Echo Mountain (Altadena)
The trek to Echo Mountain is a great hike in the lower San Gabriels to incredible vistas, forested mountain canyons, and the ruins of a turn-of-the-century mountaintop resort. This route also has bonus enjoyment for history buffs, in the form of plaques and markers placed along the ruins and the route of an old railroad through the mountains.
One of the first things you’ll see on the trail is a marker placed by the Altadena Historical Society, marking the entrance to the former Cobb Estate, and the Echo Mountain trailhead. You will see many more plaques along the way.
The trail crosses a flood control area and begins zigzagging its way up the southwest base of Echo Mountain. This section of the trail is very heavily-traveled but is in excellent shape. The path is very well maintained with only a few pieces of trail trash on the way up. The trail gets more rugged the further along you hike, but nothing’s too bad on this stretch. If you’re hiking in the morning, you’ll get plenty of shade while climbing the west side of the ridge — otherwise, you’re not getting much of any shade.
- Address: E Loma Alta Dr at Lake Ave, Altadena
- Hours: Part of the Angeles National Forest, the trail doesn’t officially close and is popular with night hikers.
- Parking: Look for free street parking by the entrance.
- Pets? Dogs allowed on leashes.
- Length: 5 miles
- Time: 2.5–3.5 hrs
