Angeles National Forest Hiking: Crystal Lake to Hawkins Ridge

Angeles National Forest Hiking: What’s the Best Trail?

There are a lot of places to hike in the Los Angeles vicinity. For city dwellers, some of the most popular places are Runyon Canyon in Hollywood and Topanga Canyon near Malibu, but—and trust me on this one—Angeles National Forest hiking is the best you’ll find in the area. The Pacific Coast Trail runs through the Angeles National Forest, and after exploring this area in-depth, I’ve found the best long hike through this area is Crystal Lake to Hawkins Ridge.

The trail begins at the Crystal Lake Campground, with parking available at the visitors center or along the road. You will need an Adventure Pass or a National Parks Pass to park in this area. I’ll share everything you need to know to do some Angeles National Forest hiking below! 

The hike from Crystal Lake Campground to beautiful Hawkins Ridge is one for the books! While I’m sharing everything you need to know about this hike, I may include some affiliate links that benefit me with a small commission from purchases made through them. It doesn’t cost you anything extra and really helps me keep this blog going, so thank you for your support!

About the Crystal Lake to Hawkins Ridge Trail

The Crystal Lake to Hawkins Ridge trail is about 11 miles round-trip. There are plenty of options you can take on the trail to make the hike a bit longer or shorter, depending on what you’re looking for and your comfort level. This hike begins at an elevation of about 5,000 feet and rises to just over 8,500 feet—a good amount of elevation gain. It’s a great test of your endurance if you haven’t done any long hikes yet this season, and it’s perfect to start ramping up your endurance as part of my training guide for hikers and backpackers!

One of the things I love most about Angeles National Forest hiking is that most trails leave you surrounded by these huge, sheltering pine trees. There’s lots of little forest squirrels and other critters along the way,  you’ll have a lot of shade for warm days, and the vibe is almost enchanted. The Crystal Lake to Hawkins Ridge trail is no exception!

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What to Expect on the Crystal Lake to Hawkins Ridge Trail

First things first—get prepared for a little Angeles National Forest hiking by bringing all the right stuff! You will need snacks, water, and sunscreen or sun protection (the trail is pretty exposed as you climb higher). Don’t forget to bring your 10 essentials for hiking! You can check out all my gear recommendations to see what I bring on every hike.

Just as you come out of the tree line, you will immediately be greeted with sweeping views of the San Gabriel wilderness and Angeles National Forest. It’s a stunning view, but note that years of forest fires have drastically changed the landscape. Look for the old, gnarled trees that you’ll see strewn through the green new growth as you make your way up the trail.

As you start the ascent, you will follow the sign to the Windy Gap Trail. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for woodpeckers, lizards, and other mountain animals. About 3.5 miles down the trail, you will come to a few other trail signs—these are the options I talked about for making the hike shorter or longer. Go left for a shorter hike, or keep right to make it to the Hawkins Ridge trail.

• On the right: Follow towards Mt. Baden Powell and the Hawkins Ridge trail.
• On the left: For a shorter hike, you can head to the left to reach the summit of Mt. Islip.

After that junction, you will come to the backside of the mountain with views over the gorgeous San Fernando Valley.  The trail meanders for about another 1.5 miles to the summit of Mt. Hawkins. The view is just absolutely stunning. Check out the video above to see the full experience.

If you want to continue another mile (you can do it!), you can reach the summit of Throop Peak or take the Hawkins Ridge Trail back to the bottom of Crystal Lake.

Is it the Best Angeles National Forest Hiking Trail?

Overall, this is my favorite Angeles National Forest hiking experience and I’d rank it as the best trail in the forest (keep right and take the Hawkins Ridge trail instead of going left). I’ve done tons of trails in the area and around the world, and I absolutely loved this hike. I would definitely do it again and highly recommend it if you’re in the area and want to disappear into the wilderness for a few hours.

If you’ve got a favorite hike in the L.A. area, let me know in the comments below.

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