Mount Disappointment Road #2N57

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Bring water—this road can get quite warm in the summer. Trail to the summit of San Gabriel Peak can be very dangerous if there is snow or ice.

From Red Box on Angeles Crest Highway, turn onto Mt. Wilson-Red Box Road for 0.2 miles then turn right at a junction with paved Mt. Disappointment Road (unsigned). There are a limited number of parking spots near the gate 100' from the junction and more down near the intersection. Hike up the paved road and the Bill Reilly Trail shortly breaks off to the left. Stay right to start up this road (the GPS track on the Hiking Project mobile app will keep you going the right way).

From there, just follow the paved road for about three miles. At 2.8 miles the Bill Reilly Trail rejoins the road near the top of the ridge. About 3.2 miles along, the road makes a sharp U-turn and goes up to the Mt. Disappointment electronic site. To reach San Gabriel Peak, continue straight east passing the foundations of a Nike missile site. A singletrack trail follows the ridge to a junction with the San Gabriel Peak Trail #12W24. Keep left and follow the steep trail to the summit.

Bring a piece of paper and a pen so you can leave your wishes in the box on top of San Gabrielino Peak!

Deer, squirrels, and birds can be found here. Oaks and bigcone spruce offer limited shade along the road.