Iron Mountain is a mountain in the
San Gabriel Mountains
The San Gabriel Mountains ( es, Sierra de San Gabriel) are a mountain range located in northern Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California, United States. The mountain range is part of the Tr ...
of
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the List of the most populous counties in the United States, most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, ...
. It is within the
San Gabriel Mountains National Monument
The San Gabriel Mountains National Monument is a United States National Monument managed by the U.S. Forest Service, which encompasses parts of the Angeles National Forest and the San Bernardino National Forest in California. On October 10, 2014 ...
, in the section managed by the
Angeles National Forest
The Angeles National Forest (ANF) of the United States Forest Service, U.S. Forest Service is located in the San Gabriel Mountains and Sierra Pelona Mountains, primarily within Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County in southern Calif ...
.
Names
The peak is sometimes referenced as Iron Mountain #1 or Big Iron, was originally called Sheep Mountain by the early miners in San Gabriel Canyon because of the large bands of
bighorn sheep
The bighorn sheep (''Ovis canadensis'') is a species of sheep native to North America. It is named for its large horns. A pair of horns might weigh up to ; the sheep typically weigh up to . Recent genetic testing indicates three distinct subspec ...
that roamed the slopes. The
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...
, which mapped the San Gabriel Mountains in the 1890s, ignored the local Sheep Mountain designation and gave it its present name. According to Will Thrall, there was once a USFS plan to change the name back to Sheep Mountain in 1940.
The mountain is in the federally designated
Sheep Mountain Wilderness
Sheep Mountain Wilderness is a wilderness area of within the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and managed by the Angeles National Forest. It is within Los Angeles County and San Bernardino County, southern California.
The U.S. Congress ...
, a reference to the mountain's original name.
Access
While this mountain is far lower in elevation than other Southern California summits, it is the most difficult mountain to climb in the entire region. There are no water sources on the mountain, unless one finds snow. There are no maintained trails, the summit is seldom visited, and the climb is of about 6000 vertical feet (1,800 m), much of it at a 30° to 50° angle on loose soil, decomposed rock, or through brush. Some approaches to the summit require high degrees of rock-climbing skill. One route over the ridgeline from nearby
Mount San Antonio
Mount San Antonio, commonly referred to as Mount Baldy or Old Baldy, is a summit in the San Gabriel Mountains on the border of Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties of California. Lying within the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and An ...
(Mount Baldy) is long, difficult, and dangerous. The south mountain slopes in summer are directly exposed to the sun. Some climbers stay at the ruins of the
Allison Mine about below the summit. There are no facilities of any kind on the mountain.
Climbing statistics
* Distance: round trip on trail and cross-country
* Gain: total, out plus on return
* Time: 10 to 12 hours round trip
* Rating: but very strenuous
See also
*
References
San Gabriel Mountains
Mountains of Los Angeles County, California
Angeles National Forest
San Gabriel Mountains National Monument
Mountains of Southern California
{{LosAngelesCountyCA-geo-stub