Mt Wilson Trail Hike

14.5 miles - Hard Effort
6-8 Hours (Total)
5,640 Total Feet of Climbing
Max Elevation of 5,712 feet
No Dogs Allowed

The Mt Wilson Trail is the oldest route to the summit to Mt Wilson. Unlike the popular route to Mt Wilson from Chantry Flat, the Mt Wilson Trail is mellow and lacks the crowds and kids looking for the waterfall. The Mt Wilson Trail offers beautiful views as it ascends the side of Little Santa Anita Canyon, and being the oldest trail, offers some historical landmarks as well. If you've only hiked Mt Wilson from Chantry Flat, I highly recommend giving this route a try too.

In this Guide:

Turn by Turn Hike Directions & Hike Video
Mt Wilson Trail Maps
Parking for the Mt Wilson Trail
Getting Ready for the Hike

Quick Links:
Park Website - Weather Forecast - My Oct 2024 Gear

How to Get to the Mt Wilson Trail

Mt Wilson Trail Directions 2 — The hike starts at Mount Wilson Trail Park. The bathroom is the building in the back.

Getting to the trailhead is relatively easy. You park on the street (for free) around Mt Wilson Trail Park and walk a few minutes up the street to the actual trailhead. The address to use is:

Mt Wilson Trail Park, 189 E Mira Monte Ave, Sierra Madre, CA 91024

Mt Wilson Trail Directions 3 — There's free street parking but you might have to walk a few minutes to the trailhead if you get here late and park farther away.

The neighborhood is residential so please be respectful of neighbors, especially if you're leaving in the early hours of the morning. There are bathrooms in the park but are sometimes locked; try to go before you arrive. There are bathrooms at the summit though.

Gear For the Hike

This is a tough, long hike and you need proper hiking gear. Bring 3L of water, snacks, and proper navigation gear. When you get to the summit you can refill your water bottles and grab a bite at the Cosmic Cafe (check the hours, open seasonally). Sometimes there can be bugs, bring some bug spray just in case.

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)

Mt Wilson Trail Maps

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

Mt Wilson Trail Elevation Profiles

Mt Wilson Trail Hike Elevation — The elevation profile is pretty straightforward, you go up. And up some more. The good news is that the downhill from Mt Wilson is easy peasy.

Mt Wilson Trail 3d Map — The trail climbs along Little Santa Anita Canyon until it gains Manzanita Ridge at the bench. From there it's a short stretch to the old Mt Wilson Toll Road and then the summit.

Mt Wilson Trail History

Orchard Camp, at the halfway point on the hike, used to be a popular resort on the Mt Wilson Trail.

Mt Wilson is named after General Patton's grandfather, Benjamin Davis Wilson, a local big-wig in the 1800s and one-time mayor of LA. He owned the land around here and went to the summit in search of timber.
The path he took to the summit followed the Native American Tongya's path to the summit, which happens to be the same route as the Mt Wilson Trail.
The first telescope at the summit observatory was brought up this trail in 1889.
The Mt Wilson Trail became a favorite hike for tourists, leading to the development attractions along the route.
- First Water (see directions below) was a popular picnic spot and water refill station from the 1890s on.
- A short distance up from First Water was a small general store called Quarter-Way House, built in 1888, and burned down in 1945. (If anyone can find ruins, please send me a picture with the location).
- Orchard Camp, which you can see the ruins of on the hike, was a resort from the 1890s to the 1930s. In 1911 at the height of its popularity, 40,000 visitors signed the camp register. It was destroyed in the 1938 floods.
- Lizzie's Trail Inn, at the trailhead, served as a place where hikers could eat and get supplies. Today it's a museum.
The electric streetcar line was extended to Sierra Madre in 1906, allowing lots of folks to hike the Mt Wilson Trail before cars were a thing.
It remained popular until the 1950s, when it became so degraded that in 1953 a sign that said "unsafe to travel" was posted.
In the 1960s volunteers started to restore the trail and continue to do so today, funded by donations to the Sierra Madre Community Foundation.

There's a really great write-up on the history of the trail here if you want to dive deeper.

Mt Wilson Trail Hike Directions

Mt Wilson Trail Directions 4 — Head onto Mt Wilson Trail (road) by Lizzie's Trail Inn, which is right next to the Mt Wilson Trail Park.

Mt Wilson Trail Directions 5 — Shortly after walking up the road the "trail" trailhead is on your left.

Mt Wilson Trail Directions 6 — There's no missing the trailhead. Lot's of signs tell you to be careful, be polite, and all that good stuff.

Mt Wilson Trail Directions 7 — This short stretch of trail follows the road, climbs some steps, and then rejoins the road, which soon turns to dirt.

Mt Wilson Trail Directions 8 — Keep going straight on the dirt road.

Mt Wilson Trail Directions 9 — And go straight some more. At this point the dirt road transitions to a dirt trail.

Mt Wilson Trail Directions 10 — Now you're hiking! Enjoy the trail as it climbs up the side of Little Santa Anita Canyon.

Mt Wilson Trail Directions 11 — Bear right to continue on the Mt Wilson Trail.

Mt Wilson Trail Directions 12 — The climb is tough but not too steep. Don't forget to take breaks and turn around, the views are spectacular and you'll be able to see the trail you hiked on earlier.

Mt Wilson Trail Directions 13 — At the junction for First Water, bear left.

Mt Wilson Trail Directions 14 — You'll get some glimpses of the mountains in the distance as the trail continues to climb.

Mt Wilson Trail Directions 15 — At the junction with the Bailey Canyon Trail, continue right. Shortly after this you'll pass a clearing used as a helipad. Hopefully you don't have to take a chopper out of here.

Mt Wilson Trail Directions 16 — The trail has some shaded sections as it makes its way past Decker Springs.

Mt Wilson Trail Directions 17 — There are some beautiful sections of trail on this stretch.

Mt Wilson Trail Directions 18 — At the halfway point you'll reach the ruins of Orchard Camp. The trail continues on the left side of the camp.

Mt Wilson Trail Directions 19 — The ruins of Orchard Camp are a great place for a snack and hydration before you tackle the second half of the climb.

Mt Wilson Trail Directions 20 — Here's the trail sign at Orchard Camp. Hike to the left.

Mt Wilson Trail Directions 21 — This section is steep but beautiful.

Eventually you arrive at Manzanita Ridge, aka "The Bench", which will look familiar if you have done the Mt Wilson Loop from Chantry Flat. In this case you're making the left to continue up the Gabrielino Trail toward Mt Wilson.

Mt Wilson Trail Directions 22 — Keep hiking up the Gabrielino Trail. There are some cutoffs here, please take the switchback to avoid erosion.

Mt Wilson Trail Directions 23 — This section of trail ends and you make the hard right onto the Old Mt Wilson Toll Road.

Mt Wilson Trail Directions 24 — The road is easy to follow and has a steady uphill gradient.

Mt Wilson Trail Directions 25 — The views into Angeles National Forest on this stretch of the hike are great.

Mt Wilson Trail Directions 26 — Keep your eyes open for this small trail turnoff on the right. Hike up this smaller trail to the summit. You can also take the road up but it's not as nice.

Mt Wilson Trail Directions 27 — After a stretch on this section of the trail, you reach the end of the trail at the parking lot.

Mt Wilson Trail Directions 28 — Head across the lot to visit the Cosmic Cafe, summit, bathrooms, and astronomical attractions. you can also cut across the parking lot to the right for some great views into downtown LA. If you want a more detailed description of the summit area, check out the guide to Mt Wilson from Chantry Flat.

Mt Wilson Trail Directions 29 — That's the hike! After checking out the Mt Wilson summit area, just head back down the way you came on the Mt Wilson Trail and that's it.

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.