Mount Thom and Tongva Peak Loop

Verdugo Mountains, CA San Gabriel + San Bernardino Mountains

Trip stats

Distance
5.6 mi
Net Gain
2,100 ft
Time
2-4 hrs
YDS Rating
Class 1
Route
Loop
Peaks
2

Ratings out of 10

Effort
2.9/10
Personality
4/10
Beauty
4/10
Solitude
2.2/10
What do these mean? →

Peaks on this hike

Summits listed in route order

  1. Mount Thom
    2,440′ elevation · 40′ prominence
  2. Tongva Peak
    2,656′ elevation · 136′ prominence

Route map + Trailhead

Trailhead Coordinates

34.182500, -118.277074

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

Jun 8, 2017 — Follow a steep, yet popular, trail to an overlook with benches before heading farther to the Mt. Thom summit, a boring peak with radio towers. From here, a road called "Skyline Motorway" leads just below the ridgeline to Tongva Peak, which is even more ugly. Shortly after Tongva Peak, there is an opportunity to leave the road to follow a use trail along the ridgeline. Too soon, the ridgeline intersects again with the "Skyline Motorway". you could follow the road back to the trailhead, but I chose to follow the ridge a little longer and then continue down a super-steep sandy ridge. I'm happy I did, because it was much more direct and much more beautiful than the wide access road.

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Photos

20 photos

  1. Leaving the city below.
  2. Looking back along the ridge on the way up.
  3. Looking toward the lookout spot most people turn around (top of that hill).
  4. After the lookout spot, looking toward Mt. Thom (right).
  5. Looking back down the ridge toward the lookout spot.
  6. Mt. Thom ahead, covered with radio towers.
  7. Mt .Thom summit looking down the ridge I came up.
  8. Along the road toward Tongva Peak.
  10. After Tongva Peak, the road continues. I chose to head up the ridge ahead to get off the road.
  11. The ridge was a good choice - very pretty.
  12. The ridge meets back up with the road, which heads back to the trailhead from here. I chose to continue along the ridge to lengthen the hike and avoid the road.
  13. Looking back the way I came, San Gabriel Mountains hidden in the distance.
  14. Mt. Thom and Tongva Peak on the left, my ridge on the right.
  15. My chosen ridgeline down (right). If I had gone down the road instead, I would be walking down on the obvious scar on the left.
  16. Looking back up my ridgeline.
  17. Heading down the steep ridge.
  20. Back to civilization.

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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