Hike Pacifico Mountain on the PCT

In This Guide	Video and Turn-by-Turn Directions to Hike Pacifico Mountain on the PCT Parking and Fees for the Hike Camping on Pacifico Mountain Insider Tips and Recommendations
Total Distance (?)	13.5 miles (21.7 km)
Hike Time	5-7 Hours (Total)
Difficulty (?)	Moderate
Total Ascent (?)	2,350 feet (716m)
Highest Elevation	7,124 feet (2171m)
Fees & Permits	Parking Fee
Dogs Allowed	Leashed
Alerts & Closures (?)	Angeles National Forest
Park Phone	747-322-6574

If you want to get off the beaten path in Angeles National Forest, head over to the Pacifico Mountain hike. Pacifico Mountain, the highest peak in the northwestern part of the forest, offers unique views spanning from Mt Baldy to Los Padres National Forest to Nevada. There are several approaches to the summit of Pacifico Mountain, and we’ll take what I think is the most scenic one up the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). It’s a great hike without big crowds.

Where is Pacifico Mountain?

We’ll start this hike at the Mill Creek Summit Picnic Area, off of the Angeles Forest Highway (N3), a popular commuting route between the desert and LA. Use this trailhead address:
Mill Creek Summit Picnic Area, Angeles Forest Hwy, Palmdale, CA 93550

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions 4 — There’s a big parking area at Mill Creek that I’ve never seen full.

You need a National Parks pass or Adventure Pass to park here.

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions 5 — There’s a toilet but no water fills at the trailhead.

Gear For the Hike

This is a proper backcountry hike, so use your hiking gear and have the essentials.
There’s no water and little shade, and the hike can get hot. I bring at least 3L. The climate feels more like the desert than a forest.
There aren’t steep climbs on this trail, and it’s easy to hike without trekking poles if you want to leave them at home.

Altra Lone Peak 5
For most people, the Altra Lone Peak is a solid choice that will leave your feet feeling great at the end of any hike. The feel is cushy and light, and if it had a car equivalent, this would be a Cadillac or Mercedes Sedan. The grip is great and they’re reasonably durable for this type of trail runner, which I think is better in most conditions than a hiking boot, and here’s why. The downside of this shoe is that it won’t last as long as something like the Moab 2 (see alternate footwear choices at the bottom of my gear page). I’ve been using mine for many miles and my feet always feel great. Watch my video explaining why they are a great shoe here.
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Latest Price on Women’s Shoe – REI | Amazon
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Stay Safe Out of Cell Phone Range
If you’re not familiar with the Garmin InReach technology, it allows you to send and receive text messages where you don’t have cell phone signals. You can also get weather reports and trigger an SOS to emergency responders. Even if you don’t have an emergency, sending a quick message telling a loved one that you’re okay or are running late is well worth the cost. The Garmin InReach Mini (REI | Amazon | My Review) fits in your palm and weighs next to nothing.

Gaia GPS Mapping App
Smartphones are not backcountry instruments, but almost everyone has one today. And they all have GPS onboard. So I recommend getting a good GPS hiking app like Gaia GPS that supports offline maps. Just make sure to put your phone in airplane mode so the battery doesn’t drain. GaiaGPS not only has smartphone and tablet apps, but also an online planning tool. You can drag the GPX hike tracks from my (or any) guides into the online map and they will sync to your phone. You can also check for wildfires, weather, snow, and choose from dozens of map types with a premium membership (HikingGuy readers get a big discount here). Note that I also carry a paper map with me in case the phone dies or gets smashed.

Here’s my complete gear list that I personally use, have tested, and recommend, updated September 2021.

My September 2021 Top Gear Picks

No company pays me to promote or push a product, all the gear you see here is gear I use and recommend. If you click an a link and buy gear, I get a small commission that helps keep the website ad and promotion free. There is no cost to you.

Camping Options

This hike offers some great short overnight camping options. It’s especially great if you want to camp after work and get back in the morning, as the distances aren’t long, and the climbing isn’t bad. You can even drive your car to the summit (I’d recommend high-clearance AWD) and just camp.

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions 1 — The summit area has several camp areas where you can pull a car up and get great views.

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions 2 — There are also at least a dozen of flat PCT primitive tent sites along the trail. The best ones are when you get to the flat section along the ridge.

Pacifico Mountain Trail Maps

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions 3 — Much of the area along this hike was destroyed in the 2009 Station Fire, and you can still see evidence of it today.

We will take the PCT from Mill Creek up to a saddle, and then do the last mile on a dirt road (with great views). There aren’t a lot of twists and turns, and overall the gradient is gentle.

Explore Map on CalTopo View a Printable PDF Hike Map Download the Hike GPX File

If you try to download the GPX file and your browser adds a “.txt” or “.xml” extension to it, simply rename it as a “.gpx” file.

How are you going to navigate this hike?
To start, you should always have a paper map and compass. And it helps to print this guide out or save it on your phone. I highly recommend a GPS as well. I use the Garmin Fenix 6 Smart GPS watch ( REI | Amazon | My Review) with maps (or the more affordable Garmin Instinct). The GPS smartwatch is nice because it’s rugged, works if your phone dies, and also has a billion other features like sleep tracking, workout recording, etc.

Elevation Profile

Pacifico Mountain Hike Elevation — It’s a gentle climb to about the mid-way point, where you get a flat breather along the ridgeline, and then do the final climb to the summit.

3D Map

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions

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Video Directions

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Turn by Turn Directions

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions 6 — The trailhead is on the corner, across Pacifico Mountain Road.

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions 7 — There’s a nice big PCT marker at the start of the trail.

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions 8 — The steepest part of the hike is right at the beginning, as the trail leaves the road.

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions 9 — Avoid the small cutoff to the Pony Park equestrian trailhead and continue straight.

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions 10 — Now we start the gradual climb.

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions 11 — You’ll wind around and along the folds on the side of the canyon. The views are great.

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions 12 — As you wind into Tie Canyon, look up to see the trail continue above you.

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions 13 — In the distance you’ll be able to see the Tehachapi Mountains, which separate the Mojave from California’s Central Valley to the north (Bakersfield, etc.).

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions 14 — Once you get around Tie Canyon, the trail doubles back with some switchbacks. In front of you is Granite Mountain at 6603 feet.

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions 15 — And back across the valley from where you started, you can see Mount Gleason, home to the (now closed) highest elevation Nike Missile site in the country at 6523 feet. The road to the summit is paved and you can drive up there.

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions 16 — And then you crest the ridge, and can see north into the Mojave.

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions 17 — The trail then levels out and heads east along the ridge. In the distance, Pacifico Mountain, which looks closer than it actually is. There are a few nice primitive camping spots along this stretch.

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions 18 — You’ll leave the scrub and enter the shade of some pines that survived the forest fires. Stay straight on the PCT.

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions 19 — The trail is level here as it hugs the ridge.

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions 20 — Eventually you’ll approach the saddle where we are going to hop onto the road.

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions 21 — At the saddle, we’re going to continue through and make the right. The PCT heads off to the left.

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions 22 — There’s a sign here that needed some TLC during my visit.

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions 23 — At the split, go right to the road. There’s also use trail on the left that climbs steeply and directly to the summit, which we’re not going to take. Head to the road.

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions 24 — Now you’re on the road for the last mile to the summit.

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions 25 — And immediately the views open up. In the clouds on the left is Saddleback Mountain, and on the right Monrovia Peak.

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions 26 — And then Mt Wilson, Mt Disappointment, and Strawberry Peak.

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions 27 — The road winds around to the north past some informal campsites.

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions 29 — Look back to your right as you turn north. You’ll see views of (left to right) Mt Baldy, Mt Waterman and the Twin Peaks.

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions 28 — And to the north you’ll see into the Mojave. On a clear day you can even spot Mt Charleston, which is outside of Las Vegas.

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions 30 — When you get to the campground sign, make the hard left to hit the summit.

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions 31 — The summit area is this group of boulders. There are some use trails heading into it.

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions 32 — You can climb to the top of the bigger boulders to reach the “top top.”

Pacifico Mountain Hike Directions 33 — Or just check out the summit marker on the lower boulder.

Pacifico, which means peaceful, accurately describes the vibe up here. Some people think the peak is named Pacifico because you can sometimes see the ocean from here. Others speculate it was named by the bandit that the Zorro stories were based on, Tiburcio Vásquez, who had a hideout nearby at Sheep Springs.