Mount Lowe, Mount Markham, San Gabriel Peak via Sam Merrill Trail

Angeles National Forest, CA San Gabriel + San Bernardino Mountains

Trip stats

Distance
18.2 mi
Net Gain
5,500 ft
Time
7-10 hrs
YDS Rating
Class 1
Route
Loop
Peaks
4

Ratings out of 10

Effort
6.9/10
Personality
4/10
Beauty
6/10
Solitude
1.9/10
What do these mean? →

Peaks on this hike

Summits listed in route order

Ridgeline of the 4 summits in route order 01 02 03 04
  1. Echo Mountain
    3,207′ elevation · N/A prominence
  2. Mount Lowe
    5,603′ elevation · 243′ prominence
  3. Mount Markham
    5,742′ elevation · 422′ prominence
  4. San Gabriel Peak
    6,161′ elevation · 1,561′ prominence

Route map + Trailhead

Trailhead Coordinates

34.203994, -118.130634

The directions link below drops a pin on the trailhead coordinates and lets Google Maps pick the route. If the drive has rough roads or access issues that GPS nav might get wrong, I cover that in my trip report.

Get directions (opens Google Maps in a new tab)

Trip report

Nov 28, 2017 — This hike starts at the Sam Merrill Trailhead, which leads up a popular trail to Echo Mountain, where you can find plaques and remains of old railroad supplies, the Mt. Lowe Railway Historical Marker. Continue up the Castle Canyon Trail to Inspiration Point, and then follow the Mt. Lowe Road for a short time until the Mt. Lowe East Trail materializes on the right. Hit the Mt. Lowe summit (a short side trip) before continuing to Mt. Markham, and then backtracking and heading to the summit of San Gabriel Peak.

In order to make this a sort-of-loop, I followed the Mt. Lowe Road back to where I left it on the way up, and despite being a dirt road rather than a trail, it gave some awesome views. After a few miles, it met up with the Sam Merrill Trail, a really nice hillside trail that lead back to Echo Mountain, and back down the way I came.

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Photos

57 photos

  1. Starting along the Sam Merrill Trail.
  8. Approaching Echo Mountain summit (sort of a summit).
  9. Mt. Lowe Railway Historical Marker
  11. Continuing up Castle Canyon Trail.
  12. Looking back along the Castle Canyon Trail.
  15. Looking back down the Castle Canyon Trail. Lush San Gabriel Hills.
  20. Approaching Inspiration Point.
  21. A nice view from Inspiration Point back down the Castle Canyon Trail.
  22. Inspiration Point, Mt. Lowe somewhere behind and to the right.
  23. Mt. Lowe ahead.
  24. Looking back along Mt. Lowe East Trail.
  25. Close-up of the Inspiration Point shelter.
  29. Looking back on the way up to Mt. Lowe, Mt. Wilson on the left.
  31. On the side trail to summit Mt. Lowe, Mt. Markham (center) and San Gabriel Peak (left) visible.
  32. Mt. Lowe summit.
  33. Little viewfinders of the different mountains on the summit of Mt. Lowe.
  34. Mt. Lowe summit view looking south.
  35. Back on the trail to Mt. Markham. There is a trail that parallels the Mt. Wilson Road, a hundred feet below to the left. I'll be coming back on Mt. Wilson Road later.
  36. Mt. Markham ahead.
  37. Looking back toward Mt. Lowe on the way up to Mt. Markham.
  38. Mt. Markham summit.
  39. Mt. Markham summit looking toward San Gabriel Peak.
  40. Back on the trail to San Gabriel Peak.
  41. Heading up to San Gabriel Peak.
  44. San Gabriel Peak ahead.
  45. San Gabriel Peak summit, looking south.
  46. San Gabriel Peak summit, looking toward Mt. Wilson, Mt. Baldy behind and to the left.
  47. On the way down, a close-up of trail that parallels Mt. Wilson Road.
  48. Along Mt. Wilson Road.
  49. Mt. Wilson Road looking back toward Mt. Markham (center) and San Gabriel Peak (center left). Disappointment Peak far left.
  51. Joined up with the Sam Merrill Trail again.
  57. Sam Merrill Trail leads back to the Mt. Lowe Railway Historical Marker, which leads down to the trailhead.

Photo 1 of 1

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Hire or refer me as a web developer, or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I'm not sponsored, so it's funded by yours truly. It also takes a ton of work to edit photos and write these reports. I really appreciate it!

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