145 miles with 10,200 feet of climbing
![Seal Beach - Dawson Saddle - Seal Beach • Route Profile](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi7CMRRBpBzOOFLKodKc7LRbIY2egXhVuk-Q95XN9Os9-9_RwUsrjNT0gjFh37L8dX4Z-Z139CxAYALi_KG3INWM5Z2dUQM_dq-Qo0NRDetYKuvzoV15yeY5NKzIGF6GiwhzkKrtmVPI4V/s800/seal-beach-dawson-saddle-seal-beach-profile.png)
Route Profile
Seal Beach - Dawson Saddle - Seal Beach • Climbs
Seal Beach - Dawson Saddle - Seal Beach • Description
This ride starts in Seal Beach and follows San Gabriel River Trail for 38 miles (until the end), passing Whittier Narrows Dam and crossing Santa Fe Dam.
After exiting the trail, San Gabriel Canyon Road (Highway 39) and Angeles Crest Highway lead up to Dawson Saddle. Above Crystal Lake turnoff Highway 39 is closed due to landslides, but it is in rideable condition (with a few short gravel sections).
Starting in Azusa, the ascent can be broken into different sections: Morris Reservoir (short descent here), San Gabriel Reservoir (short descent here), East Fork turnoff (1,500 feet), Crystal Lake turnoff (5,000 feet), Islip Saddle (6,600 feet), and Dawson Saddle (7,900 feet).
The ride back follows the same route. While it is mostly downhill and flat, headwinds may be encountered.
Seal Beach - Dawson Saddle - Seal Beach • Interactive Map
Seal Beach - Dawson Saddle - Seal Beach • Pictures
![Seal Beach - Dawson Saddle - Seal Beach • San Gabriel River Trail](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8U9aTSvfZb_YMZm0C5LWmzCOe3EHwVQCN8tUM_8EWnWNfQlsPxhqsZPTGJp6NeriB84lsWVEX6HflfinPZVd-hJOZumyXzpRPlPbLBuTxdOwqHX90pP2oZ8foG4-exH5vjiuF1Jw1CM2u/s800/san-gabriel-river-bike-trail-2.jpg)
San Gabriel River Trail
![Seal Beach - Dawson Saddle - Seal Beach • Tunnel](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwAR8lb07-h8m7dswqwo5MX7GeaE1dQtU5GXOWKN6oxWdTc8DzGB-gx_fBd81SIS5XbhuNQk33huLm3JGQrhPNDxHp-kStlNLZ_TxwSGQ1boCrtkjlauDuF8thZDejluoo1AGktGKx8Dvm/s800/2011-05-28_07-12-38_948.jpg)
Tunnel
![Seal Beach - Dawson Saddle - Seal Beach • Whittier Narrows Dam](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi21WxgldSyfdZ7oehXQU_G4okhRzVv9pgFpUE2vqHMyUUd2eswuObQixatRwmhIVZPke94LHnCavFor5VI5hyphenhyphenmyB6rghIgc3f-dIlYpWbDsNYoXr3XuA7l8-8CPEDKyTo2or3iDQp6q-EK/s800/whittier-narrows-dam.jpg)
Whittier Narrows Dam
![Seal Beach - Dawson Saddle - Seal Beach • Santa Fe Dam](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI7aXc5mh5i5BFhjKfZZZZObno6CtO1_5dgjw6I9uk1Vj-6TLQXG0CawKyd8CPSa1_ekDHJcNuxpoE6-IG6cdLGL4XPhS9edlPMm3RXzCeYG5u1VJbfp0DuMgZVOKl-5yZHrYH2REJuds9/s800/santa-fe-dam.jpg)
Santa Fe Dam
![Seal Beach - Dawson Saddle - Seal Beach • San Gabriel Canyon Road](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgndzWTuGu3JrJRSQm-9McNQFSJxMId4mOJlYD7ePlpceGS_FvN4QogY0e89qRDq9mePVnS-JpLl_aWOEYbD5GItf3QtqA2ArvRG1DEv6smCrlfNoH25aZ56LkGjO9JLD54w9RcptWRtFsi/s800/san-gabriel-canyon-road-2.jpg)
San Gabriel Canyon Road
![Seal Beach - Dawson Saddle - Seal Beach • Crystal Lake Recreational Area](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHS7NUzfh0PvyW0X1obfntVIyeQZsVWgbzgqhyphenhyphenu08zd738d0kDGScxkbPu7LVW8BS5rflNuTUWUkP8NgSnwlbl1_Cqu4IzEcjVPi-BBcVRT5YEGDsJLvtA5VxDXyRZuPNeEssv7mTMk8D_/s800/crystal-lake-recreational-area.jpg)
Crystal Lake Recreational Area
![Seal Beach - Dawson Saddle - Seal Beach • San Gabriel Canyon Road](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn96TH-4gDTWLl5tgV6XGQ2d8KAq0iMHKREoTvGtsKq4xlTVY6PpMSIj8yPbi2WvNj_-6xjvYmnRyS3wXB5dZuIduOV19-FIIyJF_eTJ-7kceOGIUk6thQZSmdO-r_CBbJQWxDjrVAsBbD/s800/san-gabriel-canyon-road-3.jpg)
San Gabriel Canyon Road
![Seal Beach - Dawson Saddle - Seal Beach • Angeles Crest Highway](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaAmIx08lFuk7KxnYwE_4q_HprN1JK-uJnZgebQUG00LgfAPMSsNHbQRWFaRGyp8SuIOA0Y7FFP0b9r0u8l96HiWlBx6RwsV8_kH3MsTCxQ3Y8kHBGL8vLQ8JlRmah_AY1rVz7uPJK7GU6/s800/angeles-crest-highway-2.jpg)
Angeles Crest Highway
![Seal Beach - Dawson Saddle - Seal Beach • Dawson Saddle](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf__tUunzwHbH7H9QqZlMJ3cJrRVRwP0ZBvfzKBNQL1g-1xCoM1JlY_u2ozbjmL9BDfYbgqxkrjcUCZk5_l5uYqBLG7w72eUbatebHdxEIZnL8eve4liQFJcRfkfwAP9-Ju6CjtAXH2Yz-/s800/dawson-saddle-2.jpg)
Dawson Saddle
![Seal Beach - Dawson Saddle - Seal Beach • Seal Beach](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbah9Bt6HdXPV-rFrSLEcokeN9Bc6POHWsjimWd1_RsmlqJvcti8qbxwCiVLnYB9Jdbww1OERfn0atRiuG2z6RIQOVczzZpWvtrJgA0wKoO3HrdtbVL-bkLieNF5QEgU1gTTKj-ohSH4lp/s800/seal-beach.jpg)
Seal Beach
By: Bernd Straehle
See Also: Super Centuries