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    Angeles National Forest

    4.4 (71 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 1:00 pm, 1:30 PM - 4:30 PM

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    Tamra F.

    What a lovely park! I was in Los Angeles recently and had planned to go to Joshua Tree National Park, but wasn't able to get out there so I decided to check out this place instead and I was not disappointed! The scenery here is beautiful and I love that it was a quiet (not busy) park that isn't far from the city yet you get all the solace you need out here. I'm not sure if it was quiet because I went on a weekday? I get the feeling it isn't a busy park even on weekends, but not entirely sure. For anyone who is familiar with Mt. Washington in NH, this place gives me the same vibes (although not that high). It has long, windy roads going up and a lot of places you can pull off to take pics. Great place to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city and be one with nature ! Highly recommend.

    John H.

    came here by accident. I was trying to find hidden springs tunnel but ended up here at Angeles national forest, and I'm glad I did. I needed to be alone and need some alone and quiet time, and what a gorgeous place. if you love nature landscape sceneries then this is a perfect spot! despite the hot weather when I came here, it was relaxing. Lots of hiking trails. I ended up entering one hiking trail for 3 minutes because the view of was fantastic and it was a great place to shout and yell out my emotions.

    David Rey S.

    The best tuna sandwich - EVER!!! You will not be disappointed. Skip the burger and everything else on the menu. Go tuna all the way - chef is famous for it. Located in the general store next the the Park Ranger help offices in the camp ground. Follow signs to Crystal Lake, Falling Springs up San Gabriel Canyon Road. Perfect day trip and time for hiking too. Under an hour from downtown LA you must take the trek up to the Angeles National Forest!!!

    Entrance sign
    Perry P.

    Located right off Santa Anita Ave near the 210 FWY, the Angeles National Forest Headquarters is a great place to stop by to get information about the forest as well as obtain park passes. Once you drive past the gates, there is a parking area located towards your right. They also have a sign that displays the current fire level. We were here to purchase the America the Beautiful Annual Pass, which costs $80. The Pass grants access to over 2,000 parks across the US and can cover the pass holder and up to three adults whenever sites charge per person fees. It's a pretty good deal if you plan to take several trips to visit the National parks. When we entered the building, there were lots of pamphlets and information boards on the tables and along the wall. The ranger sat at the desk towards the back on the right and he helped us out when we told him we wanted to buy the pass. The Pass purchaser will need to sign the back of the card. There is also an optional secondary field for a another person's signature. Typically, when using the pass at the Parks, your card and driver's license will be verified by the Ranger before being granted entry. Overall, this is a convenient place to gather information about the nearby parks and hiking locations. In the past, we also came here to get a campfire permit, but it looks like you can get them online now. The only downside is that the office is not open on weekends and they're closed between 1 pm to 1:30 pm. But, the Rangers there are knowledgeable about the forest and parks!

    View for miles
    Isobel L.

    It's National Get Outside day, everyone, which should be every day anyway but in this case means free parking in the ANF. Woo-hoo! We in the L.A. area are incredibly fortunate to have this gigantic natural wonderland right in our backyard. As opposed to Disneyland, here you can find REAL: -waterfalls -bears -forests -exotic ferns -thrilling rides (on ski slopes, hiking trails, roads) -gorgeous wildflowers -cool visitor centers (Chilao is my fave) -an observatory -coyotes -fishing -camping -stargazing And it's pretty much free. Yes, to park you must usually pay for an Adventure Pass (which funds cleaning up trash from vandal visitors.) But several days of the year, it's 100% free. Check here for details: https://www.fs.fed.us/visit/passes-permits Be prepared, please: check road and weather conditions before you head into the mountains, fill up the tank, and take emergency supplies. But most of all, take your sense of wonder at the beauty of Mother Nature. Enjoy!

    LAUSD students and staff can participate in the outdoor education camp programs.  They do accept volunteers to work on trails!
    Cydney M.

    I really love the Angeles National Forest. The Angeles National Forest is being affected by the shutdown as evidenced by the first Ranger Station north of the 210 freeway in La Canada. They have cones set up so you can't park there and access the Mt. Lukens Truck Road. Fortunately, my son and I were headed up to a private compound called the Clear Creek Outdoor Education Center which is very close to the intersection of Angeles Crest Highway and Angeles Forest Highway. He joined Key Club which I am thrilled about because it's something he decided to do on his own. It's the largest service program for high school students. They had a project scheduled today to work on the main trail down to Clear Creek from the compound. The Station Fire pretty much ruined most of the trails at the time of the Station Fire in 2009, so all trails require rebuilding. I was really thrilled to be the driver to get my son there because he isn't old enough to get his Driver's License. There's no AT&T coverage up there so I got to stay which is not a fun thing for a teenager, but I made my self scarce and explored a little. If you have kids in LAUSD I would highly recommend signing them up for programs up there. This is their website for more info: http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/lausd/offices/Clear_Creek/SecondFAQS.html

    Taken from the Glendora Loop Rd.
    Jim W.

    Yet another great thing about the greater Los Angeles ( @DiscoverLA ) area... @Angeles_NF this huge (700,000+ acres) natural area at our doorstep. Actually it's more like our backyard. I have an old Jeep that I run 90% of the time with only a top ( because that is the sort of thing you can do in SoCal ) and many a weekend morning (or night on occasion) I head up here to tool around, take a hike, picnic, relax, etc. My kids and I ran up here late one night to cool off and had an encounter with a black bear...he was just standing in the road looking at us like "WTF are you doing here?" The kids were pretty concerned since there are no windows or anything...but I think the poor guy was just thirsty.

    Ruby F.

    It's a dangerous drive up today Saturday all the Fast and The Furious rejects decided to have a car meet, there were 2 huge accidents from the wannabe street racers. One almost hit us it spun out infront of us because of the high speed the vehicle was going that would have been accident #3 and we were only there a short time I would NOT recommend the police department or Forrest rangers need to enforce the speed limit and not allow these car meets there were over 60 cars at the car meet they were doing donuts at a turn out lane on the mountain top PLEASE HAVE MORE PATROL CARS on the mountain these low lives are ruining it for all of us.

    Trevor C.

    My dad took me here to ski Mountain High when I was 12, and that's what started my appreciation for it. I'm now 21 and although I still live over 2 hours from some areas of the forest, I come here often to snowboard and to drive/hike. I also really like Los Padres Natl Forest, but after exploring both of them many times, it's very clear that Angeles has more to do...there's a greater range of elevation which makes a big difference in amount of snowfall and tree-growth. If you're not in the mood to workout but still have the desire to see the forest, just go for a drive on Angeles Crest Highway. The Highway alone will take you up to about 8k feet, which is one of the highest roads in all of CA. For your time and gas money you'll be rewarded with expansive views of the LA basin, looking towards the ocean and Catalina Island. In the other direction you will see the Mojave Desert below, and if it's really clear you might even see the beginning of the Sierras as well as Mt Whitney. I highly recommend that if you go here, you go when you have the time to explore for at least a little while. If you are accessing it from the LA area, it is completely worth it to drive the over 55 mile-long highway from La Cañada Flintridge to Big Pines. There's about 15 gates located strategically along the highway for road closures when the snow gets down to certain elevations or the road needs maintenance...so to not make it a pointless drive, ALWAYS CHECK THE CALTRANS WEBSITE FOR ROAD CONDITIONS. And even though the whole highway is generally open during summer/fall, it's still better to check because of random things closing it like a sinkhole, which happened months back. And as expected in a forest, the reception is not good. If you're hiking up to a peak you might get spotty reception or occasionally LTE, but not usually for long. This forest is a true gem of Southern California... many areas are rarely stepped on by man and you can truly get away from the city with a short drive or hike.

    sunlight filtering through the fog and the trees
    Ruth T.

    I recently went backpacking in the Angeles National Forest and it was gorgeous! Really blows my mind how this place is only an hour away from my suburban home, yet we were able to spend two nights there just exploring and feeling like we were the only ones there. For camping, you need to call beforehand to get a permit, but you get free reign on the land. We brought bear canisters just in case but didn't see anything larger than a chipmunk. We were counting on a stream closer to where we would set up, but the only one we saw was at the beginning of the trail. Luckily, there were a lot of snow drifts that we could melt and filter (bring extra fuel!). We visited three peaks during our time here: Cucamonga, Ontario, and another whose name I don't recall. The views are SPECTACULAR. This probably doesn't apply on a year round basis, but when we were there, heavy fog had settled in, so when we reached the top of the peaks, there would be a literal ocean of clouds surrounding us. It felt like the peak was an island; truly a unique experience I haven't had anywhere else. Not to mention the colors are remarkable once the sun starts to set. I strongly recommend hiking/camping here! I don't think it's a very popular destination yet because we didn't see anybody on Saturday and only a handful of people on Sunday, but the fact that droves of people don't come here makes the experience better. Take a break from the city life and come bask in some nature!

    Mountains, Angeles forest
    Dulce P.

    My favorite place to go to, just to get away from the city and the desert The weather is always cooler here and always shady. It's perfect for a day out to explore or just chill with family

    Alexis W.

    Let me just say I have never gone to anywhere like this before, but I sure am happy and thankful my friend persuaded me to tag along. Oh my gosh I just loved being in such beautiful scenery! The nature aspect of it all was just amazing! I truly enjoyed myself. I would have given it a full 5 stars if it wasn't for losers vandalizing certain parts of rocks. The graffiti wasn't necessary, but other than that it's so nice! I want to go back!!! Also a word of advice or like a tip, please fill up your tank because me and my friend went on half a tank and kept going up and up, and by the time we got back down we were nearly on 'E' so please fill up your tanks!! Also, take plenty of water! Have fun!!!

    Spring in Angeles National Forest - yucca blossoms
    Lynn Y.

    My favorite local hiking area - the PCT passes through here, and you can bag a bunch of SoCal's highest peaks. Great for escaping the crowds and smog. Edited to add: If you plan on parking your car and wandering around or hiking, you'll probably need an Adventure Pass - $5/one day or $30/year.

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    Hell no, unless you want to get car sick! Not a good alternate to anywhere. You will get sick to your stomach!

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    Inept beyond words. How you gonna tell me you have America the Beautiful Passes on the phone and then not have any in stock.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Angeles National Forest

    Where do they sell parking tickets?

    If you have internet access, go to: https://www.myscenicdrives.com/store/#forest-passes-southern-california. The annual SoCal Forest Adventure parking pass cost $30 for the first vehicle and $5 for any additional vehicles. Must be all bought… Read more

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Angeles National Forest

    If you want to do something typical, I suggest that you drive Angeles Crest Highway sometime.

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    Kiwanis Park at Grand Ave - Beautiful migrating Monarch Butterfly in silhouette this morning above the stairs!

    Kiwanis Park at Grand Ave

    4.3(10 reviews)
    2.5 mi

    Truly a hidden gym. We came to meet some friends but somehow gps led us thru a less common route…read more Nestled between 2 homes was an alley where I could see a field of grass. I assumed it must be the park so parked and walked in to see. Sure enough it was the park. Not too crowded. A decent size field for kids to run errand and a nice playground with slides and swings. Our other friends came in from the opposite side so there are multiple entrances to this park.

    A true hidden gem of a park! Been coming here for years - definitely a local fave. You'll find me…read moreon the stairs most early mornings. It's a great place to exercise or just relax and enjoy a bit of neighborhood nature. I come birding here sometimes as well - there are some seasonal AND resident favorites of mine here like the Western Tanagers, Cedar Waxwings, Bewick's Wrens, Western Bluebirds, and White-breasted Nuthatches! There's squirrels and often rabbits here - I've also seen bears and coyotes here so be aware. If you enter from Grand Avenue, there are 58 whimsical stairs to go down - all painted in a rainbow of colors! A lot of locals run/walk them for exercise. The other entrance is around the block on Valle Vista Ave and only has a few steps to contend with. At the top of the Grand Ave stairs, there's a small park area with a couple of benches, a nice bear statue, and several bird nest boxes that the Bluebirds & Nuthatches use in the spring. Down the stairs leads to the main, larger park with picnic tables, playground equipment, and lovely views of the San Gabriel Mountains. Parking is residential street parking but there's always plenty. The only downside is there are no bathrooms. Tons of people walk their dogs here and bring them to play and the city provides pet-waste bags and a water fountain for the humans AND the dogs lol. There is a leash law here - it's not a dog park - most people ignore it but be aware as I've seen it enforced occasionally.

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    Kiwanis Park at Grand Ave - New signs in the park - there were several of these scattered around

    New signs in the park - there were several of these scattered around

    Kiwanis Park at Grand Ave - White-breasted Nuthatch ready for its closeup lol!! May 2023

    White-breasted Nuthatch ready for its closeup lol!! May 2023

    Kiwanis Park at Grand Ave - White-breasted Nuthatch has babies in the nest box!! May 2023 :D

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    White-breasted Nuthatch has babies in the nest box!! May 2023 :D

    Angeles National Forest - parks - Updated May 2026

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