Photo of Hiking Trails in Angeles National Forest

The Best Hiking Trails in Angeles National Forest

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Top 14 hiking trails in Angeles National Forest

1

San Antonio Falls

Hard
1.32 mi·
303 ft
Mount San Antonio, commonly called Mount Baldy, is the tallest of the San Gabriel Mountains north of Los Angeles. Its 10,000-foot summit collects snow in winter and meltwater streams down its rocky slopes....
2

Bridge to Nowhere

Hard
9.35 mi·
1,076 ft
In the mountains north of Azusa, deep in the canyon of the San Gabriel River, sits a concrete arch bridge starkly out of place in its wilderness surroundings. This is the Bridge to Nowhere....
3

Switzer Falls

Hard
3.6 mi·
726 ft
This hike right off the Angeles Crest Highway has excellently varied scenery, waterfalls, and swimming holes. It is one of the most popular waterfall hikes in the area. The trail starts along a bouldery creekside in the forest, climbs to sunny slopes with elevated views, then goes back down to the creek with cold pools beneath lovely cascades....
4

Hermit Falls

2.43 mi·
1,049 ft
Hermit Falls has one of the nicest little swimming holes near LA, and it’s not hard to get to. A downhill hike through the forest leads to a granite-lined pool fed by a small waterfall....
5

PCT: Agua Dulce to Lake Hughes

Hard
30.92 mi·
5,099 ft
This is the start of California Section E, which is from Agua Dulce to Tehachapi Pass. It’s the section that links the Transverse Ranges of Southern California with the southern tip of the Sierra Nevada, crossing a valley of the Mojave Desert in between....
6

PCT: Lake Hughes to Highway 138

Hard
30.51 mi·
5,204 ft
This is the middle segment of California Section E, which in total spans 112 miles from Agua Dulce to Tehachapi Pass. Northbound from Lake Hughes, the PCT enjoys a final hurrah of piney highlands before dropping decidedly downward, and crossing Highway 138 in a flat valley of the Mojave Desert....
7

Millard Canyon Trail and Falls

Hard
1.27 mi·
353 ft
Millard Canyon is part of the Angeles National Forest and is accessible via a relatively short hike from the Millard Canyon Campground. Going all the way up it to Millard Falls is highly recommended, and is only about 2 miles round trip....
8

Santa Anita Canyon - Mt. Zion Loop

8.36 mi·
1,977 ft
**Note:** As of June 30, 2023, large sections of this loop are currently closed due to damage from the Bobcat Fire. This hike in the San Gabriels combines some of the best scenery that LA’s mountains have to offer—dense forest, a tall waterfall, wide vistas, and a proud summit....
9

Mount Baldy Summit Loop

Hard
10.28 mi·
3,944 ft
Mount San Antonio, at 10,064 feet, is the highest peak of the San Gabriel Mountains north of Los Angeles. It is more commonly called Mount Baldy because of its nearly treeless summit and south-facing bowl that can be seen well from LA....
10

Cucamonga Peak

Hard
11.14 mi·
4,206 ft
This hike begins in the same vicinity as popular trails on Mount Baldy but leads to a lesser-visited summit. Though Cucamonga is not as tall, its position on the southern front of the San Gabriels grants a view nearly straight down to San Bernardino Valley—a vantage not obtained from Baldy because it’s more interior in the range....
11

PCT: Cajon Pass to Inspiration Point

Hard
26.81 mi·
6,731 ft
This is the first part of California Section D, which is from Cajon Pass to Agua Dulce. The segment mapped here ends at Highway 2, a common place to start/end a section hike or hitch off the trail for resupply....
12

PCT: Inspiration Point to Agua Dulce

Hard
83.59 mi·
14,229 ft
Alert: As of the time of this writing in 2021, the PCT is currently closed from Dawson Saddle trail junction to Three Point trailhead (approx. NB miles 381-403) as part of Forest Service closure following a wildfire in 2020....
13

Icehouse Canyon Trail -> Chapman Trail Loop

Hard
8.53 mi·
2,626 ft
If you are looking for a challenging and scenic loop hike in the Cucamonga Wilderness, the Icehouse Canyon Trail to Chapman Trail Loop might be the perfect choice for you. This 8....
14

Trail Canyon Falls

Hard
4.59 mi·
1,064 ft
Even from the name, you can get a sense of what this hike has in store: you'll walk up a canyon on a trail to find a waterfall. Simple enough, but who doesn't love a 40-foot waterfall in the bottom of a narrow gorge?! No wonder Trail Canyon Falls is such a popular hike....