Bridge to Nowhere Hike

10 miles - Moderate Effort
5-6 Hours (Total)
Can Get Very Busy
1,250 Total Feet of Climbing
Max Elevation of 2,810 feet
Leashed Dogs Allowed

The Bridge to Nowhere is a classic hike for good reason. The route is rugged but doable by most beginners. You'll follow the East Fork of the San Gabriel River upstream, crossing it six times as you dive deeper into the Sheep Mountain Wilderness. Once you're about five miles in, you'll round a bend, and bam! There's a beautiful 120-foot bridge spanning the East Fork Narrows! It's a popular hike, but I'll share a tip that can dramatically change your experience.

In this Guide:

Video & Turn by Turn Hike Directions
Where to Park, Permits and Fees
Planning Your Hike (With Shoe & Gear Recommendations)

Quick Links:
National Parks Pass - Adventure Pass - Park Website - NOAA Weather Report - My Oct 2024 Gear

If a stream crossing is high, swift, or doesn't seem safe, do not cross. People have died when crossing swift and high waters.

Bridge to Nowhere Hiking Tips

Bighorn At Bridge To Nowhere — Timing is everything. Play your cards right and maybe you can spot some bighorn sheep.

Weekends are a mess. There are crowds, and many hikers don’t know proper hiking etiquette. You’ll hear Bluetooth speakers, people talking about their lives, etc., and it’s not a peaceful experience. Come at sunrise on a weekday for the best experience. You’ll often have most of the trail to yourself. When I do this, I’m usually the only person at the bridge, aside from some bighorn sheep.
Bungee America offers bungee jumping off of the Bridge to Nowhere on weekends. The groups leave as a guided hike at 6 am or 7 am, or both. If you want to skip the crowds, don't hike then. FYI the bungee company leases the land around the bridge from Angeles National Forest.
Most of the time, the hike is easy, and crossing the river is straightforward. But if there are thunderstorms in the forecast, the river can become a raging torrent. People have died here when the river floods, so take it seriously.
Similarly, in the spring, the river can be higher and cold if there’s snow melting from the mountains. The sweet spot to do the hike is in the fall.
Technically, a free, self-issued permit is required to enter the Sheep Mountain Wilderness, where the bridge is. There used to be boxes full of permits at the trailhead and along the way, but not anymore. It’s obvious that the permit system is not enforced, but if you really want to get one, visit one of the ranger stations for Angeles NF. Again, you don’t need to, and no one is checking.
You need a parking pass for the lot. I use an America the Beautiful (National Parks Pass) pass which gets me in all federal land and National Parks. You can also pick up an Adventure Pass which only works in Southern California.
Use the bathroom before getting to the trailhead. There's a nasty toilet at the trailhead and another one about 15 minutes down the trail at Heaton Flat. There are no other bathrooms along the hike and none at the bridge.

Where is the Bridge to Nowhere?

The hike starts at the East Fork Trailhead in Angeles National Forest, about an hour away from central Los Angeles. Use this trailhead address: East Fork Trailhead, Camp Bonita Rd, La Verne, CA 91750

Bridge Nowhere Parking Lot — There are a decent amount of spots in the parking lot, but it gets full quickly. The red arrow marks the start of the hike.

Overflow Parking At Bridge To Nowhere — It's about 9 am, and people are parked along the road about a mile from the trailhead.

Gear for the Hike

Shoe In Water — I find the best move is to just walk through the water when there are river crossings.

After doing this hike many times, I've found that wearing vented trail runners and just walking through the water is your best bet. Your feet will dry as you hike, and the cool water feels good on your feet. Some people bring sandals and dry shoes and switch back, but it's a waste of time.
If you are skillful, you can also rock-hop across most crossings. A lot depends on how high the river is. Having trekking poles will help you balance across the rocks.
In the summer it can get brutally hot. Bring at least 1L of water if not more. Winters can be in the 40-60F range, and you should dress accordingly.
Some sections of the trail are a little overgrown; you may get brushed with vegetation. Even though this is the case, shorts are the best choice given the river crossings.
Bring a small quick-dry towel to dry off if you want to swim in the pools by the bridge.
Pack some snacks. 10 miles is a long hike, and you'll need the energy.

Gear That I Love Right Now

Nothing is sponsored or promoted, just the actual gear that I use.

Garmin InReach Mini 2Hit SOS or just tell loved ones that you're running late where your cell phone has no service. Review here.

Topo Pursuit 2The best hiking footwear I've ever owned. No blisters. Get them wet, they dry quickly. Lots of cushion and comfort.

Garmin Epix ProHiking maps, route info, and fitness stats on my wrist. Review here.

Osprey Hikelite 26Lightweight, carries all your gear, and your back doesn't get sweaty. Oh yea, it's also one of the most inexpensive packs you can get.

Check out the complete list here. ( Updated October 2024)

Bridge to Nowhere Trail Maps

Bridge Full — The hike to the Bridge to Nowhere follows the East Fork of the San Gabriel River upstream until you reach the bridge. As long as you are going upstream, you're heading the right way.

I like to break the hike up into 3 sections:

Trailhead to the first river crossing: 1 mile
Walk along the river: 3 miles
Ridge to the bridge: 1 mile

This helps me mentally tackle the hike and know how far I've gone. Once you're at the bridge, you simply return the same way that you came.

There are no big climbs on the hike. All of the elevation change comes from small ups and downs along the way.

Use This Map:
View in CalTopo | PDF Map | GPX File

How Will You Navigate?

Using the Apple Watch for Hiking

Garmin Fenix 7 & Epix Review For Hikers

How To Read a Topographic Map

Garmin GPSMAP 67i Review

Bridge to Nowhere Hike Directions

Bridge To Nowhere Directions 2 — Hike through the gate at the end of the parking lot.

Bridge To Nowhere Directions 3 — After a short stretch downhill you'll arrive at Heaton Flats. Keep hiking straight.

Who was Heaton? He was a miner that lived and worked here from 1891 until the 1920s. Today you can still see people hunting for gold along the river. There's a good documentary on Vimeo called "LA Miner" that's free and worth a watch.

Bridge To Nowhere Directions 1 — Pass the junction to the Heaton Flats Trail on your right.

Bridge To Nowhere Directions 4 — At the end of Heaton Flats the road ends and the hike switches to a single track trail.

Bridge To Nowhere Directions 5 — The trail follows the side of the cliff. The photo is scarier than it actually is.

Bridge To Nowhere Directions 6 — When you get to the river, follow the right bank upstream.

Bridge To Nowhere Directions 7 — After about a mile, you'll reach the first river crossing (of six total). Cross over and continue upstream on the other side.

Bridge To Nowhere Directions 8 — The trail is spectacular as it hugs the cliff along the narrow gorge.

Bridge To Nowhere Directions 9 — When you get to the old road bridge ruins, pass the last one and then go to the river.

Bridge To Nowhere Directions 10 — Cross the river to the right side at the second river crossing, just after the ruins of the bridge.

Bridge To Nowhere Directions 11 — As you head upstream on the right side, climb the granite to continue on the trail. The trail is hidden just above the short climb by the arrow.

Bridge To Nowhere Directions 12 — And shortly after that last climb, you'll come to another boulder by the riverside. Go around the boulder to the right to continue on the trail.

Bridge To Nowhere Directions 13 — After about 2.5 miles you'll reach the John Seals Bridge over Laurel Gulch, created by the volunteers of the San Gabriel Mountain Trailbuilders. The bridge was airlifted here with a helicopter.

Bridge To Nowhere Directions 14 — You're also entering the Sheep Mountain Wilderness, named after the bighorn sheep that roam in these hills.

What's does it mean to be in a Wilderness Area?

Bridge To Nowhere Directions 15 — If you look down here, you'll see the asphalt from the road that once connected where we started at the trailhead to the bridge.

In 1929 work started on the East Fork Road, which was going to connect San Gabriel Valley with Wrightwood to the north. The bridge was a vital link on that road and was built in 1936. But only two years later, in 1938, catastrophic flooding in the San Gabriel River washed the road away, leaving only, well, you guessed it, a Bridge to Nowhere.

Bridge To Nowhere Directions 16 — After you pass the sign and the trail opens up, look up on the cliff wall ahead.

Bridge To Nowhere Directions 17 — Here's the famous "Swan Rock." If you can't see it, the head and neck are on the left.

Bridge To Nowhere Directions 18 — Shortly after Swan Rock you'll reach the third river crossing. This one is tricky. Once you cross over, cross right back (past the cliff) to continue. There are trails on the left bank, but they are not the main trail.

Bridge To Nowhere Directions 19 — The trail climbs up on a ridge above the river.

Bridge To Nowhere Directions 20 — And then you'll come to the fifth river crossing. Hike to the other side.

Bridge To Nowhere Directions 21 — Once across look for the trail continuing upstream.

Bridge To Nowhere Directions 22 — When you get to the boulder, cross back over and continue upstream on the right side. That's the last river crossing.

Bridge To Nowhere Directions 23 — As you head upstream, look toward the ridge up on the right. As you continue upstream you'll see a clear trail heading up onto the ridge. That's the small climb you'll take to hit the ridge.

Bridge To Nowhere Directions 24 — Hike along the ridge to the bridge. It's about a mile once climbing up to the bridge.

Bridge To Nowhere Directions 25 — When the trail widens you'll see a sign listing the rules for the private property you're about to hike on (from the bungee jumping company). Please be respectful of the rules.

Bridge To Nowhere Directions 26 — And here you are, the Bridge to Nowhere!

Bridge To Nowhere Directions 27 — If you want the nice view of the bridge, continue to the other side and follow the trail along the ridge.

Bridge To Nowhere Directions 28 — When you reach the sign, turn around for a picture-perfect view of the bridge.

Bridge To Nowhere Directions 29 — If you want to swim or chill at the river, carefully hike down the slope to a series of swimming holes.

That's it! When you're done at the bridge, just hike back the way you came.

Need More Info?

Have a question about the guide? Join my Patreon and ask me a question.
When planning, always check the park website and social media to make sure the trails are open. Similarly, check the weather and road conditions.
Do you have an update to this guide? View the Youtube comments for this video. Leave a comment and I will do my best to update the guide.

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This Guide Was Written by Cris Hazzard

Cris Hazzard 4 Mile Trail Yosemite
Hi, I'm Cris Hazzard, aka Hiking Guy, a professional outdoors guide, hiking expert, and author based in Southern California. I created this website to share all the great hikes I do with everyone else out there. This site is different because it gives detailed directions that even the beginning hiker can follow. I also share what hiking gear works and doesn't so you don't waste money. I don't do sponsored or promoted content; I share only the gear recommendations, hikes, and tips that I would with my family and friends. If you like the website and YouTube channel, please support these free guides (I couldn't do it without folks like you!). You can stay up to date with my new guides by following me on YouTube, Instagram, or by subscribing to my monthly newsletter.