Debs Park - An Urban Jewel for Trail Runners

This morning I headed over to Ernest E. Debs Regional Park for a 3.5 mile run with the pup. It was already hot at 7am, and I was reminded that this run doesn't offer much in the way of shade. Nonetheless, it's one of my favorite local trail runs.

A hiker along the trail at Debs Park.

In a Nutshell

A great park for trail running with numerous options to do different loops, adding to/shortening your run. Trails are a hilly mix of fire roads and singletrack. Views of the San Gabriel Mountains and Downtown LA.

• Trail surface: packed dirt, tiny bit of pavement along the top ridge
• Bathrooms/water: at the main parking lot off of Monterey Road, the Debs Park Audubon Center (open Tues-Sat 9am to 5pm, fantastic facility & programs), and Hermon Park off Via Marisol.
• Dogs: Must be leashed.

My Route

There are three main entrances to Debs Park, but my favorite is from Hermon Park. From here, you get to do the main uphill part of your run first. I parked at Hermon Park near the tennis courts and crossed Via Marisol right next to the entrance to Hermon Park. Directly across the street from the entrance is a dirt fire road. At first glance, it looks like it’s gated off. But if you look closely, you’ll see a singletrack trail heading off to the left that goes around the gate, dropping you onto the dirt road.

Downtown LA

From here, I headed up the hill and around three bends to a narrower unmarked turn off on the left. After about 50 yards, the trail makes another left turn, narrowing further to singletrack and switchbacking uphill. This part is steep, but levels off as it approaches the top. After a short level section, the trail rejoins the fire road and I turned left, crossing over the paved access road and heading downhill on the dirt road. The fire road rounds another bend, ascending again and I crested the hill with a great view of downtown LA opening up in front of me.

Hidden Lake

At the next intersection, I left the fire road once again and took the VERY STEEP dirt trail off to the left. This part is really more hiking than running. The trail does level out and descends slightly, rejoining the paved access road. I turned right onto the pavement and continued until I reached the hidden lake. This is one of the hidden treasures of Debs Park. I paused here a moment to enjoy the shade and the cooler air before taking the unmarked singletrack trail just to the left of the lake. It’s pretty tricky to spot it, but it’s just beyond the sign saying no swimming or boating in the lake.

Views of San Gabriel Mountains

I blasted down this part of the trail to the park-like area with benches, taking a left toward the stairs and parking lot. I skirted the parking lot on the left, staying under the shade of the pines until I reached the paved access road once again. Turning left, I followed it for a few yards and then turned right onto a side trail. From here, I headed roughly north along the singletrack. This is a beautiful rolling section that eventually meets back up with the access road. Instead of going back the same way I came, I stuck to the fire road and descended back to Via Marisol.

If You Go

Debs Park offers an experience of what the basin looked like before it became the megalopolis it is today. According to the Audubon Center at Debs Park: “More than half of the park is covered in walnut-oak woodland, grassland, and coastal sage scrub, a remnant of the native habitats that once rimmed the Los Angeles Basin.” And nature lovers, keep your eyes peeled for birds. Audubon has recorded over 140 species of birds at the park!

Lovely Sunday Run in the Altadena Foothills

Altadena Crest Trail to Sunset Ridge Trail, Millard Campground and Brown Mountain Fire Road/Truck Trail (Angeles National Forest)

View from Sunset Ridge Trail

In a Nutshell

This is a great run because there are numerous options to make it longer or shorter, depending on what you’re looking for on a particular day. It’s tough, with some sections exceeding an 8% grade. It’s never crowded and has some nice views in the higher elevations.

• Trail surface: soft packed dirt, some sandy sections, tiny bit of pavement.
• Bathrooms/water: Bathrooms at Millard Campground. No water.
• Dogs: Must be leashed.

My Route

I did an out and back run, about 7 miles roundtrip, starting at the Loma Alta Trailhead and Staging Area.

 

From the trailhead, I took the Altadena Crest Trail from the north end of the parking area. After about a quarter mile, the trail splits and I took the trail to the right. There is a white and black sign that says Altadena Crest Trail at the trail split. The next time the trail splits, there are no signs, but I stayed to the right again. The trail splits once more before reaching the crossing with Cheney Trail Road. Here, I stayed left. When I got to the road, I could easily see the trail continuing directly across the road. There’s a large log/water bar and it’s pretty steep here. I then followed the trail as it snakes its way up the hill, until topping out at another paved road (Mt Lowe Road). I ran on the pavement for about 20 yards to the Sunset Ridge Trail, which goes downhill from the intersection with Mt Lowe Road. The trail is not marked here, but there is a small kiosk with a map. From here, the Sunset Ridge Trail is rolling, mostly downhill all the way to Millard Campground (Angeles National Forest). At Millard Campground, I turned right, went past the bathrooms, and followed the dirt/sort of paved road over a stream crossing and uphill onto Brown Mountain Truck Trail (also called Brown Mountain Fire Road). I stayed on this until the intersection with El Prieto Canyon Trail. There, I turned around and went back the same way. You could easily extend this run by heading down El Prieto Canyon or continuing on Brown Mountain Road. I’ll try to post maps for those options in the future.

Stream Crossing along Brown Mt Road

If You Go

A few notes of caution – this is a shared trail, so do yield to mountain bikers and horses. Also, there’s a bit of poison oak along the trail. It’s pretty easy to avoid, but keep your eyes peeled for it. Last thing – although I’ve never seen one here, I imagine there are rattlesnakes, so it’s good to just be aware. If you hear a rattling sound, give it a wide berth.