Trailhead: Crystal Lake Campground Trailhead
Trail: Windy Gap Trail and Pacific Crest Trail to Throop Peak and Mt. Hawkins.
View of Windy Gap Trailhead from the Crystal Lake Campground Parking Lot.
Route Description: From the Crystal Lake Campground parking follow the Windy Gap Trail to Windy Gap crossing two roads along the way with clearly marked signs indicating the path to stay on the Windy Gap Trail. At Windy Gap take the Pacific Crest Trail (A sign indicates the direction toward Vincent Gap) and continue up past a junction with a junction with the Hawkins Ridge Trail (which leads to Middle Mt. Hawkins and South Mt. Hawkins), past an unmarked junction leading to Mt. Hawkins to an unmarked junction for a hiker’s trail which leads to Throop Peak (If you reach the PCT sign at the junction with the Dawson Saddle Trail, you’ve gone too far). After summiting Throop Peak, return the same way to the junction leading to Mt. Hawkins and take that trail to Mt. Hawkins. From Mt. Hawkins, follow the ridge down to the Pacific Crest Trail, return to Windy Gap, and follow the Windy Gap Trail back to Crystal Lake Campground.
Track map for Crystal Lake CG to Throop Peak and Mt. Hawkins from June 2017 using Backcountry Navigator (US Forest Service-2013 map) from my phone.
Stats: 11.5 miles, 3,540′ of gain and loss.
Last Hiked: 6-2-2017
Peaks:
Pacific Crest Trail between the Hawkins Ridge Trail and Windy Gap (6-2-2017).
Hiking Angeles Forest 