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Location: Los Angeles County, about 4 miles north of Mount Wilson, 35 miles from Los Angeles, 19 miles from La Cañada-Flintridge

Maps

Auto Club: Los Angeles and Vicinity

Forest Service: Angeles National Forest

USGS Topo: Chilao Flat 7½

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

Nearby Peaks: Mount Lawlor

Distance: 1/2 mile round trip cross-country

Gain: 100'

Time: 1 hour round trip

Rating: Class 1, easy

Original: Dick Akawie, March 1973

DRIVING ROUTE 1

• From the intersection of I-210 and Angeles Crest Highway (SR 2), drive north on Angeles Crest Highway 9.5 miles to Angeles Forest Highway. Keep straight.
• Continue about 4.5 miles to the junction with the Mount Wilson Road at the Red Box Ranger Station.
• Continue on Angeles Crest Highway 3.7 miles farther to the Barley Flats Road (paved) on the left. Turn left.
• Drive 2.5 miles to the gate of Camp Unity. Park outside of the gate.

HIKING ROUTE 1

• From the parking area (5500'), a use trail begins at the north side of the north post of the entry gate mentioned above.
• Follow this trail around the north side of Camp Unity, staying outside the fence at all times, to a large green steel water tank on the ridge on the west side of the camp.
• The register is about 50 yards south of the water tank at the second sign reading "Telephone Cable Underground". The use trail is overgrown, not easy to follow, and it is necessary to detour around several bramble patches.

If the Camp Unity gate is open, you can hike through the gate and up the road approximately 1000' to a small parking area on the south side of the road. The parking area has a wooden retaining wall about one foot high on its south edge. Cross this retaining wall and walk 20' to a pedestrian gate secured by a wire. Go through the gate, turn right, and hike along the south fence line on the outside of the fence to the base of the hill. Hike up the hill to the green steel water tank. Continue to summit register.

If the gate is open, this route is much better since there is no brush, and it is a direct route to the summit. At the entry gate there is a sign "Beware of Dogs". In general, if the gate is open, there is no problem as the dogs are caged and a hiker is unlikely to be questioned or challenged while using this route since it bypasses most of the developed area by going past outside the fence line.

This route should not be used if the gate is closed as the dogs are loose.

Distance: 8 miles round trip cross-country

Gain: 2200'

Time: 5 hours round trip

Rating: Class 1, moderate

Original: Southern Courtney

DRIVING ROUTE 2

• From the intersection of I-210 and Angeles Crest Highway (SR 2), drive north on Angeles Crest Highway 9.5 miles to Angeles Forest Highway. Turn left onto Angeles Forest Highway.
• Drive north on Angeles Forest Highway 8.3 miles to the Upper Big Tujunga Road. Turn right.
• Drive east on Upper Big Tujunga Road 4 miles to Alder Creek. This is the trailhead.
• Continue driving 0.3 mile (until the end of the No Parking signs.) Park on shoulder.

HIKING ROUTE 2

• Hike back 0.3 mile to Alder Creek. Find trail on south side of highway, go southeast, and cross Alder Creek.
• At the vandalized steel post reading "Barley Flats Trail", cross the Big Tujunga Creek.
• Hike east about 100' to the trail switchbacking out of the wash to the south.
• Hike up a good trail for about 1.5 miles until it reaches a firebreak ridge.
• Go up the use trail on the ridge. After the ridge section, the trail is fine, if the buckthorn has not overgrown the trail, to the Barley Flats Road. The trail joins the road at the parking area for Route 1 outside the gate for Camp Unity.
• See directions for Hiking Route 1.

Distance: 6 miles round trip on old road

Gain: 1000'

Time: 4 hours round trip

Rating: Class 1, moderate

Route: Heavy brush

Original: Dick Akawie, March 1973

DRIVING ROUTE 3

• From the intersection of I-210 and Angeles Crest Highway (SR 2), drive north on Angeles Crest Highway 9.5 miles to Angeles Forest Highway. Keep straight.
• Continue about 4.5 miles to the junction with the Mount Wilson Road at the Red Box Ranger Station. Park here.

HIKING ROUTE 3

• From the parking area (4600'), hike east along Angeles Crest Highway for 100' and go up the dirt road on the left (2N46) for about 3/4 mile to a trail junction on the left.
• Ignore the junction and continue to follow the old roadbed (very brushy at times) up to the top of the ridge where it meets a good road.
• Follow the old road east a short distance to where a large green steel water tank comes into view. The register is on the flat area about 50 yards south of the water tank at the second sign "Telephone Cable Underground".

SPECIAL CONDITIONS

This route is badly overgrown by brush.

ALTERNATE ROUTES

It is possible to traverse the ridge from Mount Lawlor. This route is now overgrown in spots with brush.

HISTORICAL NOTES

The fenced facility near Barley Flats was originally built as the administration and launcher facilities for a Nike Ajax (non-nuclear) antiaircraft battery. It was in place between 1954 and 1961. The fire control radar system for the battery was located on the summit of Mt. Disappointment. The launch site magazines were destroyed, but the administration buildings remain. They were used as a probation camp by Los Angeles County Sheriff until 1992. They are currently (2000) being used as a religious retreat named Camp Unity.

History of Summit Signature

Climbing Archives

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