San Gabriel Mountain Peaks: Mount Lawlor (5,957') and Strawberry Peak (6,164')

Rating: Intermediate+, 7.25 mile round-trip hike with 2,850' elevation gain from Red Box Picnic area. Restrooms available at trail-head. Bring 10 essentials, beverages and snacks, long pants, boots, gaiters and gloves recommended. Some class 2 rock scrambling (not optional) on steep trail, overgrown with yucca, buckthorn and poodle-dog bush. Let's meet at 7:50 a.m. in the parking lot near Red Box Ranger Station for introductions and equipment check. Adventure Pass is necessary in this area.

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Strawberry Peak (left) and Mount Lawlor (right) from Hoyt Mountain.

Strawberry Peak(6,164') and Mount Lawlor(5,957') are two Angeles National Forest front range HPS peaks, located within the newly designated San Gabriel National Monument (as of October 2014). Distinctive Strawberry Peak is the tallest of the front range peaks, three feet taller than nearby San Gabriel Peak to the SSE. Our hike will have us ascend both of our peaks from the east via maintained class 1 and 2 trails.

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Shorter, steep ridge trail to Mount Lawlor follows the yucca to the summit.

Driving Directions: From the intersection of I-210 and SR-2 Angeles Crest Highway, drive north on SR-2 past the Angeles Forest Highway split (9.5 miles), then continue on SR-2 another 4.5 miles to the signed junction with Mount Wilson Road on the right. Turn right and park in one of the lots adjacent to SR-2. Restrooms are available here.

Hiking Directions: From the parking area (4,620') we'll hike briefly east on SR-2, crossing the road at SR-2 mile-marker 38.42. Then we'll access trail 2N46 and take it for 0.75 miles to a trail junction and go left. We'll continue an additional 0.25 miles to a ridge that comes up from Red Box Divide, then leave the trail and ascend a steep ridge to the summit of Mount Lawlor. There is some class 2 on the ridge, and a fixed line is available to assist you. Gather at the summit for a half hour break, then we'll descend ~800' on a rocky class 2 trail to a saddle between Mt Lawlor and Strawberry Peak. We'll hike a main trail (12W05) briefly north, then switch trails and head NW up a rolling ridge to the summit of Strawberry Peak. After a needed rest on the peak, we'll make our 3.5 mile return (250' elevation gain with 1,800' elevation loss) back to the trail-head at Red Box via maintained, class 1 use trails. Approx. 6 hours r/t.

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NW trail that leads to the summit of Strawberry Peak.

The San Gabriel mountains were created by uprising fault blocks, from tectonic stress in area bedrock. Fire and earthquakes continue to alter the terrain we'll explore. Damage from the August 2009 Station Fire will be evident, as will gneissoid granite and granodionite rock, and placer metasediments we'll encounter on the trail. Ecology of the area will include conifers and some oak above 5,000', yucca and low chapparal including poisonous plant varieties and occasional wildflowers. Keep an eye out for rattlesnakes common in these hills, and for hawks, bobcats and deer.