Echo Mountain Hike on the Sam Merrill Trail

In This Guide	Turn by Turn Hike Directions & Video Echo Mountain Trail Maps How to Get to Echo Mountain Optional Side Trip to Inspiration Point
Distance	5.4 miles (8.7 km)
Other Options	10 miles
Hike Time	2.5 Hours (Total)
Difficulty (?)	Hard
Total Ascent (?)	1,730 feet (527m)
Highest Elevation	3,207 feet (978m)
Fees & Permits	Free
Dog Friendly	Leashed
Park Website	Los Angeles River Ranger District
Park Phone	818-899-1900
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The Echo Mountain hike packs a lot of bang for the buck. You’ll hike up the Sam Merrill Trail, which follows the old Mt Lowe railway route up to Echo Mountain, where you can see the old ruins of the Echo Mountain mountain resort. USA Today included the Echo Mountain hike as one of the “10 Great North American Hikes” and Sunset Magazine called it one of the top 45 hikes in the west. The hike is easy to follow, has an interesting history, offers great views, is a good workout, and is close to LA. Overall it’s a win.

These directions have an optional hike extension to a scenic viewpoint at Inspiration Point. See directions for more info.

Echo Mountain Hike Mt Lowe Railway — The hike will parallel some of the old Mount Lowe Railway route. Here you can see the electric trolley filled with tourists climbing to Echo Mountain. This hike has an interesting history.

The Sam Merrill trail to Echo Mountain starts at the 1070-acre Cobb Estate, which is now public parkland, but was originally built by lumber magnate Charles Cobb. He passed away in 1939, and it became a retreat for nuns for a few years, and then the Marx Brothers bought it in 1956. They realized the property was not usable and had the structure torn down in 1959. In 1971 an anonymous donor purchased the property and gave it to Pasadena to turn into a park. And it’s allegedly haunted, so there’s that.

As you climb the trail, your route will parallel some of the old Mount Lowe Railway route, which was the only electric mountain railway ever built in the USA. At the time it was built in 1893, it was considered a modern marvel and had over 3 million visitors during its lifetime.

The railroad lead to the Echo Mountain House Resort (cool old pictures here), which you can see the ruins of at the summit of the Echo Mountain hike. There was a hotel, restaurants, tavern, observatory, million candlepower searchlight, and the famous echo-phones which you can still use today.

The resort and railway weathered some fires and natural disasters over the years, but the great flood of 1938 (the same one that created the Bridge to Nowhere) was the final nail in the coffin, washing much of the railway and resort away. From there, Sam Merrill, who lived with John Muir as a young man and was active in the Sierra Club, restored and maintained the trails to Echo Mountain. When he died in 1948, the Sierra Club named the trail after him.

Where is the Echo Mountain Hike?

Use this as the trailhead GPS address: 3302 Lake Ave, Altadena, CA, 91001, USA.

Parking is free on residential streets around the trailhead. It’s a popular hike so you might have to park a few blocks away.

parking for echo mountain hike — There’s plenty of street parking. It’s a popular hike, so you might have to park a few blocks away.

Gear for the Hike

This is a bit of an in-between hike. You can certainly do this with fitness clothes and minimal gear, but I do recommend hiking gear if you have it. The Echo Mountain hike is a steady uphill, so prepare for the effort. If you’re going to do the extra loop to Inspiration Point, definitely use hiking gear.

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I try a lot of hiking boots and shoes, and there are some great options out there, but the La Sportiva Spire is the best combination of comfort, protection, low-weight, and durability. They are waterproof, and the high cuff keeps debris out without the need for a gaiter. Time tested over thousands of miles. Use them with a two-layer sock system to end blisters for good.
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On a medium or longer hike I recommend a pack like the Osprey Talon 33 (men) or Osprey Sirrus 36 (women) which is a little bit larger. These packs are on the upper end of the (35L) daypack range, but they only weigh a small fraction more than a pack with less capacity. Having the extra space gives you more flexibility and means you don’t have to jam things in there. I use the space for things like extra layers in the winter, extra water on desert hikes, and even a tent & sleeping bag on overnights.

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Here’s my complete gear list that I personally use, have tested, and recommend.See All of My Best Gear Picks Here

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Echo Mountain and Sam Merrill Trail Maps

In general the trail is popular and easy to follow. If you are unsure of your position, you’ll probably see other hikers who can help you out.
I’ve included an optional hike extension to Inspiration Point, which adds another 5 miles onto the hike. If you have the energy, go for it. Inspiration Point has great views and a unique viewing station. Read below for all the details.
You’ll be sharing the trail with mountain bikers. Keep your eyes and ears open, especially on the decent.

Echo Mountain Hike on the Sam Merrill Trail Map Downloads

Download the Hike GPX File

View a Printable PDF Hike Map

I’m a big fan of GPS watches to follow my GPX track (which I also use as a sleep, wellness, and fitness tracker) and my current watch is the Fenix 6 Pro Solar (full review here). I load my GPX tracks onto the watch to make sure I’m in the right place, and if not, the onboard topo maps allow me to navigate on the fly. It’s pricey but it has a great battery, accurate GPS, and tons of functionality. If you want something similar without the maps and big price tag, check out the Garmin Instinct which is a great buy and does a lot of the same things.

If you want to do the hike to Inspiration Point, use this GPX file: echo-mountain-hike-with-inspiration-point.