OCLB - Mount Islip Day Hike

Great Outdoors Orange County/Long Beach Chapter presents

Contact: Doug Cable. E-mail: dccable2@verizon.net

A trip to the wilderness in the San Gabriel Mountains is a great escape. The views from the crest of the San Gabriel Mountains are spectacular in all directions.

For those who wish to carpool, we will meet at the Federal SW Regional Lab Park and Ride, 4655 Lampson Avenue, Garden Grove, CA 92845. Click here for a map. We will be leaving no later than 6:30 AM.

Take Highway 39 north from the 210 freeway. After you pass the two dams, do not turn right across the bridge which goes to the East Fork. After about 25 miles on Highway 39, turn right at the Crystal Lake Cafe turn-off. This trip starts from the hikers' parking lot a half mile beyond the Crystal Lake Cafe near the end of Highway 39. You will see a bathroom on the left and a large parking lot on the right. You will need an Adventure Pass or a National Park Pass to display on your dashboard. We will meet at the trail head for the Windy Gap Trail, at 8:00 AM. GPS Coordinates are  34.326828,-117.832232.

We begin the moderate hike in a wooded area, with a mixture of Oak Trees and Conifers. As we climb, the forest will thin out until we reach aptly named Windy Gap.

From here, we will proceed to the summit of Mount Islip. There, we will find the remains of an old fire tower, and the ruins of a stone cabin.

From this summit, there are great vistas out over the Mojave Desert as well as out over the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area. Either on the way up or down, we will take a side trip to fire damaged Little Jimmy Campground, about a mile round trip. We will then descend back to the trailhead.

Total elevation loss/gain is 2,600 feet and the distance is about 7 miles. The summit of Mt. Islip is 8,250 feet above sea level.

Click here for the list of ten essentials. Wear shoes with good tread, as parts of the trail are steep with loose gravel. Carpooling is recommended to help reduce gas cost and parking.

If you cannot attend, please cancel your registration, so the next person on the waiting list can have a chance to register.