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A challenging loop featuring a steep fire road climb, flowy singletrack descent, and a stretch down Angel's Crest.


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Map Key

11.4

Miles

18.3

KM

30%

Singletrack

4,047' 1,234 m

High

2,282' 696 m

Low

1,964' 599 m

Up

1,966' 599 m

Down

7%

Avg Grade (4°)

27%

Max Grade (15°)

Dogs Leashed

E-Bikes Not Allowed

No eMTB: Angeles National Forest permits eMTBs on mapped OHV routes only.

Overview

A quick escape from the hubbub of the city and into some wild nature.

Need to Know

Display your USFS Adventure Pass if you park at the Angeles Crest Fire Station. You may not see anyone else on the dirt portion of this loop. Bring everything you need. Then again, during the day, Mt. Lukens Truck Trail #3N27 might have trucks on it.

The last section of the route is downhill on the Angeles Crest Highway; don't forget your rear light.

Description

From the Angeles Crest Fire Station, head straight back along the driveway and around the locked gate.

Mt. Lukens Truck Trail #3N27 is a steep, rutted fire and access road that goes all the way to the top of Mt. Lukens. It begins with a quiet series of switchbacks up to where the power lines cross the ridge. The climb has just begun, but the bench here is a great place to stop, catch your breath, and take in the spectacular views of Los Angeles, the Arroyo Seco, and the entire front range of the San Gabriel Mountains.

If you've ever wondered about the switchbacks on the remote Ken Burton Trail, you can see most of them zig-zagging down the other side of the canyon. The next three miles continue to climb along the ridge, passing the teepee at Bee Flats and the top of the Earl Canyon Mtwy.

At mile 4.2, the road forks. To the left Lukens Truck Trail continues another three miles to the peak, and if what you just rode wasn't enough climbing for you, it's a nice way to tack on some more miles/elevation. To the right is Grizzly Flat Road, and whether or not you grab the peak you should go down it. The entire road was graded 04/2021 (along with all other fire roads on Mt. Lukens) and will take some time to wear in again. Several points offer spectacular views down into the Arroyo Seco and even down the backside of Lukens into Big Tujunga towards the end.

Grizzly Flat Road eventually intersects with Hoyt Mountain Road and the Plantation Rd/Dark Canyon Tr. To the northwest Grizzly Flat Road connects with Grizzly Flat Trail and descends into Big Tujunga. To the northeast Hoyt Mountain Road is the long way back to the Angeles Crest Highway. To the southeast Upper Dark Canyon Tr. is a quick, fun singletrack descent to Angeles Crest Highway.

Additional trails in this area have been brushed and cleared for the first time since the Station Fire (2009), opening up lots of options for big rides. Originally the recommended loop is to cut short on Dark Canyon or go a little further on Hoyt Mountain Road and then back down to the car, but now you can make a truly epic loop by climbing Hoyt Mountain Road to Telephone Trail, climb Nature's Canteen Trail to Clear Creek Information Center, and then drop into Switzer's Picnic area and go down the Gabrielino Trail (NRT) to Gould Mesa (where you can climb back up to ACH and get back to the Fire Station). Extra fun/pain tack on the Strawberry Loop from Clear Creek and descend the Gabrielino Trail (NRT) from Red Box Gap, or go down Colby Canyon Trail and climb back up to Switzer's on the ACH.

UPDATE 28-JULY-2021 Just rode the trail, singletrack is GONE. Transformed into a fire road.

History & Background

This area is still recovering from the 2009 Station Fire, and slowly being rehabilitated by the USFS and volunteer corps.

Contacts

Shared By:

Carson Blaker with improvements by Rob Pe and 1 other

Trail Ratings

  3.7 from 12 votes

#3

in Arroyo Seco

#2488

Overall
  3.7 from 12 votes
5 Star
25%
4 Star
42%
3 Star
17%
2 Star
8%
1 Star
8%
Recommended Route Rankings

#3

in Arroyo Seco

#315

in California

#2,488

Overall
59 Views Last Month
6,306 Since Jun 29, 2017
Intermediate Intermediate

11%
11%
78%
0%
0%
0%

Photos

A wide section of Grizzly Flats gives leave to enjoy the vastness of the Angeles National Forest.
Jun 30, 2017 near La Cres…, CA
Most of Grizzly Flat Road is in fact gentle, nontechnical singletrack. Maps say the steep Dark Canyon Trail branches off of it near the bottom, but I couldn't locate it.
Jul 13, 2017 near La Cres…, CA
View to the east during the climb.
Jul 13, 2017 near La Cres…, CA
Wildflowers halfway up the climb.
Jul 13, 2017 near La Cres…, CA
Saddle at the top of Grizzly Flats Road. Lukens Truck Trail continues its climb to the peak on the left.
Jun 30, 2017 near La Cres…, CA
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Weather


Current Trail Conditions

Unknown
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Check-Ins

May 5, 2021
Dusty Brown
zero singletrack 11.4mi — 1h 45m
Aug 19, 2019
Russell A
10.7mi
Aug 11, 2019
Joel Garcia
Jan 27, 2019
Raymond Alvarado
Kinda rutty and loose right now, so the uphill is pretty challenging. Singletrack needs maintenance, rocks in the middle of the trail. 11mi
Aug 26, 2018
Ricardo Hassan
Didn't have time to complete the loop. Totally reasonable grade, and the road is in very good codition. 8mi — 1h 30m
Feb 6, 2018
Paul Emery
Nov 11, 2017
John Gump
good loop. not all time but worth the drive and doing again. 11.4mi
Sep 6, 2017
Ed Th
11mi
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