As you climb, you'll have nice views of the San Gabriel Valley to the south, Van Tassel Canyon to the east, Spanish and Sawpit Canyons to the west, and the ridges to the north, Ranking Peak (5291'), Pine Mountain (4539'), road cuts from the Rincon-Redbox Road (2N24), and of course, Mt. Baldy and accompanying high country to the east. Mt. Wilson (5710') looms to the west. Once on top of Mt. Bliss, you have an unobstructed 360 degree view. On one of those rare clear days, you have striking views of the urban sprall in the basin below.

Passing the summit on the road, you can continue north 1.3 miles to the juction at White Saddle (3220'). From there you can hike 4.8 miles west down Sawpit Canyon (2N30) to Monrovia Canyon Park. You can also continue north 3.1 miles to meet Rincon-Redbox Road.

Season: November - May

Generally speaking, the front range of the San Gabriels is best hiked in the cooler months, and the back range is best in the warmer months. Mt. Bliss sits in the front range, and reaching it on a hot summer day can be miserably punishing. There is virtually no shade in route, and the haze, smog, and brown hills are less than desireable. If you do hike it in the summer, it is more tolerable to go in the earily morning or late afternoon. Early in the summer the "June Gloom" (marine layer, coastal fog) can make nice walking conditions but also can greatly obscure your views. The views on top of Mt. Bliss can be splended on a clear winter day when the distant high country is covered with snow and the great visablity would allow you to see to the ocean.

Getting to the Trailhead:

From the I-210 Foothill Freeway, traveling west: exit at Irwindale Avenue in Irwindale. Turn right (north) and go 0.2 mile. Turn left (west) on Foothill Blvd. and go 0.7 mile to Encanto Parkway. Turn right (north).

From the I-210 Foothill Freeway, traveling east (or the I-605 traveling north): Exit Mt. Olive Avenue in Duarte. Turn right (east) on Huntington Drive and go 0.6 mile to Encanto Parkway. Turn left (north). (Note: Huntington Drive turns into Foothill Blvd at the intersection of Encanto Parkway.)

Drive north on Encanto Parkway 1.3 miles. Turn left onto a dirt road, the entrance to Encanto Equestrian Center (marked with a yellow sign). Drive about 0.5 mile and park on the left side of the road across from the horse stables. The hike starts at the north end of the equestrian center. No Forest Adventure Pass is needed since this hike begins outside the forest boundary. See street map below.

Trail Description:

There are two ways to start the hike. One is the from the top end of the equestrian center at the month of Van Tassel Canyon. The fire road begins here. The other is described by Tom Chester, starting from Mel Canyon Road in Duarte. See map. From the north end of the equestrian center, take the fire road left as it crosses the creek.

The road is steep, and as you climb you are rewarded with expanding views out over Azusa, Duarte, and beyond. After you pass the fire hydrant SW 15, in another 100 yards you will cross over the unmarked Azusa boundary, leaving the city limits. In another few minutes you pass under the power lines and in a few more minutes you walk past the locked gate, heading west. Shortly, the road cuts back sharply to the east and climbs steeply to the next noteworthy landmark: a large retaining wall supporting the base for the power-line towers. It usually take me about one hour to get to this point.

Early morning on Mt. Bliss - Looking northwest toward Monrovia Peak.

The road now generally follows below the ridge on the east side, passing by a couple saddles which yield nice views to the west. After the second saddle, the road passes to the west side and below high point 3043' to reach the divide overlooking Spanish Canyon. The road cuts back to the east but continues on the west side of the watershed divide with views to the west into Spanish Canyon and Sawpit Canyon.

After a while more you will pass by water hydrant SW 13. Shortly the road cuts back to the east and the Summit of Mt. Bliss comes into view. In a few more minutes you pass under the power lines and arrive at a junction with a road that cuts back to the right, 4.2 miles from the start.

The easiest way to climb the summit is to turn right (southwest) onto this side road. After a couple minutes the road curves left around the ridge. At that point, leave the road and follow the use path up the ridge to the left (east). Hike along the broad ridge, first east past the power-line towers, then curve north, following the undulating ridge to Mt. Bliss (3720'), in 10 or 12 minutes. The brush along this ridge section (primarily California buckwheat) invades the route; long pants are certainly helpful to spare the legs from scratches.

On the summit, there's a log book tucked safely in baggy in a red coffee can. The peak does not get many visitors. Enjoy the views. Return the way you came.

View Topo Map (908K)

On top Mt. Bliss (3720') 4-27-03, 6:13 PM - Looking south from where I came.

Other Trail Notes:

• Wildlife - I have seen deer several times and a fox once. On my hike on August 21, 2005, the road had been freshly re-graded to repair damage from the heavy winter storms. In several sections where the dirt was soft, the abundance of fresh animal tracks clearly revealed the presence of many creatures, from bear, large cats, and deer, to canine and an assortment of smaller animals, birds, and snakes.
       Mountain lion alert: A hiker reports (LocalHikes.com) having come face to face with a mountain lion on the road while coming down on October 22, 2005. Read news story about mountain lions (11-9-05) and what to do if you encounter one.
• Highpoint - Mt. Bliss is certainly not a high mountain by California standards, but it is higher than the highest points of 22 states. See Fifty State Summits list from peakware.com.
• Plane crash - On June 6, 1971, a U.S Marine Corp. F-4 Phantom fighter jet and a Hughes Airwest DC-9 airliner collided in mid air. Forty-nine people parished. Jeff McNabb reports: "The DC-9 impacted the east slope of Mt. Bliss after the two collided at 15,000 feet and the fighter ended up in Van Tassel Canyon. A lot of debris from the passenger plane rained down over the whole area and not all items were recovered. There's still pieces up there." Jamie Blasquez writes: "The only survivor was the RIO in the backseat of the F-4 who bailed out; the pilot did not." Ron Chatham has graciously offered newspaper clippings of the accident; I will post them when I have some available time. The Aircraft Wrecks in Southern California website lists the crash: 06/06/71 DUARTE,CALIF N9345 DOUGLAS DC-9 49. AirDisaster.Com provides a few details and a photo. Any information you have concerning this crash, I'd appreciate it if you passed it my way.

Related link on Dan's Hiking Pages:

• Mt. Bliss Hike Reports - May 28, 2007, April 27, 2003

Trail Links:

• LocalHikes.com - "Mount Bliss via Van Tassel Fire Road" - by Dan Simpson, yours truly. An abbreviated version of this present description: Brief summery. Driving directions. Photos. Topo map.

• Guide to hike #48-2 Duarte to Monrovia Peak via Van Tassel Fire Road - Detailed trail information by Tom Chester.

• mmg.smugmug.com - Provides a gallery of beautiful pictures from winter 2004.

• Wild L.A.: A Hiker's Guide - by John McKinney (Olympus Press: Santa Barbara, 2003). "Mt. Bliss." Puts the round trip at 8.0 miles from the Valley View Park (Mel Canyon) trailhead. Historical background and trail description. Sadly his write-up is vague, outdated, and inaccurate (including his map which wrongly places the summit of Mt. Bliss to the west of the road). This kind of publishing practice is unfortunate. When a new edition of a book is published, or when they recycle a hike from an older book, it should be up-to-date and accurate.