Epic Travel → North America → The West Coast → Southern California → Los Angeles Area → Millard Canyon/Dawn Mine Loop

♦ Intrepid Top Pick!

Location: San Gabriels front range, Northeast of Los Angeles

Distance: 5.6 miles (total loop distance passing by the Dawn Mine site)

Elevation Gain/Loss: 1600 feet

Time Required: 3 hours

Red Tape/Notes: No fee or permit required; this route is accessed via the Sunset Ridge Fire Road, which is only accessible by car from 6am to 10pm – make sure you’re out by 10pm to avoid being stuck. The trail is popular with mountain bikers, so keep an eye (or ear) out to avoid being run over. You can access additional information on this route (including driving directions and a gpx file) on the Hiking Project page. Other sources online typically describe the shorter route to the Dawn Mine, not done as a loop.

What’s Nearby?: The Huntington, Allison Mine Loop, Eaton Canyon (Hike), Eaton Canyon (Technical), Little Santa Anita Canyon, Bailey Canyon, Rubio Canyon, Mt. Lowe Railway

The quickest route to the Dawn Mine is to head straight up Millard Canyon, but this hike is more fun and challenging as a loop route, via the Sunset Ridge Trail. You start on the Sunset Ridge Fire Road (sometimes called the Mount Lowe Road), then detour after a short distance onto the Sunset Ridge Trail, which is relatively flat before intersecting with your return route on the left; stay to the right for the loop (or head left if you’re looking for the shorter route to the mine). Taking the trail to the right, you’ll climb up and intersect eventually with the Fire Road again, which turns into the Mt. Lowe Railway trail. Shortly after joining the fire road (and passing a noticeable rocky outcropping called the Cape of Good Hope), the Echo Mountain trail intersects from the right. Detouring on this trail will take you to The White City. Otherwise, continue up the Mount Lowe Railway trail another half a mile to the Dawn Mine trail. The trail roughly follows the mule path used to haul ore from the mine to the rail line above. Once at the bottom of the trail, you’ll be in Millard Canyon, and the Dawn Mine is just on the other side of the stream. It’s probably dangerous to explore the mine, but we went in for a bit anyway, and it was really great. There’s a seemingly bottomless well of water that you can just get past via a wooden plank on the left that takes you to a neat waterfall and more mine shafts that are begging to be explored (but are rather full of water). Once you’re done at the mine, head downstream through Millard Canyon via use trails, scrambling over rocks and crossing the stream at various intervals, until you eventually intersect back with the Sunset Ridge Trail, where you’ll retrace your steps back to your car. If you stay to your right just before the intersection and continue down Millard Canyon, you can also visit Millard Falls.

Epic Travel → North America → The West Coast → Southern California → Los Angeles Area → Millard Canyon/Dawn Mine