Hike to Asbestos Point

Directions: 91 miles to trail head. I took US 60 to Highway 188 and then Highway 288. The trail is actually Forest RD 489. This trail .1 miles past Mile Post 277. There is minimal parking on Highway 288 and a couple of spots slightly up FR 489 but you might need a high clearance vehicle.

Distance 7 miles round trip.

Dog Friendly: Yes, there was water but it's probably seasonal,. No concerns about cactus. If you plan on making it to the top, bring lots of water for you and your dog.


This was my second time up to Asbestos Point. The first time was in son's

One of the tunnels of the asbestos mine

FJ Cruiser a little over 2 years ago. It was a pretty brutal 4WD adventure. Since then a lot of the area was devastated by the Juniper Wild Fire.  I wanted to see what condition this left the road. It's not much of road in some places and is completely impassible by motorized vehicles (at least ones I know.).

It was a good hike and the dogs enjoyed it. There was water along the first 1/3 of the hike and then again about 3/4s of the way up. This could be seasonal. It was only 7 miles round trip but it was an almost 2000 foot elevation gain from the trail head. Although it was an old road there will still some steep and rocky sections. Most of the way up your hiking through Pocket Creek Canyon, so it's pretty well shaded. There were still a lot of green trees in the lower portion of the hike but eventually you get to the effects of the fire.

The Asbestos mine consists of few a tunnels and of course the white tailings (Angel Wings) that can easily be seen from below. This mine was founded in the early 1900s, There is also some equipment still left and some ore cart tracks. Remember, abandoned mines can be dangerous even without asbestos!