Peter F. Schabarum Regional Park is a 575 acre park with an easily accessible trail network. Located in Hacienda Heights, Schabarum Park is a popular spot for hikers, bikers, trail runners, and horseback riders. The park is open from 7AM to 6PM October through March, and 7AM to 8PM from April to September. On weekends and holidays, there is a $6 fee for parking. For this hike, I linked up the Schabarum Trail, Purple Sage Trail, and Powder Canyon Loop for a 10 mile hike. In this guide I will include directions, a map, and a hike description with photos. There are a lot of different options for shorter hikes throughout this park as well that I will elude to in the hike description below.
Directions And GPS Tracks:
- Take HWY 60 towards Hacienda Heights and take exit 18 for Azusa Ave and head south. Take a left on Colima Rd and then a right onto Powder Canyon Mtwy. I like to start this hike at Mountain View Picnic Area. Dive south through for about a quarter mile to reach this area. Click here for directions on Google Maps
- There is a $6 parking fee for Peter F. Schabarum Regional Park on weekends and holidays.
- Download GPX
- See my track on Strava
Key Points:
- Distance: 10.3 miles (Many options to do fewer)
- Elevation Gain: 1829 ft
- Minimum Elevation: 600 ft
- Maximum Elevation: 1359 ft
- Time: 3-4 hours
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Dog Friendly: Yes, on leash
- Permit Required: No, $6 parking fee for weekends and holidays
- Season: Year Round
- Trail Condition: Well maintained trail
Make sure to hike with the right gear. See my current hiking gear list.
Hike Map And Elevation Profile:
Hike Description:
There is a lot of parking available in Schabarum Park, with more than a few options to begin your hike. My favorite starting point for hikes in Schabarum Park is at the Mountain View Picnic Area. Across the street from Mountain View Picnic Area, you’ll see two yellow posts and a monument to the Kairaku-En Park in Japan. The Kairaku-En Park is a sister park to Schabarum Park. The reason I like to start at the Kairaku-En monument and hike clockwise is that I get the majority of the uphill climbing out of the way in the first half of the hike.
Start hiking uphill past the Kairaku-En monument until you reach a dirt road. From this dirt road, keep hiking uphill until you reach Schabarum Trail. In the picture below, you’ll see the trail leading up from the parking lot on your right. On the left, you’ll see the trail for the Wildcat Loop. You can continue hiking up the slope on the far left of the picture to reach the Schabarum Trail.
Heading west, the Schabarum Trail gains elevation pretty quickly, and provides a series of spectacular views looking north towards the San Gabriels. I hiked this trail the day after a storm, which meant crystal clear skies and slightly muddy trails.
The first mile of this hike ascends 700ft, but the gains come smooth and easy on a mix of single track and fire road.
At 1.5 miles, the uphill hiking levels out on a hill obstructed by power lines and transmission towers. Many commuters see these towers on a daily basis from the 60, but few get to see them this close.
The trail towards the power lines takes hikers upward untili they’re under the transmission towers. Make sure to stay vigilant and keep right at the unmarked junction before the transmission towers or you’ll end up on the short Buena Vista Trail to Purple Sage Trail. **(If you would like to make this hike a shorter one, you can take the Buena Vista route to cut off the west end of my out-and-back spur trail.)**
Once you’ve passed the transmission towers and the Buena Vista Trail junction, continue on the Schabarum Trail due west. At 2 miles, you meet the point were the Schabarum Trail meets the Purple Sage trail and continues west as one single trail. Continue downhill with views of the Hsa Lai temple in the distance. This trail ends once you reach Hacienda Rd. You can turn around and head back uphill to pick up Purple Sage Trail.
When you hike back up towards the junction of the Schabarum Trail and Purple Sage, take a right and head towards the broadcast tower of KOCE-TV. This south facing part of the trail is exposed and not as nice as the first 6 miles, but rest easy knowing that more beautiful views are ahead.
At 6.6 miles the Purple Sage Trail ends as it meets Powder Canyon Motorway. Take a right to continue hiking the Powder Canyon Loop. You can also take a left if you’d like to head back to your car for a shorter hike.
The Powder Canyon Loop trail offers a great deal of shade as it descends towards it junction with the Nogales Trail. Keep an eye out for the Gray Squirrel Trail junction and stay left.
At 7.5 miles, you leave the Powder Canyon Motorway behind and find yourself in a dirt parking lot. This is an alternative place to start your hike if the gate at Fullerton Rd is open. It was not open on the day I catalogued this hike.
From the Puente Hills Reserve parking lot, look left and you’ll see the start of the Nogales Trail. Head north on the Nogales Trail for a short while until it dead ends with the Black Walnut Trail. Take a left on the Black Walnut Trail.
The Black Walnut Trail climbs from 700ft to 1000ft before reaching yet another hill covered in transmission towers. Make sure to keep right at the junction before the towers to walk up just beneath them.
When you reach the transmission towers, you’ll be leaving the westbound Black Walnut Trail behind. Continue north on a use trail that traces the hill and leaves the transmission towers behind.
8 miles into the hike, you’ll leave the use trail and cross over a paved road. You have now returned to the Schabarum Trail.
The final stretch of hiking on the Schabarum Trail heads downhill via a series of switchbacks. Continue down the Schabarum Trail switchbacks until they dead end with the Powder Canyon Motorway.
Take a right at the junction for Schabarum Trail and Powder Canyon Motorway and pass by the horse stables. Just after the horse stables, you’ll see a bridge to begin the Wildcat Loop. Cross this bridge and you will be back to your car and the Mountain View Picnic Area.
This is one of the most confusing hike descriptions that I’ve written due to the large number of trails in use to complete this hike. The hike itself is not complicated or confusing at all, so I hope my guide does not deter you from attempting it. Just make sure to download the GPX and you’ll be good to go. Let me know if you have any thoughts or questions.