Mount Lowe Lollipop is a 14-mile route from Lake Ave to the summit of Mount Lowe located outside of Altadena, California. A majority of this lollipop route is singletrack and follows some of the most popular trails in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. This route passes by the historical Echo Mountain as well as Inspiration Point viewpoint. It is a fun, yet challenging route that attracts hikers, trail runners, backpackers, and mountain bikers.
Mount Lowe Lollipop is conveniently located for city dwellers living in the Los Angeles area to quickly escape up into the mountains. There is street parking available on Lake Ave, at the beginning of the route, but it tends to fill up on weekends. While the lollipop described here is a fun way to ascend Mount Lowe, there are endless options for longer or shorter distances.
The trail has very little shade and can be extremely hot in the summer. Castle Canyon may have some water flowing and there is a water fountain near the trailhead.
DIRECTIONS
Starting from Lake Ave the route begins with the Sam Merrill Trail up to the junction of Echo Mountain (2.6 miles). From there, take the Castle Canyon Trail uphill. Pass Inspiration Point and stay to the right at the four way intersection (do not turn right onto Idlehour Trail, stay on the dirt road/fire break) and follow the fire break to the Mount Lowe Trail. Continue uphill on Mount Lowe East until you reach the Mount Lowe Summit junction on your left. Hike the short distance to the peak and enjoy the views of the city to the west, and the mountains in the east. Descend from the mountain via Mount Lowe West and continue downhill via the Sam Merrill Trail which will take you all the way back to the start.
MORE INFORMATION
For more information about the San Gabriel Mountains visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/angeles.
Comments
Sign In and share them.