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 Reporter |
Summary: I enjoyed this hike up the slopes of Mount Williamson. You traverse through a somewhat sparse pine forest with spectacular views of the desert to the north and bear canyon to the south. I particularly liked the are near the summit with lush green vegetation in addition to the pines. From the summit, you can see the rippled earth along the San Andres fault off to the north east. The trail heads up the sloops at a moderate rate for about 2 miles where you hit a junction at the ridgeline and then heads up to the right to the summit. There is one short section with about 200 foot of elevation gain near the top that I would rate strenuous. The summit has a short 100 yard side trail that leads up to it on the left. The trail continues past the summit along Pleasant Ridge for a mile or so, which is an option for those that want to extend their hike a bit (I mistakenly took this route not realizing I had already passed the summit!) Trailhead: From the 210 freeway in La Canada, take the Angeles Crest Highway (2) and drive 38 miles to the Pacific Crest Trail parking area on the left side of the road (just past the 2 tunnels). This area is called Islip Saddle. The trailhead is on the left side of the parking lot, just behind the rest rooms. (Lat:34.35685 Lon:-117.85134) Trail Guides for Mt Williamson: Day Hikers Guide to Southern California by John McKinney (Olympus Press) California Hiking by Tom Stienstra & Ann Marie Brown (Foghorn Press) Trails of the Angles - 100 Hikes in the San Gabriels by John W. Robinson (Wilderness Press) Best Seasons: Summer, Fall User Groups: Hikers, Dogs, Bikes, 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 4 Submit your own review 
Reviewed by girljo on 9/5/2008 Hiked 8/23/08. Nice hike w/ shade in places. The reward at the top is great when you come out of the trees and see the expanse of desert laid out. You can see the San Andreas fault from the false summit plateau. We continued on another hour down that STEEP scree to the airplane crash site.
Reviewed by David on 6/29/2008 i've been up on top about five times. Used to loop this around from the Rattlesnake Trail before it got closed for the endangered frog habitat. The route went along Pleasant View Ridge over Pallett xcountry and to Burkhardt Saddle. Summit register requires you to follow the ridge west around two bumps. As the trail contours around the second bump look for a use trail to the left up to the top. The furthest, third bump is the highest but go figure.
Reviewed by Ron on 5/13/2008 Wife and I did this on Monday, 12 May 08. Nice to be back in the high country. A little bit of snow on the trail going from the old summit to the true summit. The "true" summit register has been torn down and removed??? It was there last year when we did this hike twice. Another great day, and better than work! 
Reviewed by SL on 1/2/2008 My dog and me just absolutely love this hike. We love the rock scrambling along the ridge, the view is great, the numerous steep climbs... great fun! It doesn't get as much snow as Islip does and is more windy on this side. This hike usually goes by really quick because we always have so much fun. ps. pick up after your pooch!
Reviewed by Ron on 10/8/2007 Well with my favorite hiking partner working (my wife Linda) I took my standby partner with me. We hiked from mile marker 62.50 up to the false and true summits of Williamson. It was a cool morning but warmed up as we climbed up the mountain. We ran into a couple of deer but that was about it. There isn't any snow left but it was a beautiful clear day and a great hike. We came down to Islip saddle were we had left one of the trucks and that made for a nice through hike.
Reviewed by Liz on 9/18/2007 When you get to the top you can extend your hike by walking the backbone or ridge. I would suggest walking sticks and good shoe tread if you should attempt this.
Reviewed by Ron on 9/6/2007 On 9-5-07 the wife and I hit the trail at 0838 and completed the hike at 1138. No problems with locating and following the trail. We left from mile marker 62.50 and returned the same way. Next time we would like to start from Islip Saddle and return the other way. It was a really nice day and the views were pretty good dispite the recent fires. We returned to Palmdale in time to pick the kids up from school by 1:30. Up next is Mt. Islip or Waterman.
Reviewed by GT & SB on 8/9/2007 Hiked on 8/4/07; nice hike with very good views from the summit (I & II, depending on where you stop, about a quarter mi. from ea. other). Haze/smoke obsured the views, but still a very worthwhile 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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||