Shortly after I discovered the world of hiking, I was introduced to a Meetup group called ‘Happy Hour Hikes in Los Angeles’. The group hiked up to Echo Mountain in Altadena every Wednesday evening.
Echo Mountain is one of the most popular hikes into the San Gabriel Mountains for Los Angeles residents. It is located at the end of Lake Ave, one of Pasadena’s main streets, and the trail provides access to both great hiking and LA county history.
You may not know, but the top of Echo Mountain once housed a beautiful hotel and a full railway system to shuttle people from Pasadena central to the top of the mountain. Today there are only remnants of this structure that crumbled over a century ago, but it is still a fantastic way to get out in nature and explore the history of the area.
A piece of Los Angeles history…
The story of Echo Mountain Hotel is entwined with that of the Mount Lowe Railway. In the late 19th century, Thaddeus Lowe established the railroad just north of Los Angeles as a way for tourists to easily ascend the San Gabriel Mountains. The railway welcomed its first passengers on the Fourth of July in 1893. Then, in the fall of 1894, the Echo Mountain Hotel, located at the summit, opened its doors. It was a luxury hotel said to rival San Diego’s Hotel del Coronado, with 80 rooms as well as amenities such as a dance hall, a casino, and a zoo. There was also a telescope and observatory as Lowe was very interested in astronomy and even brought on esteemed astronomer Dr. Lewis Swift, who would discover nearly 100 nebulae from the site’s observatory.
People came from all over to visit the railroad and stay at the luxurious property. The hotel made for a striking sight, even from far away.
But this period of excitement and interest wouldn’t last. In 1898, Lowe would lose his ownership of the railroad. The government realized that the railroad was on federal land and hadn’t been built with a proper lease. Then, in 1900, Echo Mountain House—dubbed “The White City in the Sky”—caught fire. No guests or staff were injured, and the hotel might have staged a comeback if it had been appropriately insured. Reportedly, it had only been insured for one-fifth of the damage that the fire caused. Just six years after its opening, the hotel would be consigned to the realm of history.
More disasters followed. Swift went blind and left the observatory. Another fire destroyed the casino. In 1936, the Mount Lowe Tavern burned down as well. A flood destroyed the pavilion. Then, finally, after a destructive rainstorm, the railroad was officially abandoned. By the time the middle of the century rolled around, any remains of the railroad and its accompanying structures that couldn’t be salvaged for scrap were dynamited away. Most of it anyway.
If you’re thinking of visiting, however, make sure you leave your petticoats and cravats behind as you’ll be relying on your own two feet to get you there. The hike (via the Sam Merill Trail) starts in Altadena at the Cobb Estate (another seemingly cursed Southern California structure, but that’s a story for a different time). It’s a moderately difficult 5 and a half mile hike round trip with little cover, so make sure you bring plenty of water if it’s a warm day (or even if it’s not that warm, hydration is important!).
When you reach the summit you’ll be able to see some of the railway’s surviving remnants—some wheels and gears—as well as the foundation of the once-grand hotel. One of the surviving pieces of the site is the “echophone.” The bit that goes without saying (or has until now, anyway) is that Echo Mountain got its name because of how well voices echo off the surrounding canyon. So these “echophones,” which are essentially mounted bullhorns, were set up so that when you “call” into them, they would be aimed at “sweet spots” for echoing.
But then one of the most rewarding parts of this hike is one of the things that dazzled its visitors over a century ago—the incredible views of the Los Angeles Basin. Though it’s certainly filled out since visitors arrived via the railway, you’ll no doubt share their admiration for the wonderful view stretching out below.
Again the recent Eaton Canyon forest fire in January 2025 burnt the trail to Echo Mountain. I am not sure what remains of the Echo Mountain Hotel historical items.
I have hiked the trail to Echo Mountain many times… the trail feels like an old friend. Every Wednesday evening, our Meetup group would have a fun and lively potluck on the ruins of the hotel. Everyone brought food and drinks to share.
I made lifelong friendships and met my core hiking tribe through this group.
The founder and fearless leader of the group was Lee Tracy. Lee was an incredible man who loved nature and bringing community together. On January 11, 2017, Lee was hiking down the mountain after a Wednesday night potluck. It was dark. Lee tripped and fell down the mountain. His head hit a boulder. His hiking companions who witnessed the fall ran to his aid. When they reached Lee, he was already dead.
Our group was devastated at the loss of Lee. How could this be? He was just having dinner with us, joking around, and now he is dead? It makes you realize how life can change in an instant. As a silver lining, Lee died doing what he loved most… hiking in nature with his beloved friends.
My friend Rob took this pic of Lee, an hour before he died. It was the last pic ever taken of Lee alive. To me, it looks like he is an angel in the heavens.
In the weeks that followed, our group built a memorial bench in Lee’s honor. Unfortunately, that memorial was burnt in the recent LA fires. There are plans to rebuild the memorial.
Echo Mountain has burnt, but the memories and friendships made on that beautiful mountain will be forever in my heart.
