Windy Gap Trail

Windy Gap Trail is a 5.3-mile out-and-back hike in California's Angeles National Forest, within the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument Ranger District. The trail rises from about 5,800 feet to a high point of 7,560 feet, a climb of 1,716 feet one way, and is rated moderate. It is managed by the Forest Service and is open year round. The trailhead is called Windy Gap Trailhead, and the route is a natural-surface path, so it is not surfaced. The most comfortable months are typically late spring and early fall. At a nearby weather station in Wrightwood, typical averages run from highs around 69°F with lows near 39°F in May to highs around 75°F with lows near 46°F in September. That station sits about 1,500 feet below the trail's summit, so temperatures up high run cooler. Crystal Lake Rec Area, Crystal Lake and the Half Knob Trail all lie within about half a mile of the trailhead. Climbers can reach the Crystal Lake Boulders about a mile away.