Strawberry Peak Trail #12W05

Dogs Leashed

Features Spring · Views · Wildflowers

To access this trail, leave from the Red Box Trailhead, carefully cross Angeles Crest Highway and head east about 100 feet to the start of Barley Flats Truck Trail #2N46. The road rises gently above the highway passing through chaparral and oak forest. After less than a mile a singletrack trail leaves the road on the left heading southwest. This is the start of the official Strawberry Peak Trail.

The trail climbs up to a saddle with views to the west then contours around the mostly shadeless southwest side of Mt. Lawlor rising gently to the saddle between Strawberry Peak and Mt. Lawlor in 2.5 miles. Many hikers climb these two peaks on well worn paths from this point (Strawberry on the left, Lawlor on the right) but there are no official trails.

There are nice views to the north as the trail descends on the wild, eastern side of Strawberry Peak passing through open chaparral of ceanothus, manzanita, buckwheat, chamise, and occasional shaded areas of oak and bigcone spruce. About one mile below the saddle a seasonal spring is reached with a nice but modest waterfall. Abundant poison oak covers the area and should be avoided.

The trail switchbacks down a ridge with nice wildflowers in spring meeting with the Colby Canyon Trail #12W23 at a junction with a register box. The trail continues on the right fork down a few hundred yards to a signed junction. The left fork drops into private Colby Ranch (permission required to enter). The right fork continues on down to the trailhead on Upper Big Tujunga Road.

To access the trail from the Colby Bridge Trailhead along Upper Big Tujunga Road, walk up Colby Ranch Road about 0.2 miles to where the road makes a U bend. A newly constructed trail now bypasses the old trail which was in an environmentally sensitive area. The trail to the junction with the Colby Canyon Trail #12W23 was cleared and improved by volunteers in 2023.

Oaks, bigcone spruce, ceanothus, manzanita.