Hike Josephine Peak From Colby Canyon

8.4 miles - Moderate Effort
4 Hours (Total)
2,300 Total Feet of Climbing
Max Elevation of 5,558 feet
Leashed Dogs Allowed

Standing prominently in the western San Gabriels, Josephine Peak offers a cool summit with sweeping views. There are a few ways to hike to the summit, and this guide covers my favorite route, which takes the (single track) Colby Canyon Trail (instead of the fire road). This is a great "off-the-beaten-path" hike where you never see crowds, making for a peaceful and pleasurable experience.

In this Guide:

Video and Turn-by-Turn Directions to Hike Josephine Peak
The Best Trail to Hike Josephine Peak
Parking, Maps, and Insider Tips

Quick Links: Angeles National Forest - NOAA Weather Report - Top Gear Picks (Sep 2023)

When planning, always check the park website and social media to make sure the trails are open. Similarly, check the weather and road conditions.

Note the yellowish tinge in the images of this guide. The air was covered in smoke from the 2021 KNP Complex in the Sequoia National Park, about 150 miles away.

Where is the Colby Canyon Trailhead?

The trailhead is easy to spot, and is off Angeles Crest Highway, close to the Switzer Falls area. Use this trailhead address:
Colby Canyon Trail, 701 Angeles Crest Hwy, Tujunga, CA 91042

Josephine Peak Hike 1 — If you're driving from the western end of Angeles Crest Highway, you'll be able to see Josephine Peak as you drive up into the forest.

Josephine Peak Hike 2 — The lot isn't massive, but I've never seen it full.

Josephine Peak Hike 3 — There's a trailhead sign here to confirm you are in the correct spot. FYI no parking pass is needed here.

Gear For the Hike

This hike is mostly exposed, so make sure you bring sun protection and about 2L of water. In the winter there can be snow. And if you have trekking poles, I'd bring them for the climb and descent.

My Latest Gear Picks

Garmin inReach Mini 2 ( Amazon | REI )
HOKA Speedgoat 5 ( Men | Women )
Zpacks Sub-Nero Ultra ( Zpacks | Review )
Alpine Carbon Cork Poles ( REI | Amazon )

As a hiking guide, I test lots of hiking gear. On my picks page, I'll show you all of the gear that I actually use. I don't accept paid promotions or talk about the stuff that doesn't make the cut. It's just the gear that works best, so you don't have to waste your money.

All My September 2023 Top Gear Picks

Josephine Peak Trail Maps

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

Best Smartphone Apps to Navigate: AllTrails | GaiaGPS | OnX

Elevation Profile

Hike Josephine Peak From Colby Canyon Elevation — There are some little ups and downs along the way, but overall you'll be climbing, with a nice flat section between Josephine Saddle and the intersection with the fire road.

3D Map

Josephine Peak Hike Directions

Stay in Touch: Monthly Email - New YouTube Videos - Instagram

Josephine Peak Hike 4 — The trail starts just to the left of the Colby Canyon Trail board.

Josephine Peak Hike 5 — At the start you'll have a short downhill into the canyon, crossing the (usually dry) creek a couple of times.

Josephine Peak Hike 6 — And then you start to climb. At the beginning the climb is a little primitive.

Josephine Peak Hike 7 — And then gets more graded and established as it continues.

Josephine Peak Hike 8 — And soon you crest the ridge, which has sweeping views over Colby Canyon. In the distance you can see the trail zig-zagging its way up to Josephine Saddle.

Josephine Peak Hike 9 — And as you continue, you'll be treated to unique views of Strawberry Peak (on the left), which actually does look like an upside down strawberry from here. Here you'll go down a small downhill with evidence of the 2009 Station Fire.

Josephine Peak Hike 10 — Start climbing up the wide switchbacks, which offer nice views down to the mouth of Colby Canyon where you started.

Josephine Peak Hike 11 — As you climb, you'll also start to see San Gabriel Peak (left) and Mt Disappointment (right) in the distance.

Josephine Peak Hike 12 — There's some solid trail work here.

Josephine Peak Hike 13 — After the first section of switchbacks, you have a short flat stretch before the next series, which you can see ahead.

Josephine Peak Hike 14 — At the top of those last switchbacks you'll see a concrete cistern ahead. This is Josephine Saddle.

Josephine Peak Hike 15 — When you get to Josephine Saddle, make the hard left.

Josephine Peak Hike 16 — You'll hike from the saddle clearing onto a singletrack trail.

Josephine Peak Hike 17 — This section is flat and pleasant as you follow the ridge.

Josephine Peak Hike 18 — The views north into Angeles National Forest are spectacular.

Josephine Peak Hike 19 — When you come around a bend you'll see Josephine Peak in front of you.

Josephine Peak Hike 20 — You'll come to a little clearing on the left with great views south.

Who is Josephine Peak named after? It's Josephine Lippencott, the wife of USGS surveyor Joseph Barlow Lippencott, who used the peak as a triangulation station.

Josephine Peak Hike 21 — The last viewpoint offers great views toward downtown LA.

Josephine Peak Hike 22 — Then you'll come to the intersection with Josephine Peak Road #2N64. Hike straight and continue uphill.

Josephine Peak Hike 23 — The rest of the hike is on this dirt road, but it's not too bad and offers great views.

Josephine Peak Hike 24 — After a switchback, stay on the main road and avoid small side trails.

Josephine Peak Hike 25 — You'll start getting some spectacular views of Strawberry Peak (right).

Josephine Peak Hike 26 — And you can see the trail you climbed up below you.

Josephine Peak Hike 27 — As you wind around to the east, you can see Mt Lukens with all the radio towers on top.

Josephine Peak Hike 28 — Hike past the helipad at the wide clearing.

Josephine Peak Hike 29 — And after a narrow section of trail, you'll reach the summit!

You'll notice the concrete blocks, which were once the base of a fire tower. The tower stood from 1938 to 1975 when it burned down in the Mill Fire. At that point many towers in Angeles NF were being dismantled and abandoned anyway because the smog was so bad.

Josephine Peak Hike 30 — You'll have views over toward Mt Wilson (the peak with the antennas).

Josephine Peak Hike 31 — And to the north you can see Mt Pacifico, about 10 miles away.

Josephine Peak Hike 33 — And you also get the incredibly dramatic views of Strawberry Peak.

Josephine Peak Hike 32 — There's also a USGS benchmark if that's your thing.

Josephine Peak Hike 34 — Enjoy the summit, take your photos, and then just return the way you came up!

Have a question about the guide or want to see what other people are saying/asking? View the Youtube comments for this video. Leave a comment and I will do my best to respond.

Related Guides

Hike Pacifico Mountain on the PCT

Angeles National Forest Hikes

Fire Tower Hikes

LA Mountain Hikes

San Gabriel Mountains National Monument Hiking

Sierra Club 100 Peaks

Popular Guides

Backpacking For Beginners: Hiker → Backpacker

Hiking Boots or Shoes: Do I Really Need Hiking Boots?

When to Hit SOS on inReach

Garmin inReach FAQ: The Questions You Forgot to Ask

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!).

Don't Miss Out

Monthly(ish) Email Newsletter - A list of new guides and important info for hikers.
YouTube - Subscribe for new video notifications. The best way to get notified every time a new guide goes up.
Instagram - I occasionally share pretty pictures from my hikes, broadcast live from the trail, and let you know about new guides.