Mt. Lowe
Campground
Campground · 1.2 mi from the trail
California · Hiking · Near Acton
Sam Merrill (Middle)
Photo: JingKe888, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 5.0 mi
- round trip
- 1,351 ft
- climb
- 4,535 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jan–Dec
- best months
Is Sam Merrill (Middle) open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 7 alerts for Angeles National Forest.
Rincon-Redbox Road (2N24) Closure
Agency alert covering Angeles National Forest · Order 05-01-26-13 · USFS · Angeles National Forest
Fire Danger Level Elevated to "Very High"
Agency alert covering Angeles National Forest · USFS · Angeles National Forest
San Gabriel Canyon OHV Area Prohibitions
Agency alert covering Angeles National Forest · Order 05-01-26-09 · USFS · Angeles National Forest
San Dimas Experimental Forest Closure
Agency alert covering Angeles National Forest · USFS · Angeles National Forest
Eaton Fire Area Closure
Agency alert covering Angeles National Forest · Order 05-01-26-04 · USFS · Angeles National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Angeles National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Sam Merrill (Middle) is a 5-mile out-and-back hike in the Los Angeles Gateway Ranger District of Angeles National Forest, managed by the Forest Service. It climbs about 1,350 feet from a low point of 3,203 feet to a high of 4,535 feet, and it's rated moderate. The trail is natural-surfaced and open year-round. The most comfortable stretch runs from May through October. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show highs around 70°F in May and 72°F in October, with only a few wet days a month. That station sits about 1,200 feet higher than the trail's low point, so expect conditions on the lower stretch to run a little warmer. Bikes and horses are both allowed. Castle Canyon and the Old Echo Montain Trail start within a third of a mile, Mt. Lowe campground is about a mile away, and Millard campground is about 1.4 miles off.
Around this trail
Add any of these when you start a tripSleep close Eat after Miya
Restaurant
On your way back · 2 mi
If it rainsBoothsift, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: Boothsift, CC BY-SA 4.0 (commons)
More in Acton- Castle CanyonHikingPhoto: JingKe888, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)0.1 mi
Old Echo Montain TrailHikingPhoto: Brück & Sohn Kunstverlag Meißen, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)0.3 mi- Mt. LoweCamping1.2 mi
- MillardCamping1.4 mi
- Roadside BoulderRock climbing2.3 mi
- Canyon Crest Road BoulderRock climbing2.4 mi
Big Tujunga CreekCanoeingPhoto: MajaTrochimczyk, CC BY 3.0 us (via Wikimedia Commons)7.8 mi
West Fork San Gabriel RiverCanoeingPhoto: Eeekster, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)9.2 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Old Echo Montain TrailHiking · Next doorPhoto: Brück & Sohn Kunstverlag Meißen, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Dawn Mine TrailHiking · ~1 min drivePhoto: mjhbower, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
Sunset Ridge TrailHiking · ~2 min drivePhoto: Perfect Zero, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
Idlehour TrailHiking · ~2 min drivePhoto: mjhbower, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)- Old Echo Mountain TrailHiking · Next doorPhoto: Brück & Sohn Kunstverlag Meißen, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Lone Tree TrailHiking · ~2 min drivePhoto: mjhbower, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
Altadena Crest TrailHiking · ~3 min drivePhoto: USMARINE0311 from California, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Incline Railway trailHiking · Next doorPhoto: Brück & Sohn Kunstverlag Meißen, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
One Man & Mule TrailHiking · ~2 min drivePhoto: mjhbower, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
El Prieto TrailHiking · ~5 min drivePhoto: feverblue, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
Best time to visit Sam Merrill (Middle)
Best months: Year-round. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
56° / 38°
7 wet
Feb
55° / 37°
8 wet
Mar
59° / 39°
7 wet
Apr
63° / 42°
4 wet
May
70° / 48°
3 wet
Jun
79° / 58°
1 wet
Jul
84° / 64°
1 wet
Aug
85° / 64°
1 wet
Sep
81° / 59°
1 wet
Oct
72° / 51°
3 wet
Nov
63° / 43°
4 wet
Dec
55° / 37°
7 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Mt Wilson Cbs, CA, 3.2 mi away at 5,710 ft. The station sits about 1,200 ft higher than this place, so expect it a little warmer here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Route details
- Distance
- 5.0 mi round trip
- Climbing
- About 1,351 ft
- Summit
- 4,706 ft
- Difficulty
- Moderate
Season
Season: Year-round.
Other routes up Inspiration Point
Questions about this route
How long is the Sam Merrill (Middle) on Inspiration Point?
About 5.0 mi round trip.
How much elevation gain is on the Sam Merrill (Middle)?
About 1,351 ft of climbing round trip.
How hard is the Sam Merrill (Middle)?
It is rated moderate.
When is the best time for the Sam Merrill (Middle)?
Year-round.
How many routes go up Inspiration Point?
3: One Man & Mule Trail, Castle Canyon and Sam Merrill (Middle).
Conditions and forecast on Inspiration Point
Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.
