331 official trails lie within 25 miles of El Monte — 1,040 miles in total, 165 rated easy and 63 hard or expert. Every distance and elevation figure below is computed from the agency centerline and a 10 m elevation model, not crowd-sourced.
The biggest climb nearby gains 5,642 ft; the median trail gains 505 ft.
| Trail | Miles | Climb | Difficulty | Drive from town |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gabrielino National Recreatiion Trail | 26.8 | 3,316 ft | Expert | 29 min · 18 mi |
| Silver Moccasin National Recreatiion Trail | 13.8 | 3,009 ft | Expert | 1 h 13 min · 46 mi |
| Mt. Baldy Trail | 5.7 | 5,642 ft | Expert | 45 min · 32 mi |
| Condor Peak Trail | 8.6 | 3,218 ft | Expert | 52 min · 35 mi |
| Rincon Red Box Truck Trail | 16.9 | 3,264 ft | Expert | 37 min · 22 mi |
| Santa Clara Truck Trail | 18.3 | 2,713 ft | Expert | 2 h 08 min · 71 mi |
| Silver Fish Trail | 13.5 | 1,975 ft | Expert | 24 min · 15 mi |
| Mount Lowe Motorway | 8.1 | 3,196 ft | Expert | 58 min · 34 mi |
| Bear Creek Trail | 9.6 | 2,659 ft | Expert | 51 min · 28 mi |
| Bichota Canyon Trail | 5.5 | 3,194 ft | Expert | 55 min · 28 mi |
| Mount Wilson Trail | 5.0 | 3,421 ft | Expert | 18 min · 8 mi |
| Monrovia Canyon Truck Trail | 6.6 | 2,874 ft | Expert | 59 min · 18 mi |
| Heaton Flats Trail | 5.3 | 2,761 ft | Expert | 50 min · 28 mi |
| Schabarum-Skyline Trail | 29.8 | 1,127 ft | Expert | 10 min · 4 mi |
| High Desert National Recreatiion Trail (Burkhart) | 7.0 | 2,337 ft | Expert | 1 h 50 min · 66 mi |
| Upper Monroe Truck Trail | 7.9 | 2,104 ft | Expert | 42 min · 26 mi |
| Moody Canyon Truck Trail | 6.6 | 2,347 ft | Expert | 2 h 12 min · 73 mi |
| Stone Canyon Trail | 3.6 | 3,151 ft | Hard | 52 min · 34 mi |
| Islip Ridge Trail | 4.9 | 2,565 ft | Hard | 1 h 10 min · 35 mi |
| Iron Mountain Trail | 2.3 | 3,429 ft | Hard | 1 h 02 min · 30 mi |
| Pigeon Ridge Firebreak | 3.0 | 3,032 ft | Hard | 1 h 43 min · 42 mi |
| Upper Clamshell Truck Trail | 6.4 | 1,859 ft | Hard | 53 min · 17 mi |
| Bear Canyon | 4.6 | 2,277 ft | Hard | 58 min · 34 mi |
| Sunset Ridge Truck Trail | 5.3 | 2,023 ft | Hard | 30 min · 20 mi |
Waterfalls: Gabrielino National Recreatiion Trail to Sturtevant Falls
Summits: Mt. Baldy Trail to Mount San Antonio; Condor Peak Trail to Condor Peak; Mount Lowe Motorway to Mount Lowe; Bichota Canyon Trail to Rattlesnake Peak
Lakes: Islip Ridge Trail to Crystal Lake; San Gabriel River Trail to Santa Fe Flood Control Basin; Rio Hondo River Trail to Whittier Narrows Reservoir; Rattlesnake Ridge Trail to Hoover Reservoir
Viewpoints: High Desert National Recreatiion Trail (South Fork) to Islip Saddle Day Use Area and Trailhead; Sturtevant to Echo Rock; Park to Playa Trail to Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook; Crescenta View Trail to The Redoubt
Mountain passes: Gabrielino National Recreatiion Trail to Newcomb Pass; Santa Clara Truck Trail to Bear Divide; Monrovia Canyon Truck Trail to White Saddle; High Desert National Recreatiion Trail (Burkhart) to Burkhart Saddle
Rock formations: East Fork Trail to Swan Rock
Springs: Rincon Red Box Truck Trail to Fern Springs; Moody Canyon Truck Trail to Magnetic Springs; High Desert National Recreatiion Trail (South Fork) to Reed Spring; South Hawkins Trail to Big Cienega
Beaches: Alamitos Peninsula Walkway and Beach Route to Alamitos Bay Beach; Sunset Beach Route to Surfside Beach
Nearby towns: Anaheim (22 mi) · Long Beach (22 mi) · Los Angeles (22 mi) · Santa Clarita (36 mi)
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