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 Reporter |
Summary: In the early days of the Cold War in the late 1950's, our government decided that L.A. needed an escape route in case of a nuclear attack. Building Shoemaker Canyon Road was the supposed solution. But they soon abandoned this ill-conceived project, leaving a "road to nowhere" and nasty scares in some of the most rugged and beautiful terrain in the San Gabriels. Today, this well-graded dirt road penetrates several miles up the East Fork of the San Gabriel River, on the east-facing slope hundreds of feet above the water. And then it ends. No glamorous destination. The road just stops abruptly in the thick brush on a steep mountainside. The hike begins at the locked gate and proceeds up the road about 2.5 miles, passing through two long road tunnels in route. At the end of the second tunnel is where the maintained road ends. Unless you're wearing long pants and prepared for bushwhacking for another half mile, this is where you'll want to turn around and head home. Trailhead: From Interstate 210 in Azusa, take Azusa Avenue (Hwy 39) north about 12 miles to the junction at the East Fork Road (8.6 miles from the forest station at the mouth of the canyon) Turn right (east). Cross the bridge and drive 3.3 miles to Shoemaker Road on the left. Turn left unto Shoemaker Road and drive 2 miles on paved road to the locked gate. Park in the parking area. You will need a National Forest Adventure Pass ($5 a day or $30 annual), available at the forest entry station on weekends or from several businesses along Azusa Avenue. (Lat:34.23501 Lon:-117.77065) Trail Guides for Shoemaker Canyon Road, East Fork San Gabriel River: Dan's Hiking Pages - Shoemaker Canyon Road by Dan Simpson (More detailed description of this hike) Afoot and Afield in Los Angles County by Jerry Schad (Wilderness Press) Best Seasons: Fall, Spring, Winter, User Groups: Hikers, Dogs, Bikes, Horses, Ranger Contact: Angeles National Forest, San Gabriel River Ranger District: 626-335-1251 Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Dan Simpson, who has posted 4 other hikes on this site. To visit this reporters web site, click here. Trail Reviews Submit your own review 
Reviewed by Richard on 1/25/2010 I hiked this with a small group of young Boy Scouts on 1/24/10, shortly after a week of rain/snow storms pelted the area. I was worried about mud, but the road had drained nicely. I was still cold in the shade though, and there were actually patches of crusty snow and ice on the trail. There were also some fresh mud/rockslides, one of which nearly totally blocked the trail. But with care, it can be bypassed. The sun was out, making it a very pleasant, shirt-sleeve hike in the middle of winter, while we watched snow blowing off Baldy above us. Love it!
Reviewed by SDB on 12/14/2009 Great hike. Hardly saw anybody else. DO be careful we did see a medium/large avalanche that blocked some of the trail. I think the elevation gain was well over 500' though. My kids had a little troubles with it but we plan on going again soon. 
Reviewed by MF & RF on 8/17/2009 Nice, easy hike, even on a warm summer day. The breeze through tunnels cools you off. The bee hives are gone, but a small swarm of wild bees popped up unexpectedly and buzzed by us along its merry way. Only saw two other hikers on the trail. Collected a sack full of bottles and cans, which we try to do on any trail we hike. Always try to leave things better than we found them.
Reviewed by SB on 1/18/2009 Easy and historically interesting hike. No bees at this time of year nor any significant wildlife at all. The tunnels are quite impressive and can be creepy if you have an overactive imagination! We actually got started very late and did the hike back down in the dark without a moon, just flashlights. No problems though. We saw no one on our trail, but did spot people on the trail along the river below.
Reviewed by Dale on 5/9/2008 This is a very easy hike when the weather is cool. I would suggest using this hike as a primer for the bridge to nowhere hike or any of the other longer hikes in the east fork area. I saw a few big horn prints but the only actual wildlife that I saw were the swift that have built mud housings at the top entry point to the first tunnel. It would also appear that the end of this trail is now unaccessible by the typical hiker as the last 1/4 mile past the second tunnel is washed out.
Reviewed by Pete Parker on 11/26/2005 The second paragraph references the WEST fork - it is actually on the EAST fork.
Reviewed by Sarah on 4/25/2005 Great Hike, easy in and out. Took me 2.5 hours total including .5 lunch break. Yes, bees are present, but they didn't bother me cuz I didn't bother them. =) I recommend taking a small flash light if you do the tunnels on an overcast day or late in the afternoon, they are pretty dark. Sadly there is quite a bit of grafiti in some spots. Didn't see too much trash thankfully. Views are spectacular, got some nice photos.. Have fun! contact me at cowredvines@hotmail.com if you would like any addt'l info/recommendations.
Reviewed by James on 6/1/2004 I took my daughter on this hike. It was a very nice, easy hike. The tunnels are very interesting (and "spooky", according to my daughter. A word of caution. There are two spots along the trail that have active commercial bee hives in operation. The hives are roped off w/barbed wire, but of course, these locations were teeming w/bees. I was stung once, and my dtr freaked out when some bees got stuck in her hair. So, be cautious if your allergic to bee venom. 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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||