Vetter Mountain

Bobcat Fire Closure Order (6/1/2023 – 5/31/2024)

The area around Vetter Mountain has reopened!  Make sure and check the Angeles National Forest Alerts & Notices page for any recent updates before visiting.  

The 14 x 14 foot wooden cab with its high ceiling has been called the “friendliest lookout” because it sits directly on the ground and is accessible to visitors with limited mobility.

The tower overlooks the Chilao-Charlton Recreation Area. It is an easy destination for many hikers, equestrians and mountain bikers.   Originally built in 1937, the Vetter Mountain Lookout was re-opened to the public by volunteers on May 30, 1998.

The original tower was destroyed by the Station Fire in August of 2009.  Construction of the rebuilt Vetter Mountain Lookout was completed April, 2020 and reopened for service July 4th weekend, 2020.

Vetter Mountain is listed in the National Historic Lookout Register.

Scroll down for map and directions.

Statistics

  • San Gabriel Mountains National Monument
  • USFS Tower Number: A-7
  • Date Built: 1935
  • Date Rebuilt: 2019
  • Elevation at foot of Tower: 5,908 feet
  • Cab: BC-3
  • Tower: No tower structure
  • Location of Lookout: Coordinates (G,5) on Angeles National Forest Map
  • Legal Location: T.3N, R.11W Section 33

    The 2009 Station Fire &
    Rebuilding Vetter Mountain

    The original Vetter Mountain Lookout was lost in the 2009 Station Fire. For 10 years ANFFLA volunteers continued to maintain fire lookout services at Vetter Mountain with a temporary structure.

    In 2019 the Vetter Mountain Lookout was rebuilt through a partnership with Southern California Edison. Construction began in September, 2019 and was completed in April, 2020. The new lookout was first staffed over the 4th of July weekend of 2020. 

    Photos of Vetter Mountain

    Map & Directions

    Vetter Mountain Lookout Tower

    • Take Angeles Crest Highway north from the 210 W in La Canada.
    • Vetter Mountain is off the Angeles Crest Highway in the Charlton Flats area.
    • It is a 1.1 mile hike from the Charlton Flats Picnic Grounds.