Wonderful hike, if you don't mind getting your feet wet. Starting from the Stonyvale Picnic Area…read moretrailhead, there are five creek/river crossings before you reach the ascent into the mountains. Be prepared; take hiking sticks, knee-high waterproof boots or waders, unless you like getting wet. The water was running pretty swiftly today, well above the ankles. The landscape changes from chaparral, to riparian, to oak woodlands with some conifers as well, which is beautiful and adds variety. There is no cell phone reception on the trail, so highly recommended to take a satellite location device. You may park in the Stonyvale parking lot, with an Adventure Pass. Gorgeous hike.

Amazing hiking! Thanks to the City of Santa Clarita, this property was acquired and preserved for…read morefuture generations. Much of it is currently being restored to natural habitat. The trails seem very well maintained and can include some elevation gain if you choose. Easy access and free parking.

Thanks to the foresight of Los Angeles County, the Antelope Valley is dotted with many wildlife…read morepreserves intended to maintain the native plants and animals that inhabited the land prior to mass development and agriculture. This preserve, named after the nearby community of Neenach (which itself was named after a town in Wisconsin, which iself was named "Neenah" from the Native American language of Hoocak and means water), preserves a beautiful stand of the threatened Joshua Tree and thriving Juniper trees. I was privileged to attend the first scheduled program on the site by conducting plant surveys with other folks interested in preserving nature. Access is easy; parking is readily available and free right next to the Preserve. Admission is also free. This would be a great place to visit for a quick hike, to take nature pictures, to walk the dog and for birdwatching (one of our party saw an owl!). It's obvious that some folks have unfortunately used this spot for partying and dumping trash, but it's not as bad as elsewhere. There were quite a few wildflowers blooming, although there would likely be many more in years with more rain. Great place to relax and enjoy nature. .

Lopez Canyon Park lies high above Sylmar offering miles of well-maintained trails for hiking and…read morepublic use. It's one of the most pristine hiking experiences near Los Angeles with fantastic views. I saw no graffiti, no trash and after just a few minutes of hiking truly felt that I was in the wild. Until.....I heard the bang! bang! bang! from the shooting range nearby. Nevertheless, it was a wonderful hiking experience and highly recommended if you're in the San Fernando Valley Area. The trail itself rises straight up but isn't too steep. After your efforts, you'll be rewarded with an all downhill experience as you return to the parking lot. Speaking of the parking lot, it is beautifully maintained and features an actual working water fountain. Open from 30 minutes after sunrise to 30 minutes before sunrise, it's maintained by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority who have preserved these 125 acres of wilderness for hiking, mountain biking and equestrian use. Free. And free parking. The best things in life are free, it's true.

It's a great trail! The miles of hiking is unique and stands out when compared to other trails…read moreI've been on. I've been on this trail a few times with my daughter andw e both love it. The views are amazing as well. Highly recommend trying this one if you haven't already.

Earthquake Falls located in the Angeles National Forest. It's a drive-to falls and is located near…read moreSanta Clarita, up Sand Canyon Rd, near the Bear Divide off Little Tujunga Canyon Rd. Water tumbles down an earthquake fault line. It's located 7 miles from the epicenter of the 1971 San Fernando Earthquake. The fault line is visible on the cliff face. The waterfall is 70ft tall and has two tiers. It's dry for most of the year so you're going to want to visit it after a good rain.

This waterfall is absolutely gorgeous. And it is only a few minutes from Santa Clarita and the…read morehighway. 14. It is flowing very beautifully right now and is accessible to anyone even someone in a wheelchair. It is so beautiful. Is this really a proof of the loveliness of the creator.

We needed to get out of the house as a family and do something. With the beaches a complete zoo,…read moreand local canyon hikes equally embarrassing for our species, I decided to drive the wifenkids to this spot. It had been at least 18 years since I've been to Chilao, but it's always interesting to me how your memory kicks in and you just sort of find your way. On the way up, we passed Switzer's and Mt. Wilson-- and there were literally thousands of cars parked. It looked like Dodger Stadium parking lot... Hoards of people wandering around the shoulders, carrying coolers and lawn chairs in a spectacle of idiocy. This place will get shut down again soon, because "Yay People!" Scared me a little, too, because I didn't want to make the relatively longer Angeles Crest drive to find the same density of morons. We pulled in to the second driveway and headed down the narrow roadway to the trailhead. Thankfully, there weren't nearly as many people here... like most hiking, the deeper you go into the wilderness, the fewer people you find. We parked the Jeep and started the moderate climb up towards Horse Flats on this little stretch of the Silver Moccasin trail. The path winds up the side of the mountain through high country chaparral and pine forest. The trail shows signs of erosion and deep rutting from the mountain bike crew, but we actually didn't see anyone two-wheeling today. It's a little late in the season, but at 5,300' elevation, there are still plenty of wildflowers--fuchsia, penstamon, Indian paintbrush, larkspur-- all sorts of pretty. The hike to Horse Flats is not a long one... maybe a mile and a half... but enough for the kids to make our first stop for lunch at a picnic table. After recharging, we went roughly west on the Mt. Hillyer trail for a bit to go check out some rock formations. There were a few small groups of people wearing their crash pads on their backs, used as a safety device for free climbing. It felt good to get back outside for a change. It seems folks can't avoid the call of gathering in large crowds, so we'll see how long it all lasts. It was Memorial Day weekend, after all.

The Upper Chilao campsite can be reached by taking the Angeles Crest Highway deep into the Angeles…read moreNational Forest. There are two entrances to the general Chilao area. Pass the first one and pass the Devil's Canyon Trailhead sign too. You can be sure you will reach Upper Chilao when you pass by the Visitor Information Center which was closed when we came. The area is beautiful. It is pine country and Upper Chilao itself is heavily wooded. From Upper Chilao you take part of the Silver Moccasin Trail up to Horse Flats. The beginning of the trail is really nice. Nicely wooded with pine trees. Even though the hike is uphill all the way to Horse Flats it is not too heavy. It takes less than an hour to get to Horse Flats. The middle part of the way up gets a little deforested. Mostly chaparral but there are always beautiful pine trees around. From the middle part you can begin to see the ravages of the Station Fire if you look towards Los Angeles. It's sad to see all those dead pine trees. The last leg of the trail to Horse Flats is nicely wooded and you begin to get closer and closer to the Mt. Hillyer area where you can see beautiful rock formations scattered throughout the pine forest. There are signs with mileage on them from point A to Point B here. You will know when you get to Horse Flats as well when you hear the horses. Which is one of the defects of the trail - there is horse excrement on the trail but not too much really. There aren't more bugs along the trail because of the horses. Bring bug repellent if you like but in my opinion it's not really necessary since I got no bites and all the bugs do is hover around your head. Repellent won't stop that anywhere. Since we got to Horse Flats in less than an hour we decided to try part of the Mt. Hillyer Trail. This trail is as gorgeous as it gets in the Angeles Crest Forest. There are really nice rock formations along the Mt. Hillyer Trail. A plus to our hike was that we were alone most of the day. On the way back we had to let some mountain bikers go downhill. Other than that complete solitude! I give our hike five stars because it is not too far from Los Angeles and you get scenery comparable to Big Bear and Mt. San Jacinto. The only defect is that there is no stream alongside the trail and there is no waterfall to get to. If you enjoy solitude, mountain views, pine trees and rock formations this is the trail for you!!!!

I was honored to visit Tameobit Wildlife Sanctuary with a group of people focused documenting the…read morenative plants and wildlife of the area. Tameobit is the newest Wildlife Sanctuary in Los Angeles County and is named after a historical indigenous village in the area. It's about 84 acres in size and offers a wide variety of habitats including riparian, Joshua Tree, and chaparral. It's perfect for a quick hike and to learn about local native plants. Unlike most Wildlife Sanctuaries in LA County, it offers amenities such as restrooms, drinking fountains and a parking lot right next store at Sorenson Regional Park. Free street parking is also available if you'd like to visit outside of park hours. Free admission.

Los Angeles County set aside several parcels of land in the Antelope Valley to preserve animal and…read moreplant life for future generations. The Phacelia Sanctuary is one of these, named after a gorgeous flowering plant that is abundant on this property. Check the weather before you venture out; extremes of heat and cold are common here. The best time to visit to see the floweres would likely be spring. Free admission and free parking.