Hi, new member here; lifelong hiker in my 60’s. I’m not quite as adventurous as many of you but have racked many exotic journeys over the years, and have been spending more time on the trails over the last few months.
I’m about to start a long series of walks in the San Gabriels with a friend. Basically we plan to do a big loop of the whole range, with some detours along the way. We'll start from Glendale, work our way towards Vasquez Rocks, and then head east along the northern side of the range. We’ll be taking two cars most of the time and doing one way segments. I’m sure there will be some gaps and backtracking, but we have plenty of time and expect to see a lot. This week I’m beginning to map the whole thing out.
I have one specific question. I’d like to walk from Magic Mtn. (the peak, not the theme park!) via Santa Clara Divide Rd. and Magic Mtn. Truck Trail to Spring Cyn., north of the 14 and Soledad Cyn. Rd. But there’s no obvious way through or around Vulcan Quarry, just south of the river bed. I wonder if there’s any reasonable way through that area? I hope so, because the options seem to involve long detours.
Maybe I just need to drive out there and check it out but if someone here happens to know, that'd be great. Thanks in advance!
Hello, and question about fire road access near Soledad Canyon / Vulcan Quarry
David R did a few posts about exploring that area a few years ago; maybe he'll chime in. He hiked the trail that appears on the topos, that runs N from the peak:
viewtopic.php?p=50880#p50880
Probably is still doable. The Sand fire burned that whole area a year after that trip report, so it'll be different now. Possibly easier.
viewtopic.php?p=50880#p50880
Probably is still doable. The Sand fire burned that whole area a year after that trip report, so it'll be different now. Possibly easier.
Yeah you can use that route or hop off from Magic Mountain High Point which to me was more efficient and less difficult but you'll be a mile or so to the east.
viewtopic.php?p=58949#p58949
viewtopic.php?p=58949#p58949
Heres the map
https://www.californiatrailmap.com/Trai ... ilderness/
The road(green) finishes in the west, not north which is private property named 'Lang' (Metrolink or some toxic site, idk).
The pink/north is the way to go......as far as the Santa Clara 'river' in the north, most of that is active private property(not that you'd want to 'walk' it anyway if it were public)....so you'd walk out to the Soledad canyon road.
https://www.californiatrailmap.com/Trai ... ilderness/
The road(green) finishes in the west, not north which is private property named 'Lang' (Metrolink or some toxic site, idk).
The pink/north is the way to go......as far as the Santa Clara 'river' in the north, most of that is active private property(not that you'd want to 'walk' it anyway if it were public)....so you'd walk out to the Soledad canyon road.
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David Martin
- Posts: 85
- Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2020 7:08 pm
Thanks for the helpful replies. I'll probably still drive out to Soledad Cyn. Rd., to scope out the northern part of the "pink" route and its end point at the highway. Since we'll be walking from the Magic Mtn. side I think I want to get a sense of the route and where it comes out before we walk it.
That will be many weeks out but after we do it I'll post here with a brief report. Thanks again.
That will be many weeks out but after we do it I'll post here with a brief report. Thanks again.
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David Martin
- Posts: 85
- Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2020 7:08 pm
I did a little scouting out there. The northern end of the pink/purple route at near Soledad Cyn. Rd. in AW's link was easy to access and I walked the first mile or two, which was pleasant enough. Kind of a weird area with train tunnels on both sides, some random old structures, and what looked like an occupied residence to the east, close to the tracks. Passing trains must really shake the place.
But not so easy to preview the southern end, because Santa Clara Truck Trail is gated at Little TJ now. Disappointing, but not a surprise. (You can drive it in the Google-mobile, so apparently it was open before.)
AllTrails, which I use for custom maps, doesn't show it but I pieced one together manually to have to a higher resolution version that I can follow in situ. I'll post the link here after I've walked it and am sure it's correct.
Meanwhile, I have another question. My buddy and I are doing this circuit in weekly stages; the last one was Angeles Crest to Doske Road, via Mt.. Lukens: https://www.strava.com/activities/4404181840 Next I want to walk from Doske Road to Little TJ. Some maps show Gold Canyon trail (aka 13W06) which looks like an interesting shortcut. The route would be something like this: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/m ... 14-e2eabaf. Some online comments say Gold Canyon trail is a great walk, others say it's fenced off and don't bother. When I drove out there the other day I saw a trail that's probably it from atop the big bridge, and saw the fence at west end of the bridge, that blocks the obvious path down. But there are other ways to get down to the riverbed; it's probably not that hard.
Has anyone here walked that trail lately? Looks like it used to be a fire road, and it seems distinct in satellite views, so maybe it's a decent option, if you bypass the fenced section at the bridge.
But not so easy to preview the southern end, because Santa Clara Truck Trail is gated at Little TJ now. Disappointing, but not a surprise. (You can drive it in the Google-mobile, so apparently it was open before.)
AllTrails, which I use for custom maps, doesn't show it but I pieced one together manually to have to a higher resolution version that I can follow in situ. I'll post the link here after I've walked it and am sure it's correct.
Meanwhile, I have another question. My buddy and I are doing this circuit in weekly stages; the last one was Angeles Crest to Doske Road, via Mt.. Lukens: https://www.strava.com/activities/4404181840 Next I want to walk from Doske Road to Little TJ. Some maps show Gold Canyon trail (aka 13W06) which looks like an interesting shortcut. The route would be something like this: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/m ... 14-e2eabaf. Some online comments say Gold Canyon trail is a great walk, others say it's fenced off and don't bother. When I drove out there the other day I saw a trail that's probably it from atop the big bridge, and saw the fence at west end of the bridge, that blocks the obvious path down. But there are other ways to get down to the riverbed; it's probably not that hard.
Has anyone here walked that trail lately? Looks like it used to be a fire road, and it seems distinct in satellite views, so maybe it's a decent option, if you bypass the fenced section at the bridge.