Vincent Gap

General Information
Access
Hikes
Pictures
Other Web Information

General Information

Vincent Gap has a large trailhead parking lot near the eastern end of the San Gabriel Mountains, 50 miles from I-210 in La Cañada and five miles west of Big Pines along SR2, the Angeles Crest Highway. Drainage on the north slope goes to the Big Rock Creek, thence to the Mojave Desert and from the south slope to the East Fork of the San Gabriel River.

Vincent Gap is named for Charles Tom Vincent, also known as Charles Vincent Dougherty, founder of the Big Horn Mine, big game hunter and hermit who lived nearby from 1870s to 1920s (The San Gabriels by John Robinson, page 26).

The Gap is the 6,565' saddle in the San Gabriel Mountains between the coastal and the desert basins on the south and north, respectively, and between Mt. Baden-Powell, 9,399' and Blue Ridge, 7,560' on the west and east. The Angeles Crest Highway crosses the Punchbowl Fault here. The trace is seen as the contact zone between the bright red sedimentary formation and the bluish gray granitic one.

The elevation is variously given as 6,565' on the highway sign and 6,593' on the GNIS web site and topo sheet.

Access

Map: Mt. Islip Region (VG marks the location, in the left center of the map)
See also: USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Crystal Lake (34° 22' 25" N, 117° 45' 05" W)

By Car: From Interstate 210, go northeast on Angeles Crest Highway, State Route 2, 50 miles about one hour 20 minutes driving time to mile marker 74.8. Also, two truck trails (dirt roads for high clearance vehicles) meet SR2 here; one from Big Rock Creek (4N11) and one from Blue Ridge / Pinyon Ridge. Forest Adventure Pass is needed for parking.

By Trail: East or west from the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT); north from the Manzanita Trail which is a section of the High Desert National Recreation Trail; west from part of Silver Moccasin Trail from Mt. Baden-Powell, south from Prairie Fork through Sheep Mountain Wilderness, and south from Big Horn Mine.

Season: Open May to November or whenever SR2 is not closed by snow.

Hikes

Warning: this list does not get updated as often as the hikes listed in the region tables. Consult Mt. Islip Region Hikes for the latest listing.

No.RT
miles		Elev.
gain		SeasonName
77.313
(1 way)		+3600
-3700		jun-octIslip Saddle to Windy Gap, Mt. Hawkins, Throop Peak, Mt. Baden-Powell, Vincent Gap
80.19.2
(1 way)		+2400
-3700		jun-octDawson Saddle to Vincent Gap
8182800jun-octVincent Gap to Mt. Baden-Powell
824500jun-octVincent Gap to Big Horn Mine
836+2000
-2000		may-octVincent Gap via Vincent Gulch to Prairie Fork, East Fork of San Gabriel River
83.15.5
(1 way)		+950
-1400		may-octVincent Gap to Jackson Lake via PCT, Jackson Lake Trail
83.24.5950may-octVincent Gap to Jackson Flat via PCT
83.35.2
(1 way)		+500
-2400		may-novVincent Gap to South Fork Campground via Manzanita Trail
83.410.42400may-novVincent Gap to South Fork Campground via Manzanita Trail

Pictures

Pictures by Tom Chester:

View of Mt. Baldy from Vincent Gap, 15Nov01.

View of Devils Punchbowl, Mojave Desert and Tehachapi Mountains from just below the top of the Manzanita Trail, 15Nov01.

Other Web Information

Go to Field Guide to the San Gabriel Mountains: Places

Copyright © 1999-2001 by Jane Strong and Tom Chester
Permission is freely granted to reproduce any or all of this page as long as credit is given to us at this source:
http://tchester.org/sgm/places/vincent_gap.html
Comments and feedback: Jane Strong | Tom Chester
Updated 19 November 2001.