There are a lot of places to hike in the Los Angeles vicinity. For city dwellers popular places are Runyon Canyon in Hollywood and Topanga Canyon near Malibu but the best hikes are in the Angeles National Forest. The Pacific Coast Trail runs through the Angeles Forest and a fantastic long hike through this area is Crystal Lake to Hawkins Ridge.
The trail begins at the Crystal Lake Campground, with parking at the visitors center or along the road. You will need an Adventure Pass or a National Parks Pass to park in this area.
The trail is about 11 miles roundtrip and there are plenty of options to make the hike a bit longer or shorter. This hike begins at an elevation of about 5,000 feet, and rises to just over 8,500. It’s a great test of your endurance if you haven’t done any long hikes yet this season.
One of the things I love most about hiking in the Angeles forest is that you’re usually surrounded by these huge pine trees. And there’s lots of little forest squirrels and other critters. And you have a lot of shade.
Shimoda Dads, Grads & Social Distancers Summer Spectacular Sale! Save $125 Off Select Explorer Series Gear! Shop Now! Sale Is Good 6/1/20 through 7/31/20!
As you come out of the tree line you will have sweeping views of the San Gabriel wilderness and Angeles national forest. Years of forest fires have drastically changed the landscape, and old gnarled trees can be seen strewn through 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. Make sure you bring snacks and water, as the trail is pretty exposed as you climb higher. Check out all my gear recommendations to see what I bring on every hike. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for woodpeckers, lizards and other mountain animals. Passing 3.5 miles you will come to a few other trail signs. Follow the one to the right towards Mt. Baden Powell, and the Hawkins Ridge trail. For a shorter hike you can head to the left to the summit of Mt. Islip.
After that junction you will come to the backside of the mountain with views over the 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 to see the full experience. If you want to continue another mile you can reach the summit of Throop Peak or take the Hawkins Ridge Trail back to the bottom of Crystal Lake.
I absolutely loved this hike. I would definitely do it again. If you’ve got a favorite hike in the LA area, let me know in the comments below.
Save this article for later
The scenery is beautiful, the views go on for miles. You had great weather for your hike
Thank you Suzanne. I sure did have some great weather. This is one of my new favorite hikes.
What an absolutely stunning hike! I couldn’t believe it when there was snow along the upper reaches of the trail. The extra0.3miles that you did were worth every step for that view from the top of Mt Hawkins!
I couldn’t believe it either. I was very glad to see it though, it was such a beautiful day along the PCT. I look forward to hiking it again in the fall.
This was a first for me! I don’t usually watch videos in blog posts, but I did watch this one and loved it! It really gave a sense of the terrain and showed off those fabulous views. Loved that you were slightly out of breath too – makes me feel not so bad! Glad those rattle snakes did not materialise on the hike!Not sure I would have made a snow angel wearing shorts though. Amazing that there are such great hikes so close to the city. Would love to do this one when I manage to visit Los Angeles.
Jane, thank you so much for watching, I am so glad you enjoyed the video. It is certainly a beautiful hike.
This looks so beautiful! I have never done a hike as long as 11 miles but it’s good that it’s possible to make it longer or shorter. Your pictures are stunning, and it looks like you had incredibly clear weather on the day you went. When I get a chance to visit LA I’ll definitely keep in mind that there are beautiful places like this outside the city and that it might be worth it to schedule a day or two for a hike!
The next time I come back to the Left Coast, I am definitely adding a hike through Angeles National Forest because those views are amazing! I actually am an avid backpacker so I may just do the entire Pacific Coast Trail with my buddy from San Diego.