Echo Mountain Trail Altadena

A bit of LA history
tarts at the head of Lake Avenue in Altadena and climbs 2.5 miles to the historic ruins of Professor Lowe's famous White City. En route you are treated to amazing vistas of the urban sprawl while climbing steadily through rich, mature chaparral with views into the rugged Los Flores Canyon and the surrounding mountains. When you reach Echo Mountain, exploring the ruins has a feel of visiting historic ancient sites in Egypt or Greece. There are other hikes in the San Gabriels that visit historic spots, but none compare to Echo Mountain.

The Mount Lowe Railway complex was birthed from the visions of Civil War balloonist and inventor, Professor Thaddeus S. C. Lowe and engineer David J. MacPherson. Their collaborative efforts produced Southern California's must-visit attraction, drawing more than three million visitors from 1896 to 1936. Echo Mountain (3207'), known as "The White City," was the heart of the resort with its two hotels — elegant Echo Mountain House and The Chalet — observatory, and small zoo. Other infrastructure included a powerhouse, machine shop, reservoir, and the world's most powerful searchlight.

WAIVER OF LIABILITY: This Meetup group, it's organizers and members take no responsibility for any injuries nor accidents that may occur during events. By joining this event you take full responsibility for your own safety. Please ensure that you are in good health before participating and understand that there is risk involved in your participation. This Meetup group does not certify the qualifications of any of it's organizers or trip leaders, and they are not responsible in any way for your safety. We are all just participants, nothing more.