Mount Wilson Trail (Sierra Madre)
San Gabriel Mountains (Sierra Madre) · near Sierra Madre / Pasadena · Los Angeles / SoCal
Trail Running
At a glance
- Difficulty
- expert
- Distance
- 14 miles
- Elevation gain
- 4,500 ft
- Best season
- Fall–spring · dangerous heat & fire closures in summer
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- No
- How the permit works
- No permit. Angeles National Forest — an Adventure Pass ($5/day) is needed if parking at forest trailheads; the Sierra Madre town trailhead is free. Check for fire closures.
What is here
- Features
- One of SoCal's oldest race routes (since 1908) · 5,700-ft summit with historic observatory · Brutal, technical canyon climb · Orchard Camp halfway point
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Allowed
- Good for a first timer
- No
Trail Running detail
- Surface
- technical
- Race
- Mount Wilson Trail Race (since 1908 — 2nd-oldest foot race in California)
- Intl tip
- Start from the historic trailhead in Sierra Madre (Mira Monte Ave) — free town parking. The San Gabriels are fire-prone; always check Angeles National Forest closures before heading up. The Cosmic Café at the Mount Wilson summit (seasonal) is a fun turnaround treat.
The guide
The Mount Wilson Trail is Southern California mountain running at its most historic and brutal — the route of the Mount Wilson …
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Mount Wilson Trail (Sierra Madre) — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 34.168, -118.051