South Mount Hawkins

Last updated
South Mount Hawkins
Relief map of California.png
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
South Mount Hawkins
Location in California
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
South Mount Hawkins
South Mount Hawkins (the United States)
Highest point
Elevation 7,786 ft (2,373 m)  NAVD 88 [1]
Listing Hundred Peaks Section [2]
Coordinates 34°18′41″N117°48′37″W / 34.3113909°N 117.8103382°W / 34.3113909; -117.8103382 [3]
Geography
Location Los Angeles County, California, U.S.
Parent range San Gabriel Mountains
Topo map USGS Crystal Lake

South Mount Hawkins is located in the San Gabriel Mountains, and contained within the Angeles National Forest. The mountain was named after Nellie Hawkins, a popular waitress of the Squirrel Inn located on the North Fork of the San Gabriel River. [4] Although the Squirrel Inn is long gone, Nellie has her name on Mount Hawkins and South Mount Hawkins. There are two ridge bumps between the two named summits and they are unofficially known as "Middle Hawkins" and "Sadie Hawkins". According to the California State Library, "Cold Brook Camp, located within the Angeles National Forest, [was] very popular with campers. Started out as hunter's camp owned by R.W. Dawson. In 1901, land leased to Doc Beatty who opened hostelry called Squirrel Inn. In 1907, Dawson took over the Inn renaming it Cold Brook Camp. Eventually built hotel, cabins and tents. Was popular in early 1900s and into the 1920s." [5]

Contents

South Mount Hawkins fire lookout tower

For 67 years the South Mount Hawkins Lookout, tower stood on the summit of South Mount Hawkins It was built in 1935. [6] It was one of the only all-wooden towers in Southern California. The tower was destroyed in the Curve Fire on September 1, 2002. [7]

Road to tower platform

The Forest Service has abandoned [8] the 7-mile (11 km) long dirt road which goes from the Deer Flats Group Campground [9] located within the Crystal Lake Recreation Area all the way to the concrete platform upon which the fire watch tower used to stand.

The road is only maintained on an as needed basis such as a fire or access to the forest service repeater. Hikers and bicycle riders still find the road passable to the top of South Mount Hawkins however there are washouts along the way and it is strewn with rocks and boulders, making the Deer Flat route up to the mountain difficult. The other access route for hikers but not bicycle riders to reach South Mount Hawkins is the Pacific Crest Trail segment which leads from Windy Gap Trail then down the Hawkins Ridge Trail to the peak.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Monadnock</span> Mountain in New Hampshire, USA

Mount Monadnock, or Grand Monadnock, is a mountain in the towns of Jaffrey and Dublin, New Hampshire. It is the most prominent mountain peak in southern New Hampshire and is the highest point in Cheshire County. It lies 38 miles (61 km) southwest of Concord and 62 miles (100 km) northwest of Boston. At 3,165 feet (965 m), Mount Monadnock is nearly 1,000 feet (305 m) higher than any other mountain peak within 30 miles (48 km) and rises 2,000 feet (610 m) above the surrounding landscape. Monadnock's bare, isolated, and rocky summit provides expansive views. It is known for being featured in the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Adams (Washington)</span> Southern Washington stratovolcano

Mount Adams, known by some Native American tribes as Pahto or Klickitat, is a potentially active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range. Although Adams has not erupted in more than 1,000 years, it is not considered extinct. It is the second-highest mountain in Washington, after Mount Rainier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Gabriel Mountains</span> Mountain range of the Transverse Ranges in California, United States

The San Gabriel Mountains comprise a mountain range located in northern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California, United States. The mountain range is part of the Transverse Ranges and lies between the Los Angeles Basin and the Mojave Desert, with Interstate 5 to the west and Interstate 15 to the east. The range lies in, and is surrounded by, the Angeles and San Bernardino National Forests, with the San Andreas Fault as its northern border.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angeles National Forest</span> National forest in California, United States

The Angeles National Forest (ANF) of the U.S. Forest Service is located in the San Gabriel Mountains and Sierra Pelona Mountains, primarily within Los Angeles County in southern California. The ANF manages a majority of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palomar Mountain</span> Mountain in San Diego County, California, United States

Palomar Mountain is a mountain ridge in the Peninsular Ranges in northern San Diego County. It is famous as the location of the Palomar Observatory and Hale Telescope, and known for the Palomar Mountain State Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount San Antonio</span> Highest peak of the San Gabriel Mountains in California, United States

Mount San Antonio, commonly referred to as Mount Baldy or Old Baldy, is a 10,064 ft (3,068 m) summit in the San Gabriel Mountains on the border of Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties of California. Lying within the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and Angeles National Forest, it is the high point of the range, the County of Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cleveland National Forest</span> Southernmost National forest of California

The Cleveland National Forest encompasses 460,000 acres/720 sq mi (1,900 km2) of inland montane regions—approx. 60 miles from the Pacific Ocean—within the counties of San Diego, Riverside, and Orange, California. The landscape varies somewhat, with mostly chaparral canyons, arroyos and high desert, but dotted with meadows and oak and conifer forests. Near water sources, riparian environments and perennial aquatic plants attract native and migratory wildlife, such as at San Diego’s man-made Lake Cuyamaca. A generally warm and dry, inland-Mediterranean climate prevails over the forest, with the cooler months producing morning frost and snowfall. It is the southernmost U.S. National Forest of California. The area is administered by the U.S. Forest Service, a government agency within the United States Department of Agriculture, and is locally overseen by the Descanso, Palomar and Trabuco Ranger Districts.

The Crystal Lake Recreation Area is located in the San Gabriel Mountains of Southern California, administered by the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument of the United States Forest Service. The Recreation Area consists of a small lake, an open-air amphitheater, a large public campground containing approximately 120 camp sites grouped into "loops," and a group campground called Deer Flats which consists of approximately 25 camp sites. The Recreation Area contains a United States Forest Service visitor center and a cafe which is open to the public from dawn to dusk except for Tuesdays when the cafe is closed. Within the Recreation Area are 16 hiking and nature trails which are well-maintained by volunteers who work under the direction of the Forest Service. The Recreation Area is located approximately 26 miles (42 km) north on Hwy. 39 heading out of Azusa, California at the headwaters of the north fork of the San Gabriel River at an elevation approximately 5,539 feet above sea level. Crystal Lake is the only naturally occurring lake in the San Gabriel Mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windy Gap Trail (Angeles National Forest)</span>

The Windy Gap Trail is a short but important link of the north San Gabriel River valley to the Pacific Crest Trail in the San Gabriel Mountains in California. The trailhead starts at the uppermost parking lot of the Crystal Lake Recreation Area, which is about 3 miles (4.8 km) up from State Route 39, 25 miles (40 km) above Azusa, California. The trail is rated moderately strenuous.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pine Flat Lake</span> Reservoir in near Piedra, California

Pine Flat Lake is an artificial lake or reservoir in the Sierra Nevada foothills of eastern Fresno County, California on the western north-south border to the Sierra- and Sequoia National Forests, about 30 mi (48 km) east of Fresno. The lake is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and is open to boaters, campers & hikers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pinaleño Mountains</span> Mountain range in southeastern Arizona, United States

The Pinaleño Mountains, are a remote mountain range in southeastern Arizona, near Safford, Arizona. The mountains have over 7,000 feet (2,100 m) of vertical relief, more than any other range in the state. The mountains are surrounded by the Sonoran-Chihuahuan Desert. Subalpine forests cover the higher elevations. According to The Nature Conservancy, they traverse five ecological communities and contain "the highest diversity of habitats of any mountain range in North America." The highest point is Mount Graham at 10,720 feet (3,267 m). Locals often refer to the whole mountain range as "Mount Graham", in which case the peak is referred to as "High Peak". The mountains cover 300 square miles (780 km2) and are part of the Coronado National Forest, Safford ranger district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gabrielino Trail</span>

The Gabrielino Trail is a United States National Recreation Trail that runs through the Angeles National Forest. Its western trailhead is at Windsor Avenue in Altadena, California, and it runs generally east/west, with its eastern end at Chantry Flat, just north of Arcadia, California. It passes through three major watersheds and has an elevation gain/loss of 3,500 ft (1,100 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Grace</span>

Mount Grace, 1,617 feet (493 m), is a prominent monadnock located in north central Massachusetts in the town of Warwick, approximately two miles south of the New Hampshire border. The mountain is rugged and largely wooded, but a firetower on the summit provides expansive views of the surrounding rural countryside. Little Mount Grace, 1,226 feet (374 m), is the southern summit of the mountain. Mount Grace supports a predominantly northern hardwood forest as well as stands of red spruce near its summit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kearsarge North</span> Mountain in the American state of New Hampshire

Kearsarge North is a mountain located about 4 miles (6 km) northeast of North Conway, Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names accepted the name "Pequawket Mountain" in 1915 but it was renamed Kearsarge North in 1957. The Pequawket are a subdivision of the Abenaki people who formerly lived in the area. It is sometimes referred to as Mount Kearsarge, a name officially assigned to a mountain in Merrimack County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henninger Flats</span> A small hanging basin in the San Gabriel Mountains, California

Henninger Flats is a small hanging basin 2,600 feet (792.5 m) above sea level in the San Gabriel Mountains in the Angeles National Forest. It was part of the Mount Wilson Toll Road. The trailhead to reach the flats is at the top end of Eaton Canyon in Pasadena, California.

The Skyline Trail is a hiking trail in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada. It is known for its views, with much of the hike being located above the tree line. It is also known for challenging weather conditions above the tree line, which can be a problem for hikers, who can lose sight of trails.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ochoco Mountains</span> Mountain range in Oregon, US

The Ochoco Mountains are a mountain range in central Oregon in the United States, located at the western end of the Blue Mountains. They were formed when Permian, Triassic, and Jurassic rocks were slowly uplifted by volcanic eruptions to form the Clarno Formation. Today, the highest point in the range is Lookout Mountain. The dominant vegetation on the west side of the range is old-growth ponderosa pine; on the east side, western juniper is common. The western area of the mountains is administered by the Ochoco National Forest, while the southeastern section is part of the Malheur National Forest. The Ochoco Mountains are used for hiking, camping, bird watching, rockhounding, and hunting, as well as cross-country skiing in the winter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Mountain Wilderness</span>

The White Mountain Wilderness is a 46,963 acre designated wilderness area managed by the United States Forest Service. Located in the Smokey Bear Ranger District of the Lincoln National Forest, the White Mountain Wilderness lies in the Sierra Blanca mountains of south central New Mexico, approximately 15 miles (24 km) north northwest of the town of Ruidoso.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders</span>

The San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders (SGMTBs) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit volunteer organization which performs hiking and nature trail building and maintenance within the Los Angeles Gateway District of the United States Forest Service which maintains the Angeles National Forest within the San Gabriel Mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chews Ridge Lookout</span> Fire lookout tower in Los Padres National Forest

The Chews Ridge Lookout is located at the northern end of the Santa Lucia Range of the Los Padres National Forest, about 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Monterey, California and approximately 30 miles (48 km) west of Highway 101. The current tower was built in 1929 and staffed until around 1990. A volunteer organization began recruiting individuals to staff the tower in 2019. The ridge and tower were named for homesteaders Constantine and Nellie Chew, who patented 315 acres (127 ha) on the ridge in the late 19th century.

References

  1. "South Mount Hawkins, California". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
  2. "South Mount Hawkins (LO)". Hundred Peaks Section List. Angeles Chapter, Sierra Club . Retrieved 2009-08-22.
  3. "South Mount Hawkins". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved 2009-08-22.
  4. Durham, David L. (2001). Durham's place names of Greater Los Angeles. Clovis, Calif.: Word Dancer Press. p. 115. ISBN   1-884995-28-4.
  5. Jackson, Bradford D. (1911), Cold Brook Camp , retrieved 2024-01-30
  6. "South Mount Hawkins Lookout". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved 2009-08-22.
  7. "South Mount Hawkins". Angeles National Forest Fire Lookout Association. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
  8. "Hiking Report". Simpson Hiking. Retrieved 2013-09-28.
  9. "Deer Flats Group Campground". Crystal Lake Recreation Area. Retrieved 2013-09-28.