San Gabriel Peak, Mountain summit in San Gabriel Mountains, California, United States.

San Gabriel Peak rises from the Transverse Ranges and offers wide views across the Los Angeles Basin toward the Mojave Desert edges. The ascent is demanding and requires proper preparation and physical fitness.

The peak was named by the United States Geological Survey in 1894; it had earlier been called The Commodore for Commodore Perry Switzer. Its name comes from the Misión del Santo Arcangel San Gabriel de los Temblores, the mission that also gave the San Gabriel River, Canyon, Valley and range their names.

Native American peoples lived seasonally throughout these mountains, settling near water sources that shaped their movements across the landscape. This relationship with the land remains part of how the region is understood today.

Check weather conditions before starting and carry plenty of water, as the mountain is exposed and dry. The route demands sure-footing and good fitness, so plan your time and bring breaks into your schedule.

The peak was first named The Commodore for Commodore Perry Switzer before the USGS renamed it San Gabriel Peak in 1894. Its steep south face drops about 1,000 feet into an amphitheater at the top of Eaton Canyon, one of the most sustained steep slopes in the western San Gabriel range.