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May 20, 2024 — Rattlesnake Peak is a classic hike within the San Gabriel Mountains that requires a bit more effort and commitment than the usual well-traveled and well-maintained trail system within Angeles National Forest. It's often done as a loop, though the hike would be a bit easier completed as an out-and-back via the more direct route. Amanda and I met up and were excited to do the full loop, parking at the Shoemaker Viewpoint Day Use Area. This is located just above the trailhead for the famous San Gabriel River hike leading to the Bridge to Nowhere.
The day began completely socked-in, but we didn't really mind the lack of views because the eeriness added a fun aesthetic. Our outing began along Shoemaker Canyon Road, which is closed to motor vehicles. We kept our eyes peeled for a spur trail leaving off Shoemaker Canyon Road, locating it without too much difficulty. Climbing steeply, this eroded trail initially led up a drainage before following a slope and eventually brought us to the southern ridge of Rattlesnake Peak. We ascended quite steeply. Along the way, there were plenty of small bumps to go up and down, as well as slightly rocky sections that broke up the fairly well-traveled trail. We had no trouble staying on the route.
Finally, we emerged from the mist at the final ascent to the summit of Rattlesnake Peak, where we were wildly impressed by the views. Being above the clouds was a fun surprise. From the summit, we could see Iron Mountain nearby, as well as the various taller peaks to the north along the San Gabriel Mountains' crest. This is a really lovely viewpoint of the range, and we spent a fair amount of time just enjoying our perch above the clouds.
We had already planned to continue the hike back via the eastern ridge, forming a loop rather than backtracking. We didn't realize that this was a much less-traveled route and the trail would be a bit more tedious to follow. I highly recommend doing the full loop regardless, because the views coming down the east ridge of Rattlesnake Peak are gorgeous and this somewhat bushwhacky route added a bit more adventure to the day. We never really got lost since the ridgeline was straightforward, but there were small sections where we lost the social trail and found ourselves bushwhacking to find it again. The San Gabriel River was just below us, the slope dropping dramatically down to it. Sections of the trail were heavily eroded, much steeper than our ascent.
Eventually, we made it down to the old roadbed that once was the foundation of Shoemaker Canyon Road, but it's extremely overgrown and only resembles a trail at this point. We followed this as it weaved in and out of gullies. The other major benefit of taking this route is that it leads through a few historic tunnels. These are pretty fun to hike through, abandoned relics from the 1950s that were built along Shoemaker Canyon Road in case of a nuclear attack during the Cold War. Apparently, the project was completely forgotten, but this interesting hike still remains.
The trail totally disappears before entering the first tunnel, and we had to dip in and out of a flowing stream to avoid poison oak. Otherwise, the trail is in great shape and soon becomes doubletrack. The rest of our hike was a straightforward jaunt along Shoemaker Canyon Road back to our cars.
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Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I'm not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!
