Last time I was there, I parked near the East end of the Traverse Mountain subdivisions and jogged across the flats to the East. An ATV / jeep trail follows EN along the rolling ridgeline, eventually merging onto the lower Jacob's (check Google satellite for a more up-to-date trail layout). The motorized guys access these parts - once in a while - from Alpine. I hope you can forgive me for not giving better driving directions :)
Be sure to stay to the Southern Spur Ridge when the trail splits about two or three hundred feet up the road from the parking area. I made the mistake of proceeding up the Northern Ridge, which ascends much faster than the southern, and ended up in some thick scrub oak. I then had to bushwhack over to the correct trail.
start from the Peak View trailhead, take Peak View trail for access to the new and improved Jacobs Ladder trail. The old parking area for the old start of the JL trail is not longer accessible by motor vehicles. The new trail has long switchbacks, which makes the ascent to Draper Ridge much more pleasant. The old trail had steep loose gravel sections and was pretty crappy.
Dmitry Pruss - May 31, 2007 4:57 pm - Hasn't voted
Access to Jacobs LadderLast time I was there, I parked near the East end of the Traverse Mountain subdivisions and jogged across the flats to the East. An ATV / jeep trail follows EN along the rolling ridgeline, eventually merging onto the lower Jacob's (check Google satellite for a more up-to-date trail layout). The motorized guys access these parts - once in a while - from Alpine. I hope you can forgive me for not giving better driving directions :)
J Anderson - Jul 21, 2007 9:30 pm - Voted 8/10
Spur RidgesBe sure to stay to the Southern Spur Ridge when the trail splits about two or three hundred feet up the road from the parking area. I made the mistake of proceeding up the Northern Ridge, which ascends much faster than the southern, and ended up in some thick scrub oak. I then had to bushwhack over to the correct trail.
utahjimk - Oct 2, 2023 8:56 am - Hasn't voted
2023: new starting point for Jacobs Ladder...start from the Peak View trailhead, take Peak View trail for access to the new and improved Jacobs Ladder trail. The old parking area for the old start of the JL trail is not longer accessible by motor vehicles. The new trail has long switchbacks, which makes the ascent to Draper Ridge much more pleasant. The old trail had steep loose gravel sections and was pretty crappy.