South Mount Hawkins is located in the
San Gabriel Mountains
The San Gabriel Mountains () are a mountain range located in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, California, United States. The mountain range is part of the Transverse Ranges and lies between the Los Angeles Basin and the Mojave Desert ...
, and contained within the
Angeles National Forest
The Angeles National Forest (ANF) of the United States Forest Service is located in the San Gabriel Mountains and Sierra Pelona Mountains, primarily within Los Angeles County in Southern California. The ANF manages a majority of the San Gabri ...
. The mountain was named after Nellie Hawkins, a popular waitress of the Squirrel Inn located on the North Fork of the
San Gabriel River. Although the Squirrel Inn is long gone, Nellie has her name on Mount Hawkins and South Mount Hawkins. There are two ridge bumps between the two named summits and they are unofficially known as "Middle Hawkins" and "Sadie Hawkins". According to the California State Library, "Cold Brook Camp, located within the Angeles National Forest,
asvery popular with campers. Started out as hunter's camp owned by R.W. Dawson. In 1901, land leased to Doc Beatty who opened hostelry called Squirrel Inn. In 1907, Dawson took over the Inn renaming it Cold Brook Camp. Eventually built hotel, cabins and tents. Was popular in early 1900s and into the 1920s."
South Mount Hawkins fire lookout tower
For 67 years the
South Mount Hawkins Lookout,
tower
A tower is a tall Nonbuilding structure, structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from guyed mast, masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting ...
stood on the summit of South Mount Hawkins It was built in 1935.
[
]
It was one of the only all-wooden towers in Southern California. The tower was destroyed in the Curve Fire on September 1, 2002.
Road to tower platform
The
Forest Service has abandoned the long dirt road which goes from the Deer Flats Group Campground
[
] located within the
Crystal Lake Recreation Area
The Crystal Lake Recreation Area is located in the San Gabriel Mountains of Southern California, administered by the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument (formally the San Gabriel River Ranger District) of the United States Forest Service. Th ...
all the way to the concrete platform upon which the fire watch tower used to stand.
The road is only maintained on an as needed basis such as a fire or access to the forest service repeater. Hikers and bicycle riders still find the road passable to the top of South Mount Hawkins however there are washouts along the way and it is strewn with rocks and boulders, making the Deer Flat route up to the mountain difficult. The other access route for hikers but not bicycle riders to reach South Mount Hawkins is the
Pacific Crest Trail
The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), officially designated as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, is a long-distance hiking and equestrian trail closely aligned with the highest portion of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, which lie ...
segment which leads from
Windy Gap Trail then down the Hawkins Ridge Trail to the peak.
See also
*
References
Landmarks in Los Angeles
San Gabriel Mountains
Mountains of Los Angeles County, California
Mountains of Southern California
Angeles National Forest
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