My California - Big Santa Anita Canyon
For this weeks Show Us Your California contest by @socalsteemit I take you to one of the most beautiful canyons in Southern California...
Big Santa Anita Canyon!
Big Santa Anita Canyon is a beautiful, lush, waterfall filled canyon in the San Gabriel mountains just north of Arcadia, CA. It's beauty as well as it's close proximity to the metropolis of Los Angeles makes it a very popular place to hike. There are several trails throughout the canyon leading to the many waterfalls and all the super cool little cabins where people still live to this day! Yep, that's right. There are people living in rustic cabins in this canyon with very little modern technological comforts. Accessible only by hiking trails, everything they have is packed for miles, by mule or on foot, in and out of the massive canyon! The last remaining pack station in the San Gabriel mountains, the Adams Pack Station still operates at the main trailhead in the canyon. Chantry Flats.
Chantry Flats sign
Picnic Areas at Chantry Flats
The (not fully accurate) trail map put out by the USFS
The trail junction for the First Water trail
The trail junction for the Gabrielino trail
Cabins
Another beautiful stone cabin
One of many check dams along the creek that were built to protect the cabins from flooding
The most popular waterfall to hike to in Big Santa Anita canyon is Sturtevant Falls! It's a 55 foot waterfall pouring off a cliff into a beautiful, but usually not to deep, pool at it's bottom. It can be a wonderful place to relax, but if you go on a weekend expect Sturtevant to feel like Disneyland, lots and lots of people visit it.
Creek crossing on the way to Sturtevant
Hiking by more cabins
One of my favorite cabins on the hike to Sturtevant
Enjoying the pool at Sturtevant falls
My friend Jen at Sturtevant falls
The second most popular waterfall is Hermit falls! Hermit falls is a multi tiered waterfall with beautiful deep swimming holes carved out of the smooth granite. The waterslides and the cliffs to jump from make it a popular destination for young adrenaline junkies. For years it was one of my favorite places to spend the day jumping from the cliffs and swimming in the creek. Unfortunately as it's popularity has grown so has the amount of trash and graffiti. If I visit Hermit falls now days I always bring plenty of big trash bags, because there is always trash to carry out. It really is a shame. It especially upsets me because I have so many fond memories from my many years visiting Hermit falls. If anyone reading this does ever go to Hermit falls and hauls out a bag of trash the Adam's pack station at Chantry flats will gladly give you a free beer after your hike for your efforts. Just fyi. But enough of the depressing talk about the effects of human idiocy on the beauty of nature.
Hiking the trail to Hermit falls
Arriving at Hermit falls
The water slide into the upper pool
Jen hopping into the lower pool
Me at the top of the big cliff (45ft.)
Mid jump!
Besides those two popular waterfalls there is lots of other awesome things to see in the canyon. There really is a lot of cool stuff to choose from. Most of which (especially on weekdays) will provide you much more solitude and a better opportunity to enjoy the natural beauty of the canyon. Whether visiting the cabins, the Sturtevant Camp, the many hidden off trail waterfalls such as Adams Falls, Winter creek and the Hoegee's camp, the Santa Anita reservoir, the many blackberry patches, the Spruce Grove camp, Newcomb pass, Mt. Zion, Mt. Wilson, or any of the other awesome hiking destinations. A trip to Big Santa Anita canyon is always a great one!
Checking out an unnamed waterfall in the canyon
@csusbgeochem1 at some old cabin ruins at the Hoegee camp
Early morning hiking in the canyon
More of the many cabins
Sunrise on the Gabrielino trail
Ferns along the trail
Wildflowers
Camping at Spruce Grove
Newcomb pass
Hiking on the Rim trail high above the canyon
Overlooking the city from the top of Mt. Harvard
Thanks for coming along on this tour of Big Santa Anita Canyon!
I really hope you have enjoyed this weeks glimpse into My California!!
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Hey hey - another rad post. That jump shot is wild! And I love the view from the top of Mt. Howard.
Hey @lilyraabe! I think my buddy Dave just got lucky taking that shot of me jumping. I'm not sure how he got it to focus on me while I was moving so fast, but he did! He took a few more shots of me jumping, but none of them came out looking as cool as that one did. Mt. Harvard has a really great view over L.A., the only thing that sucks about it is what you can't see in the photo which is the huge radio tower behind me that kinda kills the nature vibe. But peaks with views overlooking the city are also good peaks for radio towers I guess.
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I enjoyed all the photos and the description. At some point I really need to get out of the concrete jungle that is Houston.
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Thanks @toddrjohnson. You should definitely find some time to escape the city. It's always mentally refreshing. I'd go crazy if I didn't get out and spend time just enjoying nature.
Magnificent and in depth post. Great work!
Thanks @psyceratopsb!
Jumping from height <3
I do love cliff jumping. It's a lot of fun as long as you're safe.
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Heya @derekrichardson, just swinging by to let you know you're being featured in our Daily Travel Digest! Congrats!
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