Home › California › Altadena › El Prieto Canyon
El Prieto Canyon
4.7 ★★★★★ 266 Google reviews · Running trail in Altadena, California · Open 24 hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Mixed
- Loop distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Loop
- Shade
- Tree cover
- Access
- Open 24 hours
Confirmed from El Prieto Canyon's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Popular hiking area with multiple trails and benches, plus wildlife and water crossings.
What runners say about El Prieto Canyon
“Beautiful canyon popular with mountain bikers, trail runners, hikers, and equestrians.”
“I recommend starting by going up the street, that way you’ll start up the mountains early on your hike before the sun gets hot since you’ll have no shade.”
“Easy hike it just takes a long time to get there 🤷♀️🤣 It's worth it!”
This is saying El Prieto I know it as Brown Mountain Dam. Easy hike it just takes a long time to get there 🤷♀️🤣 It's worth it! So much beauty on the way there. I'd suggest you go early it gets hot. Bring plenty of water for you and your fur baby. Mama Keira Loved it 🥰😍
Great small hike! The hike is not long and the hiking roads are clean and clear. Even though the main hike is short you can take other little trails along the way to make it longer. The trail is popular with bike riders so be alert! Don’t be blasting your headphones or speaker so that you can hear them coming.
We started hiking on Fern Truck/Arroyo trail and merged into El Prieto trail. We hiked a full loop and ended up to the Windsor parking. This trail was beautiful and serene. The plants and flowers looked gorgeous. A very green scenic view. The Fern Truck/Arroyo trail was a very moderate hike.
Nice surprise. Great hike along the Arroyo Seco. The stream was quite full. I took the Gabrielino trail towards Gould Mesa campsite. It had a foresty feel, shaded, pretty fall colors, pretty walk. Not too crowded. Easy hike. Had to cross the stream a couple times, which was not too difficult, going over the rocks.
Trail conditions & character
“Beautiful canyon popular with mountain bikers, trail runners, hikers, and equestrians.”
“I recommend starting by going up the street, that way you’ll start up the mountains early on your hike before the sun gets hot since you’ll have no shade.”
“El prieto trail it's one of the best trails we have in Pasadena technical but yet everyone can ride it”
“There’s free parking but it is limited so it does get packed quick.”
“It was really serene to hike through the canyon and the sunset down by the watershed was georgeous!”
“A good portion of the trail is paved so we were able to take our stroller.”
“We hiked a full loop and ended up to the Windsor parking.”
Plan your run at El Prieto Canyon
The practical stuff
- AccessOpen 24 hours — no gate to beat, so a 5am or a 10pm run both work
- SurfaceMixed — more than one surface along the route, so check the segment you plan to run
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeRunners describe real tree cover here — it makes a summer afternoon workable
- At the trailheadparking — reported by runners
Hours
| Monday | Open 24 hours |
| Tuesday | Open 24 hours |
| Wednesday | Open 24 hours |
| Thursday | Open 24 hours |
| Friday | Open 24 hours |
| Saturday | Open 24 hours |
| Sunday | Open 24 hours |
Running trails near Altadena
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
Gabrielino Trail Western Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 154 reviews
Hiking area with a well-maintained trail, canyon views, and some water crossings.
Echo Sunset Prieto Trail Loop
4.7 ★★★★★ 179 reviews
Hiking area with kid-friendly trails and opportunities for mountain biking.
Hahamongna Watershed Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 584 reviews
Protected area with mature trees serving as a drainage area & offering disc golf & picnic tables.
Sunset Ridge Trail
4.6 ★★★★★ 69 reviews
Kid-friendly hiking area featuring a mountain.