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 Reporter |
Summary: The views to the south from the summit of Mt Islip are nothing short of stunning. You can see Crystal Lake, the front range of the San Gabriels, as well as the San Gabriel river canyon. I had my lunch looking at this vista and felt like I was in heaven. The hike starts out heading up a forest service road for a half mile, then you head left at the signed trailhead to Little Jimmy Camp, one mile ahead. I really like the gently rolling, pine shaded trail into Little Jimmy Camp. The less ambitious in your group can relax in the camp (it has rest rooms and a spring a 1/4 mile away), while the balance of your group heads up to the summit. The summit trail is at the back of Little Jimmy camp (walk past both rest rooms). The summit trail takes you up some switch backs to a ridgeline. There is a junction with another trail at the ridgeline that comes up from Crystal Lake, but you should stay on the ridgeline trail up to the summit. Trailhead: From the 210 freeway in La Canada, take the Angeles Crest Highway (2) and drive 39.5 miles to a turnout on the right, 1.5 miles past the 2 tunnels. There is a forest service road with a yellow gate about 50 foot past the turnout. Head up this dirt road for to the junction with the trail to Little Jimmy Camp. (Lat:34.35167 Lon:-117.83504) Trail Guides for Mt Islip: Day Hikers Guide to Southern California by John McKinney (Olympus Press) Afoot & Afield In Los Angeles by Jerry Schad (Wilderness Press) Trails of the Angles - 100 Hikes in the San Gabriels by John W. Robinson (Wilderness Press) Best Seasons: Summer, Fall User Groups: Hikers, Bikes, Dogs, Horses Ranger Contact: Angeles National Forest 626-335-1251 Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Jim Zuber, who has posted 104 other hikes on this site Trail Reviews Page 1 of 5 Submit your own review 
Reviewed by Anthony on 8/14/2009 Hiked this trail with my daughter and dog. Got a late start (1230 pm) but still made the top by 3pm and back to the car before 5. The overgrown section near the meadow had been freshly cut back but there were a few bees buzzing around the blooming brush nearby. There is NO SIGN for this trail which confused us a bit. The sign in the Islip Saddle Parking Lot DOES NOT go to Mt. Islip. You MUST CROSS THE STREET and go left a bit to find only a wooden post with no sign on it half hidden behind the chaparral. The trail was is great shape I must say. Very few rocks, mostly soft dirt that made it easy walking for my dog. Little Jimmy Camp was open, shady and looks like a cool place to take a break for lunch like we did.
Reviewed by zero on 7/28/2009 I think this trail would be best in the fall or spring, or at night... there wasn't a lot of shade during the afternoon, and it got really dry and hot. The incline isn't that bad, but it's unrelenting. The trail wasn't overgrown, and I encountered only one other hiker throughout the entire day (I love my solitude!). I saw something pretty big flash by in the distance... maybe a deer but maybe a bighorn sheep??? I'll never know! I stopped and hiked the Alta Sierra trail right before starting on this one - it is a short, fifteen to twenty minute warmup that takes you on a little wilderness loop with interpretive signs. A fun way to stretch out from the long car ride and get acclimated!
Reviewed by GGC on 6/8/2009 Also hiked yesterday 6/7/09. Just as Steve says, clouds started to come up and over late in the afternoon. The views are breathtaking. Will definitely be doing this hike again.
Reviewed by Steve on 6/8/2009 Hiked on Sun. 6/7/09. 63 degrees. Beautiful forest through the Little Jimmy area. Some burn areas near the top. Clouds were trying to get over the ridge but didn't make it until later in the day. At the summit looked down on LA but saw only the tops of clouds. Had a beautiful view of the desert, though. Got buzzed by a airplane at the top. Waved at him and he dipped his wings. As a pre hike for Half Dome it was an all around georgous day in the mountains.
Reviewed by PK on 3/1/2009 Tried this one the other day, with all the snow/ice still atop, and I don't quite recommend it, even with snowshoes, as it gets quite downward slopey about 0.5 miles in! 
Reviewed by PK on 11/13/2008 Very windy, can be cold, so bring something to cover your ears unless you like frostbitten lobes. No flowers really so no bees. Good balance of cool and humid these days. Though still very windy near and at the top, FYI.
Reviewed by girljo on 9/7/2008 Hiked 9/6/08. Great hike for beginners. After the first 5 minutes of steep from the traihead you hike on an easy grade past a beautiful meadow. Then you step into the treeline with a beautiful shaded gradual trail. Past the Little Jimmy camp it's a nice trail to Windy Gap with SPECTACULAR views. The panorama of the burned areas, forests, Crystal Lake and distant reservoirs are beautiful. Worth driving 40 miles all the way up Angeles Crest to the Road Closed sign.
Reviewed by PK on 8/27/2008 The first quarter mile or so was very overgrown, and there were lots of bees, FYI. Skipped the spring, just went for the peak and the ruined cabin there. The views were jaw-droppingly gorgeous, especially to the South. The campground was a lot bigger than I imagined as well. There were also lots of bees near the peak as well. Overall, great hike! Notice: Traveling in the backcountry can be hazardous. You are responsible for informing yourself about these hazards and taking necessary precautions. Information on this web site comes from volunteer reporters and may contain errors or omissions. A current guidebook and proper equipment are essential for safe enjoyment of the hikes posted on this site. Keys: California Hiking, California Trails, California Hikes, Los Angeles County Hiking, Los Angeles County Trails, Los Angeles County Hikes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||