23 BROWN MOUNTAIN/KEN BURTON LOOP

KEY AT-A-GLANCE INFORMATION

Length: 15 miles

Configuration: Loop

Aerobic difficulty: 4

Technical difficulty: 4

Scenery: Massive vistas of steep, jagged peaks; deep canyons of the San Gabriels; views of Los Angeles

Exposure: No shade on Brown Mountain Road or Ken Burton singletrack; shade on Gabrielino NRT

Trail traffic: Moderate–heavy on Brown Mountain Road until El Prieto turnoff, very light to Brown Mountain and down Ken Burton, heavy on Gabrielino National Recreation Trail

Trail surface: Approximately 40% singletrack, 50% fire roads, 10% paved roads; fire roads hard-packed and dry; singletrack loose and mostly dry

Riding time: 3–5 hours

Access: Sunrise–sunset, 7 days

Maps: USGS 7.5-minute quad: Pasadena

Special comments: Be prepared for extreme heat and sun exposure with plenty of sunblock and water.

GPS TRAILHEAD COORDINATES (WGS84)

UTM Zone 11S

Easting 392293

Northing 3785907

Latitude N 34.12′31″

Longitude W 118.10′09″

DIRECTIONS

From I-210, take the Arroyo Windsor exit and head north 0.8 miles; park in the large lot on your left. The entrance to the park lies just north of this lot at the end of Windsor Drive.

In Brief

One of many wild rides in the San Gabriel area, this route involves a long, sustained fire-road climb up Brown Mountain Road followed by a very narrow and treacherous descent into Gabrielino Canyon via the Ken Burton singletrack. This ride is not for the faint of heart: the terrain is very technical, making the consequences of a routine crash possibly severe. The Ken Burton Trail isn’t well maintained, so it can be clogged with dense foliage in the spring and early summer. If you are sensitive to poison oak, avoid the area completely and stick to the scenic Brown Mountain Road for an out-and-back. In addition, this area often has poor air quality, so check the news for smog forecasts if this is an issue for you.

Description

The Brown Mountain/Ken Burton Loop is recommended only for mountain bikers of the hardier variety who don’t mind getting their feet wet and carrying their bike over technical terrain. Take two to three quarts of water and a nutrition bar or snack. If the weather is hot, start the ride early to avoid experiencing heat exhaustion on the sunny Brown Mountain Fire Road.

From the parking lot, the first 1.5 miles of the ride are paved and will usually be populated with day hikers visiting Gabrielino Canyon. Follow the clear and well-marked signs to Brown Mountain Road. The relentless first 2.5 miles of the climb can be humbling if you’re not in good shape. Eventually, the trail flattens a little bit, giving you a breather and a chance to look around and appreciate the scenery. Roughly 2.7 miles from the start of Brown Mountain Road, you’ll see a trail going down to your right and a U.S. Forest Service (USFS) sign on your left. If you were riding the famed El Prieto singletrack, you would turn right here. Instead, continue up Brown Mountain Road toward Arroyo Seco Canyon.

One of the few readable signs in Angeles National Forest

Another 2.6 miles up the Brown Mountain Fire Road, you’ll reach the Ken Burton trailhead, which is clearly marked with a USFS sign and is directly at the end of Brown Mountain Road. This is the highest point of the ride, at 2,900 feet, so you may want to sit down, inhale the mountain air, and take in the scenery. You’ll see panoramic views of Brown Mountain to the east, Arroyo Seco Canyon to the north, and the city of Los Angeles to the south. Once you’re rested and rehydrated, drop your seat post a few inches and charge down the Ken Burton singletrack.

Built specifically for mountain bikers, the Ken Burton Trail immediately earns its fat-tire badge: here you descend a piece of pure SoCal singletrack heaven. The first half mile is largely flat, with minor ascents and descents, after which you’ll find yourself staring across a huge void with Arroyo Seco Creek at the bottom. In the next 1.3 miles, you’ll lose roughly 1,000 feet of altitude and encounter numerous tight, challenging switchbacks. Agility is key in this section, and no amount of suspension travel will help you overcome obstacles this trail presents. A little too much speed and a wandering front tire will send you tumbling over the hillside, and not enough velocity could yield the same results. The only sounds you’ll hear on this section are birds, the clicking of your freewheel, the gurgling creek below, and the whine of sport-bike engines on the Angeles Crest Highway on the other side of the canyon.

The Ken Burton Trail is narrow indeed.

The Ken Burton Trail ends at Brown Mountain Road, approximately 2 miles after its start, and joins the Gabrielino National Recreation Trail (NRT) in the Arroyo Seco watershed. Turn left here and begin the mellow descent on the Gabrielino NRT, which meanders along both sides of Arroyo Seco Creek. You’ll cross the creek several times, so prepare to get wet. Hiking will be an inevitable part of the experience because many parts of the Gabrielino are too rocky and/or sandy to pedal. The trail is sometimes difficult to follow, so you may find yourself at a large man-made waterfall wondering what you did wrong. This is a common error. Don’t panic—just backtrack an eighth of a mile, keeping an eye out on your right for the trail, which goes up the east side of the canyon briefly, circumventing the huge waterfall.

After the waterfall, the trail drops to parallel the creek for the rest of the way, getting easier and wider as you go, until it becomes paved. Day hikers and horseback riders frequent this area, so be wary. When you pass the entrance to Brown Mountain Road, give yourself a pat on the back, because you’ve just completed one of the most challenging rides in LA County.

After the Ride

For beer aficionados and the malnourished, pay a visit to The Stuffed Sandwich at 1145 East Las Tunas Drive in nearby San Gabriel; (626) 285-9161. For a larger appetite, try Zeke’s Smokehouse BBQ at 2209 Honolulu Avenue in Montrose; (818) 206-8947. It has a casual atmosphere and serves ridiculously tasty cuisine that will thoroughly alleviate any carbohydrate, protein, or fat deficiencies.