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Spotting Color: Angeles National Forest

Bigleaf maple, Vincent Gulch (10/1/17) Naresh Satyan

Pasadenan Naresh Satyan describes the San Gabriel Mountains in Southern California as not truly a fall color hotspot, though like all of California’s mountain ranges, there are exceptional spots of bright color.

Bigleaf maple, San Gabriel National Monument (10/1/17) Naresh Satyan

Bigleaf maple in the chapparal, San Gabriel National Monument (10/1/17) Naresh Satyan

Bigleaf maple, San Gabriel National Monument (10/1/17) Naresh Satyan

Poison oak, San Gabriel National Monument (10/1/17) Naresh Satyan

Poison oak, San Gabriel National Monument (10/1/17) Naresh Satyan

He reports that the few bigleaf maple are at or near peak color are found between 4000’ and 6000′.

The Sheep Mountain Wilderness in San Gabriel National Monument along the East Fork of the San Gabriel River and its tributaries provides the best color.

“It is a remote area with very few trails, but the maples are accessible along the Mine Gulch trail from Vincent Gap (Vincent Gulch Divide) on the Angeles Crest Highway. There is plenty of poison oak this year in very beautiful shades of pink and red, at peak now at elevations near 5000′ and moving down,” Naresh states.

As we’ve declared previously, look but don’t touch!

Sheep Mountain Wilderness, San Gabriel National Monument (4,000-6,000’) – Near Peak to Peak GO NOW!