Slide Mountain Trail is a 10.8 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Castaic, 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 February 2021 there are closures in this park or area due to wildfire. For more information, please visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/angeles/alerts-notices. An Adventure Pass is required for this trail, which can be purchased here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/r5/passes-permits/recreation/?cid=STELPRDB5181410&width=full. A gentle climb on fire road and trail to the sometimes manned fire lookout at the top of Slide Mountain. The trail starts 1.9 miles after the locked gate on the old Golden State Highway. The fire road (trail) is not marked as a hiking trail and makes no reference to Slide Mountain, but has the code "FS18W04" on the gate. It is on the left-hand side of the old highway if you are walking up from the gated parking lot. It is easy to miss. The fire road climbs in a gentle but steady grade up for 1.5 miles to a turnout where the volunteer fire lookouts park. It continues 2.5 miles at about the same grade to the top of the mountain and the lookout gaining views of deep canyons to the south and west and Pyramid Lake to the north. While the trail is accessible year round, snow can be found in the winter months and scorching temperatures can be found in the summer months.
Parking stalls line both sides of the old highway at the road block at Fisherman's Flat. Picnic tables are provided in the flat and a pit toilet is provided about 0.1 mile along the road from the parking.
From I-5 north of Castaic and south of Gorman, exit at Templin Highway and turn west. Turn right at Golden State Highway and park at the end of the road.
April 14, 2021What a great hike with a superb view at the top. Key things you need on this hike... sun screen, more water than you think and BUG SPRAY. Bitten to pieces... but to be fair I was in shorts and a T shirt... lesson learned. To view my vlog of this hike cut and paste my YouTube link into your browser https://youtu.be/MdNG-QdMO5I
April 7, 2021Walked 1.6 miles on the road to get to the actual trail. Starts out as fire road and changes to trail after a mile or so. Incline is steady the whole way, and even though there were some patches of shade, the bugs made stopping to rest or snack almost impossible. They were relentless! Besides the beautiful views of Pyramid Lake and the surrounding mountains, the best part was we only saw four people the whole time we were on trail.
April 3, 2021Really tough. Come prepared with plenty of hydration and a lunch. Overall amazing and worth the trip. Took a nice hour break at the tower with a nice shade
March 28, 2021Definitely worth the trip. It was a hard trail for me personally, I'm a slow hiker and not in the best current shape but I eventually made it up. I recommend bringing lots of water, snacks or a meal to have at the top. The views are spectacular. we basically had it all to ourselves at the lookout except for one other person.
March 27, 2021Missed the entrance by half a mile. However we started really early and weren’t paying too much attention, so it’s our own fault. The 2.6 miles are a slow and steady climb. That last mile though, you’re just itching to get to the look out. The views are amazing and the area is nicely kept. Super exposed trail and no water once you’re up on the trail. Plan accordingly. Would not take dogs unless it’s a cold, cloudy day.
March 21, 2021great hike. the views on the top are awesome.
March 19, 2021We really enjoyed this trail. The first 1.6 miles is on the road. Then, you get to the actual trailhead at a white gate- from here you start ascending. Path starts out wider (could fit an atv) and narrows to a single person width. We started around 9:30am on a Friday, and we were the only ones on the trail the whole time. The incline was fairly steady all the way up. There is no coverage, so it can get very hot on your way up. Make sure you bring enough water. It got buggy at times. Nice winds start once you make it to the opposite face of the mountain. Great views!
March 13, 2021March 6, 2021Very nice trail with great views at the top! Bring a jacket because even in the sun the winds can add a chill. Very few people, passed maybe 8 total on the trail midday on a Saturday.
March 4, 2021Trail in great shape. Scenic vistas. Views of Pyramid and Piru Lakes. Piru Creek along old 99 Highway to the trail was flowing very nicely. Saw no one the trail.
March 1, 2021This is a great trail for so many reasons. You will travel on a variety of trails , starting off on paved, then fire road then single track. The views are amazing & having lunch/rest at the tower is pretty cool! It’s also not a very heavily trafficked trail. We went up on a Sunday & only saw half a dozen people, who were all wearing their masks. Once you get to the dirt (fire roads) it’s up hill all the way with varying gradients. My husband and I took our time & enjoyed the views & scenery both on the way up and down.
February 22, 2021February 21, 2021February 15, 2021This is a real hiker's hike where you earn your reward, and boy is it worth it. Fantastic.
February 7, 2021Headed out close to 7:00am and didn’t see anyone until last 2 miles on return. Not lots of shade so glad we came early as it go hotter on return. Great views from peak of Pyramid Lake, mountain ranges and a peek of Castaic Lake.
February 7, 2021February 6, 2021There’s a bathroom right around the corner from the parking area. The first ~1.5 miles are flat and just waking in the road. Then you turn off and start climbing. The first mile of climbing is the worst and it gets slightly less steep as you continue on. Once you can see the tower towards the top, you are almost there! If there is a volunteer there, then you can go inside the tower, if not, the door will be locked but you can still walk around the platform. Great views of pyramid lake
February 3, 2021Hiked on Saturday 1/30/2021. 33 Deg F to start at 8AM. Beautiful day for this trail. Few sights to see for the first 1.7 miles on 4 lane hwy. Scenery increases with elevation with picturesque views. Had a very enjoyable day hike. The lookout tower is very interesting at the peak of hike. A minus for me was hearing the sound of the vehicle traffic at the peak from Interstate 5. A plus was seeing’s baby rattlesnake soaking the suns rays on trail headed back.
January 21, 2021Road walk in beginning and end was a bit much but knowing the payoff of the views at Fire Lookout are amazing made this hike one of my favorites. Steady incline all the way up. Will not do this hike in the heat as not much shade. Might try a sunset hike or full moon hike here
January 18, 2021This is a nice hike. Even though about a third of the trail is actually an abandoned, 4-lane, asphalt freeway (the old Highway 99), the fabulous view from the fire lookout on top of the mountain more than makes up for having to trudge along a road.
January 16, 2021It was a nice steady incline.
January 16, 2021Needed more water!
January 4, 2021Solid steady climb provides fantastic exercise and a good workout for your calves and glutes. Definite burn, but doable for reasonably fit folks. A bit chilly in the shade with the breeze but warm in the sun. Bring a layer. Gorgeous views into the canyon and of the surrounding mountains and Pyramid Lake. I'd call the trail lightly used - we only saw 5 people the entire time that we were on the fire road and trail, which was a surprise on a pleasantly warm Sunday -- a nice plus in COVID times. The fire road is not marked as a trail and there's no signage referencing Slide Mountain. There is a gate on the left hand side of the highway if you are walking up from the parking lot where you must leave your car about 1.5 miles in. The gate is marked with "FS18W04." If you get to a turnaround on the highway and see CA state signage re trespassing, you have passed the fire road / trail.
January 1, 2021Great hike! Steady climb, moderate burn. The effort is worth the views on the way up and at the peak. I recommend wearing layers on this hike, especially if it’s windy. I went from long sleeve to short sleeve to both plus a jacket. And a beanie is a must! Don’t forget to sign the registry at the top!
December 29, 2020beautiful trail, only saw one other hiking duo the whole time! very windy
December 28, 2020December 27, 2020It was nice. Incline wasn’t so bad. Encountered a Bobcat hidden in the bushes. It growled and we slowly walked away
