CNPS San Gabriel Mountains Chapter

California Native Plant Society
San Gabriel Mountains Chapter

Twin Peaks Trail

This is a highly rewarding trail for anyone interested in wildflowers. Great times to visit are May through June/July. This trail is especially attractive because it covers a range of elevations, starting from the parting lot at Three Points (on the Angeles Crest Highway) at around 6,000 feet and rising to around 8,000 feet. This range of elevations offers a great contrast in vegetation. If you plan to go all the way to Twin Peak and back, it takes all day, with little time to stop and meditate on the surroundings. However, it is adequate for the average fit person to walk for say a few hours in and then out again, in order to obtain a good indication of what this trail offers. It has plenty. For much of its length, it traverses the edge of the San Gabriel Wilderness. The views are excellent.

Click on the thumbnails to see an enlarged view of each image, 640 x 480 pixels.

A. IN SUMMER

These images are from late May or early July.


Twin Peaks in the distance	California fuchsia (Zauschneria californica)	Johnston's Bush Lupine (Lupinus excubitus var. johnstonii)	Big trees along the trail	Grinnell's penstemon (Penstemon grinellii)

Sticky monkeyflower (Mimulus aurantiacus)	Canyon liveforever (Dudleya cymosa)	Plain mariposa lily (Calochortus invenustus)	Golden yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum)	General view to the southwest

Snow plant (Sarcodes sanquinea)	Chaparral yucca (Yucca whipplei)	Chaparral yucca (Yucca whipplei)	Granite prickly phlox (Leptodactylon pungens)

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B. IN WINTER

These images are from Christmas Day, 1996, a hike not recommended without appropriate snow and ice gear.


Mountain ridges in winter	Snow on the trail	Snow on the remains of spring	Looking towards twin peaks	Paw prints in the snow

Chaparral yucca (Yucca whipplei)	Cedar tree in the snow