Islip Saddle ( ) is a saddle and mountain pass in
Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, with 9,861,224 residents estimated as of 2022. It is the ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. It lies just west of
Mount Islip
Mount Islip ( ) is a peak in the Angeles National Forest in California, United States. On a clear day the sharp, high peak provides impressive views of the Mojave Desert, the Los Angeles Basin, Santa Catalina Island, and San Clemente Island.
...
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 ...
at the intersection of
State Route 2 and the northern terminus of
State Route 39. It is the second highest mountain pass on the highway after nearby
Dawson Saddle
Dawson Saddle is a saddle and mountain pass over the San Gabriel Mountains located in northeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. At , it is the highest point along the Angeles Crest Highway and the second highest mountain pass ...
.
Name origin
Islip Saddle is named after Canadian
homesteader
Homestead may refer to:
*Homestead (buildings), a farmhouse and its adjacent outbuildings; by extension, it can mean any small cluster of houses
* Homestead (unit), a unit of measurement equal to 160 acres
* Homestead principle, a legal concept ...
George Islip, who lived in neighboring San Gabriel Canyon in the 1900s.
Overview
Islip Saddle lies at the head of
San Gabriel Canyon
The San Gabriel River is a mostly urban waterway flowing southward through Los Angeles and Orange Counties, California in the United States. It is the central of three major rivers draining the Greater Los Angeles Area, the others being the L ...
between
Mount Williamson
Mount Williamson, at an elevation of , is the second-highest mountain in both the Sierra Nevada range and the state of California, and the sixth-highest peak in the contiguous United States.
Geography
Williamson stands in the John Muir Wi ...
to the northwest and
Mount Islip
Mount Islip ( ) is a peak in the Angeles National Forest in California, United States. On a clear day the sharp, high peak provides impressive views of the Mojave Desert, the Los Angeles Basin, Santa Catalina Island, and San Clemente Island.
...
to the southeast.
The summit features a parking lot and public restrooms for visitors intending to hike in the area. A gate just east of the parking lot restricts access to Angeles Crest Highway between the saddle and Vincent Gap during the winter due to heavy snowfall. A second gate just south of the saddle permanently restricts access to the northern portion of
State Route 39.
Trailheads
There are three trailheads at Islip Saddle. Two of the trailheads are part of 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 ...
which crosses Route 2 at the saddle. Islip Saddle can be reached from
Mount Islip
Mount Islip ( ) is a peak in the Angeles National Forest in California, United States. On a clear day the sharp, high peak provides impressive views of the Mojave Desert, the Los Angeles Basin, Santa Catalina Island, and San Clemente Island.
...
on the south side of the mountains, or by from the north side from Angeles Crest Highway or from
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 ...
. Closest campground is the very popular Little Jimmy Trail Camp.
summitpost.org, Islip Saddle
See also
* List of mountain passes in California
The following is a list of mountain passes and gaps in California. California is geographically diverse with numerous roads and railways traversing within its borders. In the middle of the U.S. state lies the California Central Valley, bounded b ...
* 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 ...
References
Landforms of Los Angeles County, California
San Gabriel Mountains
Mountain passes of California
{{LosAngelesCountyCA-geo-stub