Angeles Crest Loop

Attempted July 2, 2022 starting from Vincent Gap counterclockwise. The trail up to South fork was beautiful and easy to follow. From South Fork to Islip Saddle Trailhead, it was an absolute nightmare. I cannot overstate that it is dangerous and not recommended. The trail is not maintained. Fallen trees and rock washed over the trails made it nearly impossible to journey on. Until the Forest service reestablished the trail, it is unsafe to attempt.

Hiked this trail June 2020, Awesome hike! Water was plentiful along the manzanita trail but sparse from Vincent gap to Islip saddle. Fill up at little jimmy spring. Very nice hike but would just stick to the pct next time. The hardest and most unrewarding parts had to be the manzanita and south fork sections.

Cool/gnarly hike. We started at Islip Saddle and went clockwise towards South Fork Campground on the South Fork Trail. I would definitely recommend taking the South Fork trail downhill rather than up; it can be pretty frustrating without the momentum and, as stated by another reviewer, can be quite steep and crumbly with some very sketchy scree and ledges. That being said, the hike up to Baden-Powell will definitely suck a little but its worth it. We found tons of water along the way: several springs between Islip and SF Campground, several en route to the Dorr Canyon Wash (which in itself is a massive source of H2O). I recommend camping at the Dorr Canyon wash, it's amazing. The following day landed us at Little Jimmy CG, and despite the [populated] ascent to Baden-Powell the hike onward to Little Jimmy was beautiful with some fun saddle traverses and areas that open up a bit. Definitely recommend.

Excellent hike. Completed this loop counterclockwise starting with South Fork Trail. Camped up near the ridge just below Mount Hawkins. Aside from a couple small trickles, Little Jimmy Spring about 0.5 mile east of the campground is the best place to get water. The views from the ridge along the PCT section are amazing. Would definitely recommend.

Please be aware South Fork Trail is a dangerous place to start from. The trail that leads up from the creek bed is virtually indistinguishable from rock slides and debris washed down from the spring rains. Beyond a trailhead South Fork Trail is unmarked and extremely hard to follow.

I went counter clockwise. Went 11.5 mi the first day (starting at 2:30pm) and only started seeing people after 6 mi. Then I started seeing PCT people. Passed the campground before stopping to camp after Windy Gap. The campground was loud and people were allowing their dogs off leash without watching them. I found the loud people at the campsite WAY more annoying than passing serious hikers traveling the PCT. Setting up camp was a little challenging with all the wind ... but the views were SO worth it. Started early ... 5:30am the second day covering 15.1 mi. Saw a couple of people, but only about 4 total. No longer on the PCT trail. A total of 26.6 miles (sam on my phone & All Trails). I am not sure there is any water at the campground ... but there was NO water source on the trail. I went through 4L total. I really liked this loop ... will be back to go clockwise ... and hopefully will find a less windy spot to set up camp.

Wow... spectacular hike a short drive from LA. Scenery comparable to the Sierras and fantastic views. I did the trip starting at Vincent Gap as a three day / two night trek. The first stretch, from Vincent Gap to South Fork was beautiful and I didn’t see a single person on a beautiful June Sunday. The trailhead is hard to find and unmarked; I accidentally started on the trail to Big Rock before I realized my mistake. South Fork is a nice quiet campsite with water from a creek. This was really the only water I found between Vincent Gap and Islet Saddle. Day two was South Fork to Little Jimmys. The first part, from South Fork to Islet Saddle, was the most beautiful part of the trail, but also the toughest and in the worst condition. Again, I didn’t see anyone else. Some parts very steep with big drop offs and crumbling trails. The next part from Islet saddle to Little Jimmys was steep and pretty the first mile but a bit monotonous and unscenic the next mile. Overnight at Little Jimmys, which was not as nice as south fork. Also good water 1/4 east of Little Jimmys. The hike up Baden Powell heading this direction wasn’t bad - just constant gradual incline. The views were great. A LOT of PCT hikers on a Tuesday - probably passed about 15 of them or more. The switchbacks coming down Baden Powell were boring and offered limited views. Glad I was coming down it rather than coming up. With the exception of the PCT crowds, this was one of the top hikes I’ve ever done.