Mt. Islip via Islip Saddle
Cappie’s Scoop: Mom planned this at the last minute and now it’s one of our favorite backpacking spots! Originally, we wanted to backpack San Bernardino Peak but it was closed due to a terrible fire. I told mom I still wanted to camp so she did some research (mom is really goooood at this) and she found a short trail to a campground in the middle of the Angeles National Forest. We invited a bunch of our furiends to join us because the more the merrier! We backpacked to camp and picked out a great spot where we could build a fire at night. We setup our tents under some shady trees, well mom setup the tent and I told her I’d help by gathering sticks for the fire. Of course, I would have to sample a few of those sticks to see if they were campfire worthy. I hid my favorites behind the tent for later. Then we decided to hike to Mt. Islip at 8,250 ft and is 2.8 miles RT from camp. There were remains of an old fire lookout and a view of Crystal Lake. From here you can also pick up a few more trails to hike down to Crystal Lake or also to Baden-Powell if you wanted to! But we decided to head back to camp, have dinner, enjoy a cozy campfire and then off to the tent for a nice snooze. The next morning Mom and I got up early to try and find a nearby spot to watch the sunrise but were so many trees that we couldn’t see too much. We had some breakfast, packed up camp, and headed back down the trail to the car. I can’t wait to come back here again! Don’t hesitate to add YOUR scoop in the comments below!
Tips: Make sure you put your food and smelly items in the provided bear boxes at the campground. Bears are known to roam the area!
Directions: Coordinates take you to the Islip Saddle trailhead parking lot where you will leave your car. You can leave your car parked here overnight with your California Adventure Pass displayed in the window. Be sure to keep any valuables out of sight. The trail to Little Jimmy Campground starts across the street and follows the PCT for 2.1 miles. If you have any questions on what gear to pack for a trip like this, don’t hesitate to contact us!
Planning a Backpack – April 2021 Newsletter Special Issue
| Mileage (round trip) | 7 |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Gain (in feet) | 1627 |
| Trailhead | 34.357097, -117.850878 |
| Time | 2 nights |
| Exposure | Sunny and Shady |
| Scenery | Mountain Views, Forest |
| Facilities | Vault toilets at Islip Saddle trailhead and Little Jimmy campground. There is a spring (water source) about ¼ of a mile by trail southeast of the campground. Depending on rainfall, the spring could be flowing or just a trickle. Be sure to filter the water from this spring. |
| Fees/Permits | California adventure pass is required to park. You can also use your Interagency Annual Pass also known as the America the Beautiful Pass (National Parks Pass). Campfire rings are provided. A CA campfire permit is required to operate backpack stove or equivalent heating device. There is NO fee to camp at Little Jimmy. There are 16 first-come, first-serve sites with fire rings, picnic tables, vault toilets, and vintage backcountry ovens. There are also bear boxes if you don’t want to bring a bear canister. Woohoo, save on that and bring more water! |
| More Info | https://modernhiker.com/hike/hiking-mount-islip |
| Last Hiked | 7/14/2018 |
