>>1043903I live in Pasadena and go to these mountains often. Previous anon has it right, these areas are not very remote. Being this close to the city, you're going to see some negative effects of that (litter, graffiti, loud music, etc), and you can hear the ACH half the time. But it's still perfect for quick fun and avoiding some heat with elevation. Lots of MTB potential, quite a few hike-in campgrounds that weed out some of the filth. Not much for tree cover, bring sun protection/water. A few harmless looking trails have very steep/long drop offs, mind your balance. Some areas require an Adventure Pass to park. The 2 is closed to vehicles at Islip Saddle, you cannot drive all the way to Big Pines. The 39 is also closed there, but you can drive up about 3/4 of the 39 if you come from the south.
