Mount Lowe

Mountain · 2 routes

Mount Lowe

5,602 ft · California

Photo: The original uploader was Magi Media at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Summit
5,602 ft
Routes
2 ways up
Season
Year-round
Managed by
Forest Service

Routes up Mount Lowe

  1. Mt Lowe (West)Easyabout 958 ft of climbing2.6 mi round tripSee the route
  2. Merrill (Upper)Moderateabout 908 ft of climbing3.4 mi round tripSee the route
Compare the routes
Mt Lowe (West)Merrill (Upper)
ClimbingAbout 958 ftAbout 908 ft
Round trip2.6 mi3.4 mi
DifficultyEasyModerate
TerrainHikeHike
SeasonYear-roundYear-round
Map of the 2 routes up Mount Lowe, with each route's start numbered and the summit marked
Mt Lowe (West)Merrill (Upper)Map © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap contributors

About Mount Lowe

Mount Lowe is a summit of 5,602 feet in the Los Angeles Gateway Ranger District of Angeles National Forest, about 3 miles from Altadena, California. The Forest Service manages the land. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at a similar elevation show May highs around 70°F and October highs around 72°F, while July and August average in the mid-80s. The Mt Lowe (West) hike starts about 0.4 miles away, and the Mt. Lowe campground sits at the same distance. Idlehour campground is about 2 miles off, and the Arroyo Seco Boulders climbing area is roughly 3.6 miles away.

Forecast on Mount Lowe

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.

Questions about Mount Lowe

How tall is Mount Lowe?

5,602 ft (1,707 m).

How many routes go to the summit of Mount Lowe?

2: Mt Lowe (West) and Merrill (Upper).

What is the shortest route up Mount Lowe?

Mt Lowe (West), about 2.6 mi round trip.

When is the best time to climb Mount Lowe?

Year-round.

Mountains nearby

More mountains in California

Facts about this place

When to go

Best time to go: Apr–Nov. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 63–85°F and lows of 42–64°F.

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Mt Wilson Cbs, CA weather station, 2 mi away. High / low in °F.

  1. Jan56° high38° low
  2. Feb55° high37° low
  3. Mar59° high39° low
  4. Apr63° high42° low
  5. May70° high48° low
  6. Jun79° high58° low
  7. Jul84° high64° low
  8. Aug85° high64° low
  9. Sep81° high59° low
  10. Oct72° high51° low
  11. Nov63° high43° low
  12. Dec55° high37° low

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020

Where it is

Nearest town
Altadena, California · 3.2 mi
Managed by
Forest Service

Source: USFS EDW boundaries; USGS PAD-US 4.1; USGS GNIS populated places

Conditions

Active alerts for Angeles National Forest as of Oct 9, 2026:

Source: USFS forest alerts

Nearby

Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)

Is Mount Lowe open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 7 alerts for Angeles National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · Angeles National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Mount Lowe

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.

  1. Jan

    56° / 38°

    7 wet

  2. Feb

    55° / 37°

    8 wet

  3. Mar

    59° / 39°

    7 wet

  4. Apr

    63° / 42°

    4 wet

  5. May

    70° / 48°

    3 wet

  6. Jun

    79° / 58°

    1 wet

  7. Jul

    84° / 64°

    1 wet

  8. Aug

    85° / 64°

    1 wet

  9. Sep

    81° / 59°

    1 wet

  10. Oct

    72° / 51°

    3 wet

  11. Nov

    63° / 43°

    4 wet

  12. Dec

    55° / 37°

    7 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Mt Wilson Cbs, CA, 2 mi away at 5,710 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.