Switzer Falls Trail is a 3.5 mile hike with 450 feet elevation gain. Are there i Parking is only available at the top (near the main road) so you will have to walk down to the trail head and back up to the parking. Stick to the right and you’ll get rewarded with a view of the falls. This closure blocks access to the Switzer Picnic Area parking (the trailhead). The trail is primarily used for hiking and is accessible year-round. Once you have turned into the signed parking lot on the Angeles Crest Highway, proceed down the access road to the lower parking lot, where the trail head is located. Really lovely trail. and it’ll just add to the fun seeing them maneuver throughout the trail. loved it (: The trail was amazing with several different landscapes to see and different terrain to hike. We arrived at 10am and parking was full. This is a Very nice hike, parking is limited, so arrive there early. California Travel and Tourism Commision, P.O. Once you passed the bridge, the trail starts. The trail crosses the stream right away and you now follow along the pretty and mellifluous creek. by veraONEproductions on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them. Switzer Truck Trail Mount Wilson trails Switzer Falls Via Gabrielino trail Altadena trail Clear Creek trail Bear Canyon trail Oakwilde trail Gould Mesa trail Dr. Rouzbeh`s day hikes plan. The first mile out of the falls may be some of the prettiest in the range. There is pretty gnarly drop at one point. Thanks to the work of CORBA and MWBA with support from REI, the trail is open all the way to Switzers as of August 2018. Please read this, Hermit Falls Hiking Trail Guide - My Open Country. This hike takes you on good trail down the beautiful canyon of the Arroyo Seco stream, then on trail above Switzer Falls for a scenic view of the falls and canyon, and back down trail to the stream. › Switzer Falls via Gabrielino Trail › Photos Photos of Switzer Falls via Gabrielino Trail Switzer Falls via Gabrielino Trail. Nice, popular trail with optional off trail segment up-stream to reach base of Switzer Falls. Soon you will arrive at an obvious  junction – the Bear Canyon Trail heads down back into the Arroyo Seco canyon to your left, and the main Arroyo Seco Trail continues up the ridge to your right. Will have to come back with lunch next time. 1.1.21 - wasn’t too crowded early morning. Switzer’s Picnic Area is both a popular day-use area for those wanting picnic facilities in a sylvan setting and those desiring a trailhead with multiple entry points into some beautiful areas of the San Gabriel front range. A lot of people at the falls. The canyon features many old growth trees and thus offers a pleasant riparian environment with abundant shade. Totally enjoyable. Summary for Switzer Falls Hike. Now you will cross the bridge over the Arroyo Seco stream and head down stream along the trail. Not too many people and we had light snowfall which made it all the more fun. The trail is primarily used for hiking and is accessible year-round. Albeit worth it because in the end, we got the workout we wanted. And by the way, it was all incline coming back up. The hike meanders back and across the stream running down the spectacular Arroyo Seco Canyon. Lowe Truck Trail (2N50.1) at the water tank and ends at Gabrielino NRT below Switzer Falls. Wild sage, blackberry brambles, and honey mushrooms spotted along the path! You can also hike to Switzer via the popular Switzer Falls hike. Users have reported that when the trailhead parking is closed, there is an additional 1 mile and 300 feet in elevation added to the hike. Parked at the upper lot. if you have a dog and you aren’t sure if they can handle it, they can! My brother took his Aussie and it did great! The way back is all up hill but not nearly as difficult as expected. It was very mellow until 8:30, then lots of hikers came in. The trail begins as you cross the wooden bridge behind the Switzer Falls Picnic/Parking area. The waterfall was not flowing hard but pleasant and relaxing. Share. It was beautiful but a little cold at the bottom. See more of Zealyn on Facebook. Trail … You will soon pass through an open area with great views of the surrounding massive cliffs. This is one of the most popular hikes in the San Gabriel Mountains, in part because of the easy access, ample parking, and great trail, but also because it is a truly lovely area with a great deal of natural diversity, and a storied history as well. The creek out is pretty and lined with oak, sycamore and evergreens. After the unbridged creek crossing by the stoves, we then ascended a couple of short switchbacks as the trail became much narrower with some dropoff exposure. Good workout. Only issue with this hike is lots of people and parking lot closed so you have a long downhill walk to trailhead and a long uphill walk back to car. Hiking: Access to the trail camp is a 4.5 mile hike down the Arroyo from Switzer's Picnic Area. As many has mentioned. From Interstate 210 in La Canada, take Highway 2 north and drive 10 miles to Switzer picnic area on the right. The area that is now the picnic ground at the trail head was the site of a long-lived and immensely popular wilderness resort. The trail comes to a junction. You can get to the top of the waterfalll but requires some scrambling. Nice and the weather was perfect at 9:30am- plenty of shade only pockets of direct sun. This definitely wasn’t a 3.6 mile round trip hike. Located 7 miles north of Pasadena California. The trail hugs the mountain before it eventually reaches a split from which you will head downhill into the canyon. Going all the way from the parking lot to the fall was about 6 miles round trip. Crowds could be challenging on the narrow areas, which would also be quite hot in the peak heat of the day. But that’s another hike when it’s fully reopened- our hike goes down and to the left. This upside down hike descends 650 feet from Switzer Picnic Area to the … Switzer’s Camp became the most famous wilderness resort in the San Gabriel Mountains, attracting visitors from near and far. Note that as you can see in the photo below – and especially the fun water slide video at the end of this post – the pools are really quite spectacular after a wet winter has cleared them of debris, and they are up to 10′ deep below the falls, and thus offer fun and refreshing swimming holes on warm days. The hike meanders back and across the stream running down the spectacular Arroyo Seco Canyon. Although I’ve listed the Switzer Falls hike as moderate because there’s a bit of climbing, overall it’s a very doable hike that offers many rewards for a small effort. The trail goes through the heart of activity in the Great Hiking Era of LA (the early 1900s). Going west downstream, the trail follows an old road through a shaded canyon for 1 mile then briefly ascends and contours on singletrack around Switzer Falls. – Time: 3 to 4 Hours The stream is lined with oaks and alder, with the water cascading over granite into mirror-like pools. Wear right pair of hiking shoes or it be can ankle-twisting. I arrived at 630 am and the lot was full, had to park along street. Note that to get to the base of Upper Switzer Falls, which you saw from the trail, you have to climb above Lower Switzer Falls to the right of the falls. The stream is lined with oaks and alder, with the water cascading over granite into mirror-like pools. Can anyone please enlighten me about the current (post deluge) Switzer Falls trail conditions, as well as those of the falls themselves? Switzer led a burro train with resort visitors twice a week up the Arroyo Seco on a long trail to the camp. Widely recognized as the most well-known waterfall hike in the greater Los Angeles area, this 14-foot cascade is accessed from the Switzer Falls Picnic and Day Use Area just off of the Angeles Crest Highway. From where we had to park (top of the mountain) to the start of the trail was almost 2 miles itself. The waterfall wasn’t anything too spectacular to look at but overall, the scenery was gorgeous. Switzer Falls Trail Description – skirting then descending into Bear Canyon. As of May 2015 the pools are mostly full of gravel since there have been three consecutive rainy seasons with rain totals far below average, so the pools have not had sufficient flow to clear them out to their full depth. Beautiful stretch, perfect hike, refreshing views along the creek. Easy going to falls but going back it’s moderate to hard. After you have enjoyed your time at the falls, head back downstream to the trail junction. It’s summertime and there hasn’t been any rain so the water isn’t exactly gushing. The trail is open for the following uses: Hiking. At this signed trail junction you can choose the optional off trail scramble up the stream bed to the base of Switzer Falls, or continue down the Arroyo Seco stream bed on the signed and maintained Bear Canyon Trail into a lovely wooded paradise along the tumbling stream with its small cascades and large, deep pools. While the trail itself would technically be open, CalTrans has a separate closure of the 2 that extends from the Clear Creek Info Station to the Vincent Gap parking lot. It begins at Mt. As you get down into the canyon, the shade comes back, and you will reconnect with the stream and head up alongside it. – Difficulty: Easy to Moderate Follow Bear Canyon Trail back to the creek and upstream, traverse the wash a few more times and watch from below as the two-tiered Switzer Falls thunder down. More than just an easy trail, this destination is one that will completely captivate your senses. In about 2 miles the trail to Switzer Falls takes you along a babbling brook, through historic ruins, on the side of a spectacular gorge, and then finally, to a pristine waterfall. Great hike with 85% shade, nice water falls at the end of the hike. Read reviews about going earlier and that's definitely the move! The rock hopping is fun, the trail clear, the large and well-maintained camp a nice turn-around point. Get there as early as you can. i loved this hike so much! 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