Location: Ventura County, about 13 miles southwest of Gorman, 85 miles from Los Angeles

Maps

Auto Club: Ventura County

Forest Service: Los Padres National Forest: Mt Pinos, Ojai and Santa Barbara Ranger Districts

USGS Topo: Alamo Mountain 7½

HPS: Route(s), waypoints and explanation of usage

Nearby Peaks: Alamo Mountain, McDonald Peak, Snowy Peak, Black Mountain #2, Cobblestone Mountain, White Mountain #2

Distance: 2 miles round trip on road

Gain: 500'

Time: 1 hour round trip

Rating: Class 1, easy

Navigation: Easy

Leader Rating: "O", normal conditions

Original: Warren E. von Pertz

DRIVING ROUTE 1

• Go north on I-5 to the town of Gorman. Get off on the signed Gorman exit.
• Turn left at the bottom of the off-ramp and go under the freeway.
• Go 0.1 mile to Peace Valley Road. Turn right.
• Go 1 mile to the entrance to Hungry Valley Recreation Area on your left (paved). Turn left. Note your odometer and go as follows:
• At 0.2 miles, entrance station. If manned, you can avoid payment of the fee by telling the State Park employee that you are passing through to Alamo Mountain.
• At 5.2 miles, intersection. Turn right (west) toward "Piru Creek", signed.
• At 11.2 miles, improved car camping area on right, with toilets. Often used as a meeting point.
• At 11.4 miles, Piru Creek crossing. There is a seasonal gate just before this stream crossing.
• At 13.4 miles, the pavement ends.
• At 17.8 miles, fork to the left. Keep right.
• At 17.9 miles, junction with the Alamo Mountain Road. Turn left. (To the right leads to Twin Pines Campground and Alamo Mountain Route 2.) Note your odometer again and go as follows:
• At 3.3 miles, fork immediately beyond a small road cut through the ridge. (To the right leads to Alamo Mountain Route 1.) Turn left.
• At 4.0 miles, the road continues east at the Little Mutau trailhead. Past this point the road can sometimes be poor but is usually passable.
• At 6.3 miles, the parking spot for McDonald Peak.
• At 7.2 miles, a dirt berm, a sign indicating no further motor vehicle traffic, and a large parking area, suitable for car camping. Park here.

HIKING ROUTE 1

• From the parking area (6500'), pass the gate and hike east on the old road for 1 mile to the obvious high point of the road.
• The rocky summit outcrop that contains the register is located about 20 yards to the left (north) of the road at this point.