| The best way to explore
this beautiful
canyon is on foot, horseback, or bicycle. Over forty miles of
trails
wind through the area, with many leading to bubbling brooks,
spectacular
views, and places of quiet solitude. Wildlife is abundant,
and it is not uncommon to see animals along the trails, including
rattlesnakes
and ticks. Lyme
Disease has been detected in the canyon. Poison Oak is everywhere. Be careful
when hiking! |
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|
Sturtevant's Falls, one of
the highest
waterfalls in the forest (55 feet), is a popular 1 ¾ mile hike
in
Big Santa Anita Canyon. Start at Chantry Flat and descend into
the
canyon via the Gabrielino Trail. People who have strayed from the
trails have been severely injured by falling.
Do not try to climb
the steep rocksides! |
| The trail continues all
the way
to the top of Mt. Wilson, a strenuous hike of about six miles.
Mt.
Wilson Skyline Park offers a spectacular view across the Los Angeles
Basin
to the Pacific Ocean, and is a great place for a picnic. One of
the
world's largest telescopes is located at Mt. Wilson, and millions
receive
radio and television broadcasts beamed from transmission towers located
there. |
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Chantry Flat is at the end
of the
paved road. The pack station that hauls supplies in and out of
the
canyon for Sturtevant's Camp and the cabin owners is located just above
the parking lots. They maintain a snack bar where water and sodas
and other snacks may be purchased. Although quiet on weekdays,
weekends
get busy. Parking is restricted to designated spaces only (no
parking
on the road). |
| Hoegee's and Spruce Grove
Trail
Camps offer a chance to camp in quiet, remote settings not accessible
by
car. Sites provide stoves, tables, and restrooms. Chantry
Flat
and Cascade Picnic Area (upstream from Sturtevant Falls), also offer
beautiful
picnic sites. |
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|
Stringent fire
restrictions prohibit
all stoves and fires in the canyon. Check at the Arroyo Seco
District
office for current fire restrictions. To report a fire or other
emergency,
phones are available at Chantry Flat and Mt. Wilson - dial
911.
In Big Santa Anita Canyon, you may use one of the old emergency phones
which will connect you with the Pack Station at Chantry Flat.
Photos by
Bill Wheeler |