Vetter Mountain

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Angeles National Forest, Vetter Mountain Fire Lookout Tower presently in service and staffed by ANFFLA.

Vetter Mountain is located in the San Gabriel Mountains and within the Angeles National Forest, Los Angeles County, California. Elevation 5908 feet.

Named by USFS surveyor Don McLain (ca. 1933) for Victor P. Vetter (nd.), a dedicated Forest Ranger and fire dispatcher. Vetter won the USFS Bissell Medal for outstanding work in forest conservation (1930).

Variant Name no longer in use: Pine Mountain (USGS Tujunga quad 1904).

The Silver Moccasin Trail crosses the mountain on its eastern slopes.

[edit] Fire Lookout

Vetter Mountain is the site of historic Vetter Mountain Fire lookout tower, a ground mounted BC-3 type cab.

The lookout tower was built in 1937 and remained in service until 1981. Ramona Merwin, a USFS Fire Lookout staffed the tower from 1953 until its closing. The tower was slated to be moved to the Chilao Visitors Center, but a group of active citizens in cooperation with the Forest Service were able to rebuild, restore, and return the tower to operational service in 1998.

Today the tower is operated by the Angeles National Forest Fire Lookout Association (ANFFLA) citizen volunteers in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service.

The lookout views several segments of the Angeles Crest Highway, and has a clear view of Mount Wilson to the south, and Mount Pacifico to the north.


Northern Slope Vetter Mountain is between the "Chaparral" zone to the South, and the "Montane Forest" to the North. The "Chaparral" zone is found on the hot, dry, south facing slopes of the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. Plants are chest height, dense, prickly, and evergreen; typically contains Chamise, Yucca, Ceanothus, Scrub Oak, Laurel Sumac, White Sage Black Sage, Poison Oak, and in the higher elevations, Manzanita and Mountain Mahogany.	The northern face of Vetter Mountain as viewed from Angeles Crest Highway from the Chilao area. The Vetter Mountain Fire Lookout Tower is at the summit.
Southern Slope Vetter Mountain is between the "Chaparral" zone to the south, and the "Montane Forest" to the north. The Montaine zone contains Bigcone Spruce, Canyon Oak, Jeffrey Pine, Sugar Pine, Incense Cedar and White Fir.	The southern face of Vetter Mountain. The Vetter Mountain Fire Lookout Tower is at the summit.

[edit] Charlton Flats

Charlton Flats is a picnic grounds located to northeast face of Vetter Mountain, about 40 minutes drive from the Interstate 210. The picnic area had about 185 tables and stoves and at one time there was piped water, however Charlton Flats has been closed for several years due to erosion problems, overuse, and recent bark beetle tree thining operations.

The original name of the area was Pine Flat when it was renamed to Charlton Flat in honor of the"new" forest service's first Forest Supervisor, Mr. R.H. Charlton. Mr. Charlton served as the Angeles National Forest Supervisor from 1905-1925 (20 years).