Sunset Ridge to Dawn Mine Loop

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · River/Creek · Views

This is a great hike along the Mt. Lowe Road #2N50 and back down along a creek for a loop.

Dawn Mine Trail and Millard Canyon Trail are not recommended for bicycles. There is limited parking along Chaney Trail (road). Be careful to follow parking restrictions along the road. Stream levels can be high after rains.

Start at the small parking lot at the top of Chaney Trail (road), heading up the Mt. Lowe Road #2N50. Turn left onto Sunset Ridge Trail 12W18 at 0.3 miles (not the first turnoff that goes down towards the lower parking lot). This trail is very narrow singletrack with a few exposed sections. Keep an eye open for poison oak in the spring and summer when the trail can be a bit overgrown. There is not much shade, and there are several winding switchbacks that lead you through the trees.

Follow this all the way up (keep right at the intersection with the Millard Canyon Trail) until it ends at Mt. Lowe Road #2N50. Continue up the road another 0.3 miles until you see the Dawn Mine Trail 12W13 on a wide turnout. This steep trail takes you down to Millard Canyon where there is a junction with the Millard Canyon Trail. Turn left and in 50 ft. there is a spur trail on the right leading down to Dawn Mine. After visiting the mine (metal grid bars entry) return back to the Millard Canyon Trail and continue west down the canyon crossing back and forth over the stream. It ends at a junction with the Sunset Ridge Trail 12W18 which can be followed back to the parking area.

Oaks, bigcone spruce provide shade on north facing slopes. There are alders, maples and bay trees in the canyon bottom. Good wildflowers in spring along the Sunset Ridge Trail 12W18.

Dawn Mine was one of the larger gold mines in the San Gabriel Mountains front range but it was not very profitable.