I have done all the sections except from Switzers to Valley Forge, and multiply times. Definitely on my bucket list as a backpack even though I am semi retired from backpacking. The great thing about this hike is that both starting/ending points have easy access from city. Only thing different is that I would start lower down in Highland Park or South Pasadena and come up the Arroyo Seco Trail. I have spent many a night at Oak Wilde and Devore and those two places were the best. I haven't been to Oak Wilde since the Station Fire back on 2009, and I am sure I can camp there without a camp fire if the fire danger wasn't too high. Take care and thank you again!
I agree with you about starting a Gabrielino hike down in Highland Park and taking the Arroyo Seco trail. It is a truly charming trail, through South Pasadena, up past the Rose Bowl, past JPL, and then up into the canyon to go back and forth across the stream. That trail is one of the FEW things I miss after I moved from Pasadena to New York City three years ago.
@@HuckOutdoors Looking forward to it. Just be careful of water in the winter below the "narrows" (Bear Canyon) on the Arroyo Seco. Two of my friends got swept away back in the 70s and made it out several hundred yards downstream and I was there. The rest of us did a log after that and jimmied across with full packs. There is a reason for Devils Gate Dam and the cement channel all the way to the ocean!
Good and helpful video. We're taking our Scout Troop on the Gabrielino Trail this weekend, from Red Box to West Fork trail camp. I'll report back on current conditions.
@Hikingguy Trail Update: Hiked it this weekend with our Scouts, poison ivy, and poodle brush was not an issue. It was present but not overgrown. There was a section between Red Box and Valley Forge, where the trail crossed the stream, where lots of non poison bushes were overgrown where it was easy to lose the trail. Overall, it's super fun trail.
@@louisgarcia2415 Awesome, thanks for the update. And that section between Valley Forge and Red Box has always been pretty overgrown since I did it about 12 years ago. Glad you made it through. Will be nice when Chantry opens again.
Great video; very informative!! Looks like some of the lushest scenery in the Angeles occurs along here! I was hiking on the peaks over Chilao this Saturday, and the bugs were insane over there too!
Saw some of your videos, glad you're posting. Yea, the bugs are intense this year, don't remember it ever being this bad. Going to get more guides for the middle / more obscure trails around Chilao in the near future up.
Yeah, the bugs are worse now, it seems, than in the summer for some odd reason! I am glad you checked out a few videos. I do hiking mini-series, mostly peakbagging, and I do Spotlight on Trees, and sometimes random hiking videos. I will stay tuned for more of your videos as they are the most interesting and helpful. I am glad you spend a lot of time in the Angeles, one of my favorite national forests!
Wonderfully detailed guide! It really helps with planning as I get back into backpacking. Have you considered making a guide for the Silver Moccasin Trail?
Thank you and yes, Silver Moccasin is on the list. I think a good chunk of it got nailed by the Bobcat fire. Just waiting for COVID / winter / Bobcat closures / general insanity to end before I start taking a look again.
We did part of this hike last year November 2020 and there was a section of the trail between oakwilde and bear canyon where there had been a landslide. If I remember correctly there was a 50 foot section of loose soil with a foot-wide trail and a big drop. We made it across but I would not go over it again. It may be fixed by now but I have no idea.
Hey Chris. Just attempted this past weekend (12/15/19) and the trail is in pretty bad shape between Newcomb’s and West fork. I had to turn back because of all the recently fallen trees. Thought I’d let you/your viewers know.
Thanks for the update Sean, appreciate your posting here. What was the deal, just big trees that you can't squeeze through or over? I'll put a note on the article too.
HikingGuy.com yeah exactly. I mean you technically can get around them but it’s very difficult as they have all their branches and leaves still on them. I got as far as halfway between Devore and West Fork and was so mentally/physically exhausted from it i wasn’t going to finish the trail as an overnight so had to turn back. I’m not an inexperienced hiker either. There were so many of them too, probably every 30-50 yards a new obstacle.
@@seanhabibi7425 Yea, I know what you mean. A lot of those dead trees probably fell down from the snow and ice over the last few weeks. I was going to do a guide to the Gab a few years ago and it was in a a similar condition. No fun getting through that stuff. It should get cleared up by the spring.
Where is the entrance that mountain bikers usually start at? Do they start at an entrance going downhill vs uphill, assuming downhill is funner.. what are some important items to bring? For insect repellant, bear, lion deterrent, what else, anything else? What about camping spots in that area, where do they put their trailers?
I keep hearing that the section between Newcomb and Valley Forge is very unmaintained with many downed trees which keeps deterring me from doing it. Didn't seem like that was the case with your hike, or was it bad but manageable? Edit: Nevermind, just read the other comment saying how it's impassable now. So disappointed. Doesn't seem like much attention is paid to this great trail even though it is a National Recreation Trail...
The trail is maintained but generally with a lower priority than the more popular trails in the area. This year there was a lot of wet snow and tree falls, and in the spring when crews would go out and clear it, the whole lockdown happened, so it's probably not in great shape. I'm not sure of the status of the clearing, but I would call the ranger office listed in the guide and they can give you an update. In general the trail is pretty bad in the spring and decent by late summer / fall. Every year it's different though.
Thank you for these videos. I'm just getting into hiking /camping and seeing how it all works makes me much less nervous about going out.
I have done all the sections except from Switzers to Valley Forge, and multiply times. Definitely on my bucket list as a backpack even though I am semi retired from backpacking. The great thing about this hike is that both starting/ending points have easy access from city. Only thing different is that I would start lower down in Highland Park or South Pasadena and come up the Arroyo Seco Trail. I have spent many a night at Oak Wilde and Devore and those two places were the best. I haven't been to Oak Wilde since the Station Fire back on 2009, and I am sure I can camp there without a camp fire if the fire danger wasn't too high. Take care and thank you again!
Nice, and yea, Oakwilde is basically overgrown ruins the last time I was there. You can probably clear some flat areas but it might be a bit hairy...
@@Hikingguy I may have to do a longer day hike up there to see, I really loved that place. Thank you Cris!
I agree with you about starting a Gabrielino hike down in Highland Park and taking the Arroyo Seco trail. It is a truly charming trail, through South Pasadena, up past the Rose Bowl, past JPL, and then up into the canyon to go back and forth across the stream. That trail is one of the FEW things I miss after I moved from Pasadena to New York City three years ago.
Well done! Will be doing this one next year!
Thank you! Have fun, it's a neat one.
Hopefull you will post it? I subscribe to both of you guys, and thank you to both!
@@concerned1313 Most likely it will be a fall/winter hike. Was hoping to do it this past spring but other trips came up.
@@HuckOutdoors Looking forward to it. Just be careful of water in the winter below the "narrows" (Bear Canyon) on the Arroyo Seco. Two of my friends got swept away back in the 70s and made it out several hundred yards downstream and I was there. The rest of us did a log after that and jimmied across with full packs. There is a reason for Devils Gate Dam and the cement channel all the way to the ocean!
Good and helpful video. We're taking our Scout Troop on the Gabrielino Trail this weekend, from Red Box to West Fork trail camp. I'll report back on current conditions.
I heard there's a decent amount of poison oak. Waiting for Chantry to open again so I can do the whole thing and update the guide.
@Hikingguy Trail Update: Hiked it this weekend with our Scouts, poison ivy, and poodle brush was not an issue. It was present but not overgrown.
There was a section between Red Box and Valley Forge, where the trail crossed the stream, where lots of non poison bushes were overgrown where it was easy to lose the trail.
Overall, it's super fun trail.
@@louisgarcia2415 Awesome, thanks for the update. And that section between Valley Forge and Red Box has always been pretty overgrown since I did it about 12 years ago. Glad you made it through. Will be nice when Chantry opens again.
@@louisgarcia2415 Thanks for the update!
A couple of years with good rain have made such a difference in this area
Great video; very informative!! Looks like some of the lushest scenery in the Angeles occurs along here! I was hiking on the peaks over Chilao this Saturday, and the bugs were insane over there too!
Saw some of your videos, glad you're posting. Yea, the bugs are intense this year, don't remember it ever being this bad. Going to get more guides for the middle / more obscure trails around Chilao in the near future up.
Yeah, the bugs are worse now, it seems, than in the summer for some odd reason! I am glad you checked out a few videos. I do hiking mini-series, mostly peakbagging, and I do Spotlight on Trees, and sometimes random hiking videos. I will stay tuned for more of your videos as they are the most interesting and helpful. I am glad you spend a lot of time in the Angeles, one of my favorite national forests!
Wonderfully detailed guide! It really helps with planning as I get back into backpacking. Have you considered making a guide for the Silver Moccasin Trail?
Thank you and yes, Silver Moccasin is on the list. I think a good chunk of it got nailed by the Bobcat fire. Just waiting for COVID / winter / Bobcat closures / general insanity to end before I start taking a look again.
Any update on Chantry Flat re-open soon ? thank you
Check my news video later today
We did part of this hike last year November 2020 and there was a section of the trail between oakwilde and bear canyon where there had been a landslide. If I remember correctly there was a 50 foot section of loose soil with a foot-wide trail and a big drop. We made it across but I would not go over it again.
It may be fixed by now but I have no idea.
Good to know 👍 - I haven't been up there since 2019 - planning on hitting that section again this winter.
Hi, did you end up hiking it this winter?
Great video man thanks for the content
thank you!
Hey Chris. Just attempted this past weekend (12/15/19) and the trail is in pretty bad shape between Newcomb’s and West fork. I had to turn back because of all the recently fallen trees. Thought I’d let you/your viewers know.
Thanks for the update Sean, appreciate your posting here. What was the deal, just big trees that you can't squeeze through or over? I'll put a note on the article too.
HikingGuy.com yeah exactly. I mean you technically can get around them but it’s very difficult as they have all their branches and leaves still on them. I got as far as halfway between Devore and West Fork and was so mentally/physically exhausted from it i wasn’t going to finish the trail as an overnight so had to turn back. I’m not an inexperienced hiker either. There were so many of them too, probably every 30-50 yards a new obstacle.
@@seanhabibi7425 Yea, I know what you mean. A lot of those dead trees probably fell down from the snow and ice over the last few weeks. I was going to do a guide to the Gab a few years ago and it was in a a similar condition. No fun getting through that stuff. It should get cleared up by the spring.
HikingGuy.com hopefully! From what I got to experience it’s a beautiful trail.
Where is the entrance that mountain bikers usually start at? Do they start at an entrance going downhill vs uphill, assuming downhill is funner.. what are some important items to bring? For insect repellant, bear, lion deterrent, what else, anything else? What about camping spots in that area, where do they put their trailers?
MTB often start at Redbox and go downhill
Gear - ua-cam.com/video/uTnvo-SgHGw/v-deo.html
Where is this according to the start at the JPL parking lot? I dont recognize this.
Parking info here > hikingguy.com/hiking-trails/best-la-hikes/gabrielino-trail-guide/
Looks like El Prieto.
Excellent video. Did you film both versions in one trip?! 60 miles?! 6:50- is that poison ivy/ oak at the stream crossing?
Yea, did a back and forth in 3 days, was limited by daylight. And yea, lots of poison oak in the overgrown sections around the streams.
I keep hearing that the section between Newcomb and Valley Forge is very unmaintained with many downed trees which keeps deterring me from doing it. Didn't seem like that was the case with your hike, or was it bad but manageable?
Edit: Nevermind, just read the other comment saying how it's impassable now. So disappointed. Doesn't seem like much attention is paid to this great trail even though it is a National Recreation Trail...
The trail is maintained but generally with a lower priority than the more popular trails in the area. This year there was a lot of wet snow and tree falls, and in the spring when crews would go out and clear it, the whole lockdown happened, so it's probably not in great shape. I'm not sure of the status of the clearing, but I would call the ranger office listed in the guide and they can give you an update. In general the trail is pretty bad in the spring and decent by late summer / fall. Every year it's different though.
@@Hikingguy Thanks for the info! Useful as always!