All aboard for the Self-Guided Hiking Tour of the Historic Mt Lowe Pacific Electric Railroad with stops at Echo Mountain, Ye Alpine Tavern, Inspiration Point and points in between:
Station 1: Echo Mountain
Station 2: View of Circular Bridge
Station 3: Cape of Good Hope
Station 4: Dawn Station/Devil’s Slide
Station 5: Horseshoe Curve
Station 6: Circular Bridge
Station 7: Horseshoe Curve Overview
Station 8: Granite Gate
Station 9: Ye Alpine Tavern
Station 10: Inspiration Point
Required reading: (http://mtlowe.net/self_guided_tour.htm) http://mtlowe.net/self_guided_tour.htm
This hike is considered one of the most important historical railway hikes in the United States.
Here is a video of the Mt Lowe Trolley:
We won’t be doing the first incline. Go in about 30 sec to start at Station 1. Watch for the Circular Bridge (Station 6).
Total elevation gain is about 3000 ft. There will be many stops along the way so clear your calendar for this day. Stamp this hike “strenuous.”
Backstory
Professor Thaddeus Lowe, Civil War balloonist, man of fame and fortune, was the quintessential California dreamer. His dream was to build a railway into—and a resort complex atop—the San Gabriel Mountains high above Pasadena. In the 1890s, his dream became a reality. During the height of its popularity, millions took Professor Lowe’s “Railway to the Clouds” to fine hotels and spectacular views of Southern California. Until it was abandoned in the 1930s, it was the Southland’s most popular tourist attraction.
Directions to Trailhead
From I-210, in Pasadena, exit at Lake Ave. north. Drive 3.6 miles North on Lake Ave. to E Loma Alta Drive; the old stone entrance to the Cobb Estate is located where the two streets meet. Park along the street, being sure not to block private driveways.
