The bright red Snow Plant

LOCATION: The San Gabriel Wilderness is located in the Angeles National Forest, northeast of Los Angeles.

DESCRIPTION   The Mount Waterman trail is located in the beautiful San Gabriel Wilderness. You’ll be hiking thru a rich forest of Cedar, Ponderosa and Jeffery pines. Highly scenic outcroppings of granite dot the terrain. In April and May, seasonal streams and cascades add a lushness to the trail not often found in the semi-arid San Gabriels. Despite the fact that the hectic urban world is a mere twenty air miles away, this trail and its scenic delights will reward the hiker with a great measure of solitude. In springtime, the moderate up’s and downs of the Waterman trail are sprinkled with a gorgeous display of wildflowers, most notably the spectacular Snow Plant and the delicate Lupine. Along the way there are a couple of green marshy meadows. They are quite small, but very unusual for the rugged San Gabriels’. One of the highlights of this trek is the magnificent Cedar’s. The stateliest groves in the Angeles National Forest of this lovely red- barked tree can be found on the Waterman trail, especially at Twin Peaks saddle. This is the final destination and turn-around point of one of the best hikes or short backpacking trips in Southern California.