Josephine Peak Trail is a 8.3 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Mount Wilson, California that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
FIRE CLOSURE: As of March 2021 there are closures in this park or area due to wildfire until April 2022. For more information, please visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/angeles/alerts-notices
This hike nestled in the front portion of the San Gabriel Mountains is a moderate cruiser type of hike which has a good amount of elevation gain, but on double track dirt utility road. There are nice views along the way and on top it was superb. For my Full Trip report including pics, video, info and story go to: https://losangelescountyhikingpursuingbalancethruadventure.wordpress.com/2021/04/08/josephine-peak-trail/
Great morning! Started to get hot on our descent. Started at 8:15am, back down at 11:00am-ish
The trail is a dirt access road to equipment on Josephine Peak also known as Mount Lowe. The incline is steady but not technical. Nice views of the city. This is likely a nice peak for sunrises with Strawberry, Lawlor, and San Gabriel Peaks to the east.
Easy gradual incline on a nice dirt fire road to the top. Beautiful and commanding views of Los Angeles. There were still snow patches on the ground on the back side.
Gorgeous day! This trail always kicks my butt going up and by the time I’ve completed it my legs are jello. Snow still on the trail in some areas, and very varied temps from wearing my down vest zipped up to being ok in a tank top. Not too crowded either and the trails are wide.
Typical Angeles Forest fire road to a mountain top. Very few bikers. Good views.
47 degree at base, temperature swings a lot. 3 hr hike - up and down.. snow - no spikes needed.
Beautiful day for a hike up to Josephine Peak! Wide trail, sun was out but cool enough to not wear a jacket. once you reach the north side of the mountain, you see snow throughout the the trail, powdery and easy to walk on.
Unfortunately you hear the loud cars and motorcycles on the roads below most of the hike
A nice trail. Some snow towards the top. I could have used my micro spikes. I started before 7 AM and there was no else on the trail going up. There were a few hikers as I was coming down.
Don’t listen to the haters. This hike is quiet and i only saw 10 people on a sunday afternoon. The trail is wide and easy to follow the whole way up. There are 4 places you can stop and take in the views. It is good for everyone, no matter your skill level, and that makes it nice for people going together who are at different levels of fitness. The elevation gain is never too tough, it’s steady. Views from the top are great, it’s a nice place to chill for a bit. Really enjoyed it.
It was tough for me but I am more of a beginner. It’s a nice trail but needs some cleaning up. Lots of rocks you can easily trip over. You definitely need some good hiking boots because the way down is steep which hurt your feet! Great views, 4.2 miles up and down. Dogs are allowed seen many cute dogs but it wasn’t a busy trail!
This hike has nice views, a good place to sit and eat at the peak, and a steady incline. It didn’t feel too strenuous at the time but we were very sore the next few days. All around a good solid hike, but not quite deserving of 5 stars because it was close enough to the main mountain road to hear motorcycles and cars in the background, and there’s some structures at the peak, both of which killed the pure nature vibe a bit. Weather (end of Feb) was good, very windy and lots of temperature variation along the trail, with cold spots and snow patches on the shadowed side of the mountain. I was happy I brought a sweater.
Wonderful trail with some friends. Great route for training for a newbie hiker that is getting use to longer hikes as the trail was smooth and did not require scrambling. This day it was not crowded. Started off a bit cold with winds blowing through area before the switchbacks. Once we got there the wind was not a factor. I always bring trekking poles though most people would not need them. There were 2 or 3 icy patches. Nothing that required microspikes. Nice views from the top.
Only gave it three stars because of the heavy traffic on the trail. We had done it on a week day prior so in comparison it was much better on the weekday. But the best hike option of a weekend because the trail is so wide. Making it much easier to get by people during these crazy times.