Mount Lowe
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Description
Mount Lowe carries the name of Thaddeus Lowe, whose accomplishments are a prominent part of LA history. He built the famed Mount Lowe Railway which took visitors up Rubio Canyon to the elegant “White City” resort atop Echo Mountain and continued on to the Mount Lowe Tavern and Hotel, now a campground, at the base of Mount Lowe. The proposed extension to the summit was never built. The ruins of these are fun and interesting to visit, and there are many sources of information about the area that are worth researching, such as A digital history of Mount Lowe – Presented by the Altadena Historical Society.
Route 1, the shortest route, starts from the Mount Wilson Road and passes through Mueller Tunnel to join the trail that goes right to San Gabriel Peak or left past the trail to Mount Markham and on to the summit. Route 2 starts from the Cobb estate at the end of Lake Avenue in Pasadena, up the Sam Merrill Trail to Echo Mountain. It then continues on that trail to the Mount Lowe Campground and on to the summit, or via Castle Canyon past Inspiration Point with its historic “telescopes” to rejoin Route 1. It can also be hiked from Millard Canyon from two different routes, shown on the map, or via Rubio canyon on the restored Lone Tree Trail.
Maps generated from CalTopo.com, reproduced with permission
Downloadable Maps, Files, and Guides
Driving route
From the intersection of I-210 and Angeles Crest Highway (SR 2), drive north on Angeles Crest Highway 9.5 miles to Angeles Forest Highway. Keep straight.
Continue about 4.5 miles to the junction with the Mount Wilson Road at the Red Box Ranger Station. Turn right.
Drive 2.3 miles to the saddle (commonly called Eaton Saddle) between San Gabriel Peak and Occidental Peak. There is a parking area and a permanently closed gate on the right. Park here without blocking the gate.
Hiking route
From the parking area (5100′), pass the gate and hike up the road, through a tunnel built in 1942, about 1/2 mile to a saddle (commonly called Markham Saddle). This is the turnoff for San Gabriel Peak.
From Markham Saddle take a trail (12W14) on the left. Follow it to a saddle between Mount Markham and Mount Lowe. This is the turnoff for Mount Markham.
Continue south on the trail about 200 yards to a trail junction.
Turn right (northwest) and follow this trail up to the summit where you will find a bench and an equestrian hitching-rack.
Driving route
From the intersection of I-210 and Lake Avenue in Pasadena, drive north on Lake Avenue to its end at Loma Alta Drive. Park on the right. Note the gate for the Cobb Estate on the east side of Lake Avenue at Loma Alta Drive.
Hiking route
From the front of the gate to the Cobb Estate (1800′), walk about 200 yards east alongside a fence to the actual trailhead for the Sam Merrill Trail on your left.
Hike up the Sam Merrill Trail (12W14) 2.7 miles to Echo Mountain (3207′).
Head southeasterly along the old trolley right-of-way for about 100 yards to a signed junction. At the junction are signed trailheads for the continuation of the Sam Merrill Trail to Inspiration Point and for the Castle Canyon Trailhead to Inspiration Point.
Continue
north on the Sam Merrill trail about 2 1/2 miles to a 3-way dirt road intersection. The rightmost fork (east) will take you to Inspiration Point (4500′), about 500 yards. The left fork (west) will take you to the Mount Lowe Campground.
Continue on the middle fork of the road straight ahead in a northerly direction for about 200 yards to a signed trail marker on the right for the Mount Lowe Campground and Mount Lowe (12W14).
Turn right. After a short distance, the trail forks again, with the left fork going to the Mount Lowe Campground and the site of the remains of the Alpine Tavern.
Follow the signed right fork for Mount Lowe up to the last trail junction described in Route 1.
Keep left at this junction and follow this trail up to the summit where you will find a bench and an equestrian hitching-rack.
Route Notes
Alternate routes: The Castle Canyon Trail goes from Echo Mountain to Inspiration Point. It can be used as a variation for the middle segment of Route 2.
Additional Peak Information
Notes: This peak was named for Thaddeus Lowe by his companions on the first horseback ascent, September 24, 1892. It was originally called Brown’s Peak (a name now transferred to Brown Mountain) and then Oak Mountain. Mount Lowe was also the site of the Mount Lowe Railway, which enabled one to ride from Altadena to Mount Lowe Hotel and Resort (now the site of Mount Lowe Campground). The lower portion of the trip was up a tramway to Echo Mountain, where you can still see massive gears and other machinery, and the foundation of a hotel. A short distance from the top of the tram there is also the foundation of Professor Lowe’s own house. At Echo Mountain, passengers shifted to a cog railway and rode west at a slight grade to the present Mount Lowe Truck Trail (2N50) which proceeds with many twists and turns to the site of the old hotel. The railroad never reached the summit of Mount Lowe. In 1996 a local historical group reconstructed the pagoda at Inspiration Point and erected signs with historical information at the Mount Echo site. The road from Markham Saddle continues west to the turnoff for Brown Mountain, a common HPS destination on the Lower Peaks List.
External Links
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External Links
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