Idlehour Trail 12W16

Dogs Leashed

Features Commonly Backpacked · Fall Colors · River/Creek · Spring · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

The west trailhead is located at the saddle where Mt. Lowe Road #2N50, Middle Sam Merrill Trail 12W14.2, and the Muir Peak Road #2N50.A intersect. The trail goes east and down though open chaparral then enters a nice bigcone spruce grove. It drops into a shady canyon with a seasonal spring then rises out on the north side. The trail then switchbacks down though open chaparral on a slope that has nice wildflowers in spring to Eaton Canyon.

The section of trail down Eaton Canyon follows a beautiful stream and is shaded by alders, sycamores, bay and maple trees that turn bright yellow and orange in fall. There is abundant poison oak and care must be taken to avoid touching it. Idlehour Trail Camp is set along a shady bench above the stream and offers several nice sites with stoves but no tables. Past the camp, the trail climbs out of the canyon though a canopy of sycamores, oaks, bigcone spruce, and mature chaparral. Watch for the impressive groves of manzanita with their shiny mahogany bark. It goes into and out of small canyons with maple groves finally reaching a saddle. From there it drops down to the Mt. Wilson Toll Road about 1 mile above Henninger Flats. The road can be taken down to exit onto Pinecrest Drive in Altadena.

The Idlehour Trail makes a nice loop hike when combined with the Mt. Wilson Toll Road and Lower Sam Merrill Trail 12W14.1.

Bigcone spruce, maple, sycamore, alder, bay, oak. Mature chaparral species of ceanothus and manzanita. Beautiful mosses on north facing slopes in spring. Good wildflowers in spring. Beware of abundant poison oak.