fung and ordered $ 300 dollars worth of food :) Yes, we were that hungry and we earned it. :)
That being said, while I’m happy I did this hike, I don’t think I’ll ever do it again.

3.5 stars. My experience may have been tainted by going on a really bad weather. Pretty empty with only a few people hiking here and there. I did no training for this 14 mile round trip hike and it sorta kicked my butt. Very easy to get lost: we actually ended up hiking 20 miles instead of 14 miles because we took the wrong way :/​Please read this blog for detailed directions with pictures.
Things to bring:
Wear layers including a rain proof jacket/​windbreaker, maybe long sports pants (it could get really cold, especially on the day we went at least)
A hat
Trekking poles (these were life saver)
Hiking shoes
A backpack with
1) a lot of snacks, sunscreen, at least 1 L of water.
2) a sandwich or some sort of savory lunch to eat when you reach the peak.
3) Maybe a pair of gloves if it’s a cold day.

I have hiked this trail since 1998 when we first moved to the beautiful village of Sierra Madre, a three square mile of heaven on Earth. Last year I ran the 8 mile Mt Wilson trail race along with over 300 competitors. It is a grueling race only for those athletes who have trained and are in shape, not for the faint-​hearted. Along the way, one can usually spot wildlife, spectacular views of Catalina Island and plenty of fresh watering holes at First Water along the way. This is a treasure enjoyed by millions of visitors since the turn of the century.

OK… I’m rating this a 5star, but I will have to say, this kicked my ass. I have been working up to this hike for some time. Training 2 – 3 times per week, I thought I was ready to hit the summit of this monsterous peak… well boy oh boy, was I in for a surprise.
In the midst of being treated for upper respiratory infection, it probably wasn’t the best idea to schedule a hike on this given day… but that’s what we nurses do.
We ventured to the top via Chantry Flats. The hike is absolutely beautiful, lots of water along the way (you know we Californians get excited at the sight of water). The incline is steady, and sometimes treacherous, but it is doable.
We hiked for approximately 6hours before getting to the top. We did have a quick stop at Sturtevant Camp, took some photos and swung on the swing before continuing on. It was very foggy or maybe we were in a cloud. Once we got to the top, most of us lost battery life of our phones, but in reality, they were just too cold and shut off on their own.
We trekked Champagne with us to the top so that we could pop some bubbly to celebrate our victory march. Our hands were so cold, we barely could open our bottles.
I’m definitely a novice hiker, as I took out my rain jacket and gloves from my backpack prior to the hike… knowing that I needed room for my gourmet cheeses, crackers, and champagne. Huge mistake. My hands were so cold, my head was too. It started to drizzle up there, again, unprepared and longing for my jacket that I left on the kitchen table.
There is a cute little museum up at the top of Mount Wilson Observatory. Doors were open and we gladly went in. Great little place for history of this magnificent gem in our backyards.
Cosmic Café was naturally closed as it was a weekday. Wonderful bathrooms with ice cold running water to wash your cold hands with.
We took an alternate route down which met up with the trail that we started at. This hike is a must do if you live in the area. Even if you don’t, give it a try.

Didn’t have to go in to work on a Wednesday so I decide to do a hike on my own. Unilocaled it up and found this. Nice and peaceful on a weekday. Parked on the street at the bottom of the trail, free parking.
7 miles up and down, I turned around at the toll road, which it was still 2 miles form the top. I got a bit confused when I got to that point, wasn’t too sure which is the right direction. Wish there were more sides along the route. Started the hike at 10, and turned around at 2. Got back to my car around 3. It is somewhat difficult hike. Most of the ways are up hill, but is not that steep. I was hiking on my own so I only took few short breaks in between.
Will start a bit eariler next time and make it to the top.

I went to Mt Wilson via Sierra Madre for the first time. Normally I go through Chantry Flats but this was even better. Got there around 6:15am hitting the trail at 6:30. Lots of parking still at this time just make sure you turn your wheels into or out of the curb. You’ll get a ticket and not a fun surprise at the end. No Adventure Pass needed so save gas, time and money with this one.
The trail is no joke, 14+ miles and 4000 elevation make it a burner. I thought I would be ok, but it knocked me for a loop. You’d better be in fit or start training. When I got to my first fork, I went left, but quickly figured it out it was going in the wrong direction. If you find yourself going toward Altadena, turn around. You want to always be going toward Mt. Wilson until Mazanita Ridge, when you start to climb up.
Read the rest of the reviews and bring water. I bought 2L and had just enough without a refill on the top. Bring a stove and boil water for some hot soup at the top and you’ll feel great for the trip coming down!
I was out of shape so my group breezed it through at 2:30pm while they left me behind to have a slow-​and-​steady ending at 5pm, but nothing broken and now to start training for the next one. Six Pack of Peacks — #1 COMPLETE!

BEAR SIGHTING 4÷18÷16
Did a late afternoon hike I didn’t even get to first water when I went off trail to enjoy the view. As it had already got dark. I turned around and walked back to get back on trail when I saw a large black bulk starring then loud noise as if it was running up the mountain. Followed by a growl, what was that? I was with one other person and could hear the bear was right above us. Luckily the bear must of not been hungry. After I got home I learned to make loud noises and have flash light to scare the bear off. I’m not saying don’t go at night but if you do be prepared, stay safe! Obviously we made it down alive but for that moment I was terrified and I remember it’s wilderness and in that bears territory. Please be careful when going off trail and specially at night.
Oh wondering why I gave it 5 stars? This trail is absolutely beautiful and can be quite challenging.

Mt. Wilson is one of the six pack of peaks of southern California. It is a total of 14 miles and has an over 4,000 feet elevation gain. Get ready for a workout as this hike is strenuous. Or you can also drive up but that’s not rewarding.
Parking/​Adventure Pass:
There are various ways to get to the summit but I think the most popular way is from Chantry Flats. The parking lot opens at 6am and can get pretty full by 6:30/45am on weekends. This is a popular place for many trails so it’s not surprisingly that the parking lots gets full fast. You can also park on the sides of the road or at an overflow parking lot but that cost money (even if you have an adventure pass). It may cost $ 5 or $ 10. An adventure pass is required so don’t forget to put it up in your car. It cost $ 5 which can be bought at Chantry Flats or at sports/​outdoor retailers such as REI, Sports Chalet, Big 5, etc.
Trail:
The trail is fairly easy to follow; stick with the signs. You will first see a dam and cross a bridge. Eventually you will be walking through where cabins are located and above Sturtevant Falls and then through Camp Sturtevant. Don’t forget to sit on their swing! After this part, I think you have 3 more miles to go. This is where the elevation begins and it’s up, up, and uphill all the way. This is where my trekking poles came in handy. Towards the last mile or so, you’ll be in the sun. Once you see the observatory, you’ve made it! There’s a lookout point to one side and the observatory to the other side. We were lucky and every facility was open. We got to see the 100-​foot telescope and a small museum. There are restrooms, a café and a water pump at the summit. You can either head back on the same trail or take the loop. If you’re taking the loop (which we did), go towards the observatory parking lot and hike down on the old toll road and you’ll see a dirt road to your left after a couple miles down. Continue on that dirt trail until you see a bench and continue on that trail behind it. You’ll continue going down and up sometimes and eventually it will lead you to the picnic and parking lot area of Chantry Flats.
Just side note, you can take a small detour to see Sturtevant Falls (a little over a mile hike) at the beginning of the trail and get back on the Mt. Wilson trail fairly easy.
Experience:
I would highly recommend starting this hike early. It took my friends and I 8 hours in total to hike this trail, including a couple breaks on the trail and we spent an hour or so at the top. The trail is fairly shady most of the way until the last mile or two, however, there are the annoying gnats. They werent too bothersome when I was on the hike, but they can be so i would wear a mosquito net headgear to be safe. Also watch for poison oaks! I wore shorts and came out fine but if you want to be safe, wear long hiking pants. I liked that the trail had a bit of up and down change so it wasn’t like flat all the way and then a sudden huge elevation gain or was uphill the whole way through. Plus it was also nice to see all the flowers blooming. Very pretty. The trail wasn’t too crowded when we hiked it on a Sunday morning, however, the lot was full by 7am so we had to park on the side of the road since we started out hike around 7:15am. When we got to the top around 11am or so, it was quite crowded near the café and parking area.
Overall the hike was great and rewarding. I would give it 4.5 stars. Although people said that it’s anti climatic at the top, I still enjoyed the view of the San Gabriel Mountains and the facilities they had at the top. I will say though, the hike down felt 10x longer since I was exhausted and just wanted to get back asap. The trail felt like foreverrrrrrrr. Good luck to the future hikers!

Amazing Hike!
Definitely 8 out of 10 on the hike scale
I started my morning at 8am at the chantry flats area. Parked in the lot, don’t forget your adventure parking pass (You can buy at REI) or just pay at the lot but make sure you have cash it’s cash only. Walked down chantry and took the trail up to Mt. Wilson. The hike starts off pretty relaxing and enjoyable but don’t let it fool you, the last 3 or so miles up to the top are extremely tough and will make you break a sweat lol
The trail is for the most part visible and signs are also there to help. Once you reach the top you will find the observatory and you are welcomed to go in and look, usually they have a small convince store open. You can go back down the way you came or there is a loop from the other side that will take you back down to chantry but if you take that trail you must be very careful cause if you make a wrong turn it will lead you to the Eaton Canyon trail and take you to the Altadena side and that adds about 3 extra hours of hiking to your time. From Chantry to Mt. Wilson and back to chantry at a decent moving pace is about 5 – 6 hrs. Definitely a hike if you are looking for a good workout. Enjoy!

I started this hike from the Sierra Madre trailhead. Park in front of the Mt Wilson Trail Park. Walk up the street and head to the right on Mt Wilson Trail Road for 0.12 miles until you reach the actual trailhead. The first time on this trail was on a weekend and it was very busy with trail runners. So this time, my dog Sammy and I started before sunrise and on a week day. It turned out to be a better outing, especially if you hike with a dog. Plus it is so peaceful before sunrise, and what a great view of the city lights below.
The round trip to the Mt Wilson Observatory is 15 miles with an elevation gain of 4,740 feet. It’s a tough hike for only summiting at 5,710′. The trail is very well marked with the first junction being First Water at 1.5 miles. It was still dark, so I checked it out on the way down. It’s less than a tenth of a mile to a nice little water stream. Exactly half way to Mt Wilson is Orchard Camp at 3.5 miles /​2,960′. As you climb the steeper switchbacks UP to the next landmark at 5.2 miles /​4,470′, it will be a ‘Bench’. From here, head to the left towards the antennas and the Mt Wilson Toll Road trail. The trail to the right of the bench is the Winter Creek Trail from Chantry Flats. After leaving the bench, it’s only a half of a mile where you merge to the right on the Mt Wilson Road. This abandoned wide road/​trail becomes more of a gentle walk. At 6.1 miles from the Sierra Madre trailhead when you see a concrete vault
on your left, look for the narrow dirt trail that will take you up the last of the switchbacks to the Cosmic Café parking lot. When you reach the parking lot, head up the stairs to the Cosmic Café that is open only on Saturday and Sundays from 10am till 5pm, April 1^st through Nov 30^th. From the Café, head N. East across the upper parking lot towards the 150 foot Solar Telescope. Follow the Sturtevant Trail sign to the east to the Echo Rock viewpoint for an AWESOME view! You will also find the Sturtevant Trailhead here that heads to Chantry Flat.
Around the Observatory there are so many things to see… like the Bridge to the Stars. Where Albert Einstein once stood in 1931! I found myself getting carried away up here and almost forgot we still had a 7 mile hike to get back to the truck.

I have been on many hikes and I’ve always done them without trekking poles. Except for this one. You will need them for sure! This is a hike that tried to make me its bitch (well, at least going up).
Depending on where you start, parking can be a hassle. We parked at Mira Monte and there was plenty of street parking. The entire trail going up is a mix of shade, sun, rocks, and narrow paths. The incline is definitely steeper than I anticipated, so if this is your first hike or if you aren’t in shape, you might want to reconsider going! Nothing in life that is worth it comes easy– the views on the way to the top and at the top are worth the sweat and stress involved. All in all, it is about 7 miles up/​7 miles down and about 6 hours of fun.
Things to bring:
–Water (I had a Camelback and it was greatly appreciated)
–Proper shoes and trekking poles
–Sunblock and a hat
–Snacks like bananas, energy bars, etc.
–Perhaps insect repellent? I’ve heard others complain about gnats and mosquitoes, but since we went in the winter, this wasn’t really a concern.
–Portable battery charger. Your phone will die from all the picture taking you will do!

Got my butt kicked summiting Mt. Wilson yesterday so here’s the breakdown:
Total time: 6 hours 45 minutes
Total distance: 14.2 miles
Elevation gain: ~4,200 feet.
–LOCATION: type «Chantry Flat Parking Lot and Trail Head» in Google and it will take you straight to Chantry Flats parking lot. My suggestion is to get there right as the lot opens at 6am because it fills up fast! Bring an Adventure Pass and display it in your car so you don’t get ticketed! Here’s the link where you can buy this pass:
— BRING: At least 3 Liters of water, 1 liter of electrolytes, snacks, lunch, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and trekking poles. At the moment (17^th of January) there is very little snow at the top so no crampons/​snowshoes are necessary, but check the weather conditions before you go because things do change.
–TRAILS: Here’s a good description of what to expect:
!
Mt. Wilson is a beauty of a hike. It’s also #1 of SoCal Peaks Challenge if you’re into completing all 6 peaks, which I’m trying to do.

To start off. I am not training for anything, I am not a pro hiker, I have never completed an Iron Man. Nothing at all, only the LA marathon. I thought I’d mention that because reading these reviews. People seemed super experienced.
So I just thought it would be fun to hike 14 miles and be challenged and OH MY GOD this hike was so hard. Honestly this is the first hike that made me so frustrated, but the more I kept going, I knew I was that much closer to the top.
I mean. It’s okay to yell and kick rocks. Just keep going up! Because there’s so much of it!
The top of the mountain is soo pretty. I could not believe that I was at the same height as the clouds. That is insane.
Oh also, when we reached the top, we ended up at some sort of observatory. We didn’t know where the road led so we turned around and went back down. Reviews were saying there was a shorter route to take back to the parking lot? The only one we saw was called Altadena but we didn’t know where it led so we just took the same route we came from.
Plus, the people there are super friendly. We passed by some mountain bikers and they are so insane. They did help us figure out which paths to take and some points.
Also, going back down is a freaking pain. Almost as bad as going up. I ate it and a week later my ankle is still sore and my toenail is still full of blood hahaha
Just keep telling yourself you can do it and GOOD LUCK.

Just hiked Mt. Wilson today and there are definitely a lot of things that can be said about this hike. Now, most of you have probably heard about this hike through that one «6 peak challenge» on SoCal. I’ll break down my experience as well as tips below.
# Location
There are many ways to get to the trail. You can either follow directions on the socalhiker website or you can just search up the directions on the Unilocal site (at Mira Monte). i suggest going with Mira Monte (plenty of parking and no pass needed!).
# The Trail
Now there’s essentially 2 distinct parts in the climb up, totally about 7.7 miles. The first 3.5 is pretty easy. You’re walking on smooth dirt with plenty of wiggle room. Once you pass the 3.5 mile mark near the Orchard site, the second part is a little tougher. There are plenty of rocks along the way as well as the incline. If you’re an experienced hiker (climbed some summits before), this will be pretty easy. However, if this is your first hike, please try something else beforehand; this will be a challenge.
Once you make it out of the trial, you’ll end up at Wilson toll road. You can take two paths up and I chose the one to the electric towers. There really isn’t too much to see up there (especially since observatory is closed, but check out the view!)
Tips:
1. use a map (either printed or virtual). I got lost coming down and i unfortunately had to walk an extra 4 miles to my car. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough road markers, so it can be a struggle.
2. There was one bit on the Wilson Trail where I thought I couldn’t move forward, but I was able to get to the path by climbing some rocks. Be patient and work carefully!
# Overall
In sum, I find this hike to be moderately challenging. The hardest part about the hike was that it was pretty long and I was frustrated when I got lost. However, if you are experienced and have a map with you that you’ll check constantly, it won’t be that bad. The total distance is about 15 miles and it will take you around 6 hours. There wasn’t much of a intense climb up to the top and the scenery at the top wasnt the best I’ve seen. However, it was a solid hike, for SoCal standards.
I’d give this ⁶⁄₁₀ for difficulty and ⁷⁄₁₀ for scenery.
Have fun and prosper!
–ß

My husband and I hiked to the peak of Mt Wilson as the first part of the SoCal Six Pack of Peaks Challenge 2016. SoCal Hiker said this hike would be 13.7 miles long but I think we took a different route and instead, clocked in at 15.47 miles. Word of advice: make sure you start this hike with fresh legs. My calves were already sore from doing double unders & the long incline up was so painful. The hike is really nice & scenic though watch out for poison oak. We ate all the snacks we brought. In hindsight, sandwiches or burritos would’ve been better. Though parking fills up really quickly, we got so lucky finding a spot right in front of the trailhead. A day adventure pass is $ 5 & sold at the pack station store (or REI Arcadia & some other locations I can’t remember).

I’ve hiked this trail 4 times. It’s approximately a 15 mile hike from Chantry Flats all the way to the observatory via the Upper Creek Trail going up, and the Stuartevant Trail coming down. This trail is a serious knee buster!
The observatory features a small café on top that has a limited selection of food but it’s still great that it’s up there for the weekend.
The trail itself is a very long 7-​ish miles up and 7-​ish miles down with a span of about 3,900 ft elevation gain. It’s extremely exhausting, but it’s well worth the sense of accomplishment after completing it!
There is a lot of bugs on this trail though. So bring a net for your head, or insect repellent!
On my fourth trip my friend and I encountered a girl from Colorado who was taking her dog on a road trip. Her name was Jenny and her dog’s name was Amos, we decided to summit together and went all the way down together! What an adventure!
She was lost because it’s her first day in California and she’s never hiked this trail before. This place has so many trails that one could easily get lost and go the wrong way if you take the wrong turn. Amos and Jenny were also great company, and it really made our hike even more great.

I recently discovered the 6 Pack of Peaks challenge and have my heart set on exploring some new hiking destinations/​summits. This past Sunday we decided on Mt. Wilson, it’s the closest to home so why not? What a day! We lucked out and found an open parking spot in the lot at Chantry Flats. Don’t forget to display your $ 5 Adventure Pass (which can be purchased at most sporting good stores i.e. Big 5, Sport Chalet, REI).
We started on the Gabrielino trail as if we were going to Sturtevant Falls (which we’ve visited before — nice spot!) but turned off to head up the Lower Trail to Mt Wilson. From what I’ve read I was anticipating this hike to be around 7 miles each way, for whatever reason it was 8.4 each way for us (according to my Fitbit). We started up at 11:50A and reached Mt Wilson after 3P. We stayed up here for a little while to check out the 100 inch telescope and walk towards the Café to refill our Camelbaks and use the very clean restrooms.
This hike is fairly moderate until you reach the last 2.8 miles when the elevation gain is pretty noticeable. Much of the trail is shaded and the climate, even on a warm day was fine. The absolute worst part of what I would have otherwise considered an enjoyable, lovely hike were the gnats. They were everywhere!!! We were on the trails for around 7hrs and 15min total (including time spent at Mt Wilson) and almost every single second of this time we were shooing away gnats. They were flying in our eyes, nose and mouth. It totally changed the element of this hike. Instead of only walking along a very well traced path, we had a total upper body workout the ENTIRE time. I wasn’t sure what would be more sore, my legs our my upper body from trying to keep these pesky insects away. Answer: My legs, but the gnats were the worse!
I’d definitely suggest a mosquito net for this hike. I’m not sure if this is the case year round, but it surely was for our hike. I spotted one woman wearing one and this was the best takeaway from the hike. It’s also much easier to hike and enjoy yourself if you aren’t constantly trying to keep these things away from you. I had a buff with me, which it was too warm to really wear to cover much but I pulled it down over my ears to help control the buzzing noise near my ears from these things and that helped but not much relief at all for my eyes and nose.
We descended and ended up coming back on the Upper Trail (horse trail) somehow which was fine since they both end up at the same place.
With any hike, don’t forget the sunscreen, a visor/​hat and some snacks. We had a 2L and 3L Camelbak and refilled at the top.
All in all, this would have been a much nicer hike without the constant insect issue. Being at the summit with telescopes that have been here for over 100 years is spectacular. I will definitely return via automobile ;) to check out the tours at Mt Wilson.