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Location: Los Angeles County, about 5 miles northeast of Monrovia, 44 miles from Los Angeles

Maps

Auto Club: Los Angeles and Vicinity

Forest Service: Angeles National Forest

USGS Topo: Azusa 7½, Mount Wilson 7½

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

Distance: 10 miles round trip on road, trail, and firebreak

Gain: 5300' total, 4800' out plus 500' on return

Time: 8 hours round trip

Rating: Class 1, strenuous, plus short class 2 segment

Navigation: Moderate

Leader Rating: "I", normal conditions

Original: George Wysup, February 2002

DRIVING ROUTE 1

• Take I-210 to the Myrtle Avenue off-ramp.
• Go north on Myrtle Avenue for 1.6 miles to Hillcrest Boulevard. Turn right.
• Go 0.2 mile to Canyon Boulevard. Turn left.
• Go 0.5 mile to Oakglade Drive, just before Ridgeside Drive (920'). Park here if you plan to enter the park before or after hours.
• Or continue 0.6 mile further to the pay station. Park in the lot near the station.

HIKING ROUTE 1

• From the pay station parking lot (1060'), proceed a short distance to a trail signed "Bill Cull" trail. Go left on this trail.
• The trail forks soon. Go left. The right fork goes to a waterfall in Monrovia Canyon.
• At another fork at a saddle, go uphill.
• Continue on this trail until it reaches a ridge and begins to go downhill.
• Turn right on a use trail along a steep cat track that goes up the ridge.
• Continue up the ridge to the top of Clamshell Peak. There is usually a register on this summit.
• Go off the east side of the peak, descending about 250' to the Clamshell Truck Trail at about 4100'.
• Go east on the road about 1 1/4 miles to where a firebreak comes down from Rankin Peak on the right.
• Go up this ridge to Rankin Peak. There is a monument to Rev. Rankin for whom the peak is named on the top of this peak.
• Continue east down through a saddle, over a bump, into another saddle, and then up to the summit.

NOTES

The park is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily except Tuesday. There is a small parking fee. For information call (626) 357-5046.

Distance: 12 miles round trip on road and firebreak

Gain: 5300' total, 4800' out plus 500' on return

Time: 7-8 hours round trip

Rating: Class 1, strenuous, plus short class 2 segment

Navigation: Moderate

Leader Rating: "I", normal conditions

Original: John Backus, January 1985

DRIVING ROUTE 2

• Take I-210 to the Myrtle Avenue off-ramp.
• Go north on Myrtle Avenue for 1.6 miles to Hillcrest Boulevard. Turn right.
• Go 0.2 mile to Canyon Boulevard. Turn left.
• Go 0.4 mile to Ridgeside Drive. Turn left.
• Go 0.4 mile to a narrow unmarked paved road on the left, just north of 865 Ridgeside Drive. This is the Clamshell Truck Trail. Park on the street at this point.

HIKING ROUTE 2

• From the beginning of the Clamshell Truck Trail (1130'), go up the road a short distance to a locked gate at the beginning of a dirt road. Pass this gate and continue up the dirt road about a mile to a shallow saddle with a firebreak coming down a ridge on the right.
• Turn right and go up this firebreak to where it turns into a cat track.
• Keep right here and follow the cat track as it goes off to the right of the ridge and then regains the ridge.
• Continue up the ridge to the top of Clamshell Peak. There is usually a register on this summit.
• Go off the east side of the peak, descending about 250' to the Clamshell Truck Trail at about 4100'.
• Go east on the road about 1 1/4 miles to where a ridge comes down from Rankin Peak on the right.
• Go up this ridge to Rankin Peak. There is a monument to Rev. Rankin for whom the peak is named on the top of this peak.
• Continue east down through a saddle, over a bump, into another saddle, and then up to the summit.

Distance: 20 miles round trip on road and trail

Gain: 4500'

Time: 9-10 hours round trip

Rating: Class 1, strenuous

Navigation: Easy

Leader Rating: "O", normal conditions

Original: Alan Coles, January 1995

DRIVING ROUTE 3

• Take I-210 to the Myrtle Avenue off-ramp.
• Go north on Myrtle Avenue for 1.6 miles to Hillcrest Boulevard. Turn right.
• Go 0.2 mile to Canyon Boulevard. Turn left.
• Go 0.5 mile to Oakglade Drive, just before Ridgeside Drive (920'). Park here if you plan to enter the park before or after hours.
• Or continue 0.6 mile further to the pay station. Park in the lot near the station.

HIKING ROUTE 3

• From the pay station parking lot (1060'), go up (north) on the road for about 100 yards to a junction.
• Turn right on the road towards Trask Boy Scout Camp. Continue on this road past various landmarks (Sawpit Dam, Trask Boy Scout Camp, the start and end of the Ben Overturff Trail) for about 5 miles, to White Saddle (very obvious).
• Take the left (north) road for another 3 miles to the Red Box-Rincon Road.
• Turn left and go 1.0 mile, passing some power lines, to a ravine on the left.
• Follow a use trail up the ravine through some brush to a firebreak. Turn right and follow the firebreak to the summit (1/2 mile, 600').

NOTES

The park is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily except Tuesday. There is a small parking fee. The Overturff Trail (a scenic alternate to the road) is closed occasionally due to target practice at the police shooting range in Sawpit Canyon. (The road is open all week). For information call (626) 357-5046.

ROUTE COMBINATION

Route 3 may be combined with Route 1 or Route 2 into a loop trip, not requiring a car shuttle.

Distance: 1 mile round trip cross-country

Gain: 600'

Time: 3/4 hour round trip

Rating: Class 1, easy

Navigation: Easy

Leader Rating: "O", normal conditions

Original: David Eisenberg, January 1992

DRIVING ROUTE 4

• Take I-210 to the Azusa Avenue exit (SR 39).
• Go north on SR 39 about 12 miles to the intersection with the East Fork Road.
• Go 0.8 mile more to the gated Red Box-Rincon Road on the left (2N24). Turn left.
• Go through the gate (see the permit information below), note your odometer and go as follows:
• At 7.8 miles, fork. Go left.
• At 10.8 miles, fork. Go right.
• At 11.8 miles, a ravine on the left. One or two cars can park here. More parking is available slightly to the west.

HIKING ROUTE 4

• From the parking area (4800'), follow a use trail up the ravine through some brush to a firebreak.
• Turn right and follow the firebreak to the summit.

PERMIT INFORMATION

To drive this route, you must obtain a permit and a lock combination for the Red Box-Rincon Road (2N24). This permit is seasonal. For information contact:

History of Summit Signature

Climbing Archives

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