A friend took me to Whitney Canyon Waterfall today, and wow what an adventure. The hike is…read moremoderate, about 3.5 miles, and parking is free. Reaching the waterfall is not for the faint of heart. You climb uphill, descend back down, reach a small waterfall, and then go through it to finally arrive at Whitney Waterfall. It's a bit sketchy, definitely thrilling, and absolutely worth it but only if you're prepared. Hiking shoes are a must. This trail is not recommended for kids or beginner hikers due to steep and slippery sections. It was 48 degrees and freezing cold today, so check the weather before you go and layer up. Also, there are no restrooms, so plan ahead. If you're looking for a raw, adventurous hike with a rewarding waterfall at the end, this one delivers.

When you're ending the year 2025 with a hiking adventure. Let's begin this banger review…read more Whitney Canyon Park is a 442-acre park known for its diverse trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding, featuring oak woodlands, chaparral, and riparian areas with seasonal waterfalls. It is located next to the freeway in Santa Clarita. I have been eyeing this trail/park for months and I am glad I crossed this on my All trails hiking list. I came on a late Monday morning and it was bloody windy (~45 mph) with a cool temp of 64 degrees. This park has multiple trials including Elsmere Trail. WCP has a wide track trail through a canyon that was known for oil drilling and ranching some of its remnants are still visible. Its trail has little to no tree shade but the trailhead was kept clear. I have seen some hikers (family and kids) and bikers along the way; most are friendly and nice. Parking lot is huge with no shades. Trash bins are available. Overall, it's a nice easy park to go hiking. I recommend it.

Great hiking trail! It is uphill the whole time, so it's a little harder, but take breaks as…read moreneeded. Nice hike to see nature!

A great park at the north end of San Fernando Valley. So many areas to spread out and enjoy…read more O'Melvany is listed as the second-largest public park in Los Angeles(behind Griffith Park), but still seems a pretty good secret, for the most part. On any given day you may see dogs playing, or training in social skills, exercise classes, families picnicking and kids running around. BUT ALSO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR WILDLIFE! Coyotes and mountain lions are very common, as are rattle snakes. But also bunnies, squirrels and an array of birds, for those who take the time to stop, listen, and try to identify. There is not a playground at this large park. Instead, the draw is toward it's many, well marked, hiking trails. This use to be John O'Melvany's ranch, until he deeded the land to Los Angeles(1976), with specifics for it to be used as a park. You'll still see orchards of grapefruit as you enter, with signs requesting you not remove the fruit from the area. The fruit has not been properly tended to in decades, so it's not really yummy grapefruit, but on occasion you'll see some people plucking and tasting to quell their curiosity. Mainly, to avoid the spread of fruit flies, the city requests that the yellow spheres be left in place. BUT OH THE AROMA OF THE FLOWERS FROM THESE TREES! And so many happy bees flitting about. Quite nice. This is also a park that allows access for equestrians. A very large dirt area for trailers to park and horses to be staged and prepped before heading off into the hills on the marked Equestrian Trail. If you do take the time to hike one of the many trails, you'll be rewarded with beautiful view of SFV. If you squint, you can almost imagine what it looked like pre-WWII, before the tract homes welcomed the veterans here. Many beautiful, very old, oak trees, eucalyptus and various maple species, along with a LOT of native shrubbery are found throughout the park and the one large bathroom at the center is well maintained. Hours are dawn to dusk, with gates at both the pedestrian entry and parking lot. Plenty of free parking in the lot and along the street. If you're up for an easy, but fairly long excursion, check out Bee Canyon Park. It starts just across the street from O'Melvany and DOES have a play area for kids. Also, it's trail runs all the way to Balboa. Cheers! "CC"

Great hike easy to find parking and lots of shade and grass area once you get to the bottom. They…read morehave many trash cans and is very clean. There wasn't many people I got there around 9:30am the sun was out so take plenty of water and sunscreen

This is a great hike that will give you a workout if you hike, bike or run. The hike starts with…read moreflat areas but then you will have some inclines. The inclines are great as you continue towards the other trails you will be lead to worthwhile views. The views are enjoyable and you can take time to relax, read, or just enjoy nature. The dogs or kids would also enjoy this hike.

The face of "The Bear" is one of, if not the most, rewarding hikes in Santa Clarita. I have hiked…read moreit six times so far, and have yet to get bored with it. Once you start on the trail, after several hundred feet you will be given the option to go right for the switchbacks or to continue straight on the more direct and strenuous route. I personally like to do the full loop: go straight up, attack the bear, and run the switchbacks on the way back down. The incline is really tough and your muscles will probably get tight and even shakey at moments. However, you can stop for breaks and turn around to take in the beautiful views of the valley. Be encouraged by your progress and aim to reach that water tower at the very top. From there, you'll see the Nike missile launch sites, the fire station, and a side of Santa Clarita that you will love. If you decide to take the switchbacks on the way down, you're in for a treat. The trail is absolutely beautiful and shaded with trees looming over. Just note that it can be very very narrow in some parts. It's hard to say how long the hike is, maybe give yourself 1.5-2 hours. (Unless you run the way down and you'll make it in less time) Bring water. And enjoy a good workout!

"The Bear" is used by the local firefighters for conditioning. From the trailhead to the water…read moretank, the record I'm told for completion is about 16 minutes for a little more than a mile. Since my first visit back in 2014 till now, the trail has really gone through the wringer from being ravaged by the elements. Burnt trees left over from previous wildfires as well as dips and ditches caused by runoff from heavy rain. The firefighters maintain the trail to an extent, but at its current state there is still work to be done. With that said, if it's a challenge you're looking for, then you've come to the right place. The sharp inclines and loose dirt make the ascension treacherous, but all the more satisfying. On the last visit, the foggy skies were leveled with one of the few false summits, literally heads in the clouds. The sunset off to the distance made for beautiful views of the city down below, and the wildflowers along the way were not only plentiful, but varied, including lupins, poppies, and buttercups. After reaching the water tank, we made a quick stop at the fire station before heading down. On the backside of "The Bear" to put it kindly, fallen trees, narrow paths, and poison oak makes this leg of the trip almost as daunting as the uphill. Where there used to be a bridge there's now a chasm that one must trek down and up before being back on the trail. In another instance, a fallen log was repurposed as a bridge for those brave enough to cross. Branches that used to grow out along mountain have been chainsawed, old shrubs swept out of the way. Despite all that, the views coming down were wonderful to take in, making it a calming stroll back down. Recommended for the bold and seasoned folks.

Take the 14 FWY and exit on Sierra Hwy, then head over to the park-and- ride lot. On the left side…read moreis the trailhead for Whitney Canyon Falls, and on the right is Elsmere Canyon. Take your pick, you can't go wrong! The last couple weeks our group decided to go with Elsmere into Eagle Pass. During the evening there is plenty of parking, though if you were to come at busier times there is the overflow lot. Night hiking around here is pretty special with plenty of night sky viewing from being far enough away from neighboring city lights. Structures left behind from decades past, such as rusty engines, wooden beams, and dried up water tanks hide in plain sight. There are a handful of areas with inclines but nothing too strenuous. During the daytime several years ago, our group was able to climb up one of the isolated peaks overlooking the freeway. If I remember correctly, the road there felt more like an animal trail but enough hikers have attempted it. Overall, great local hike worth revisiting.

Not a bad hike, definitely must be done between December-early March for the peak experience…read more If you go closer to summer it's not as good of a sight obviously. Only reason I give it 4 is there was so much litter the last 3 times I went, it was disgusting people just leave their trash around.

M. DeCampos trail is a very popular area for hiking, mountain biking, and running. This trail is…read morelocated within the O'Melveny Park. This trail has an elevation gain of 1,227 ft has a length of 4.3 miles leading to Mission Point. Throughout the trail has no shades going toward the Mission Point. But you'll get to see birds, lizards and vole. I hiked on a weekday so there were very few hikers that I came across on the trailhead. Dogs are welcome, but must be on a leash. Once you've reached Mission Point which is considered the highest point in the SF valley you'll have a majestic view of the hills, the park and mountains. Overall, despite its steep trails I enjoyed my time hiking this trail.

Soooooo many flowers. I loved it! There are not too many shaded areas on this hike so bring lots of…read morewater :).

Went on a hike here and was a pretty nice hike. It's probably rated in the moderate section and if…read moreyou're afraid of fly/bees or small paths with flowers touching you then I wouldn't recommend this hike. We came for the spring bloom and there were some pretty nice flowers though it looked nothing like what I saw on Instagram. Be careful, I also saw a rattlesnake in our path and we had to wait for it to pass so there are definitely snakes in the area. Other than all that if you decide to come it's still a beautiful spot. Parking - One thing I love about this place, parking was EASY. 3ish lots so it was plentiful.

Met up a friend to go on a Thanksgiving hike before the big feast. This was our first time here and…read morewhile beautiful it was a pretty moderate hike. We both wanted something more challenging and calorie burning. The trail is about 2 miles and does have some steep areas but overall it's pretty chill. This is a great hike for kids to join in, but not stroller friendly.

Plenty to discover in this short and sweet trail. Our group tends to start away from the main…read moreentrance of the park. Instead, we would turn right onto Sesnon Blvd from Balboa Blvd, then head straight till the road ends. Oddly enough the two halves of Sesnon are separated by a ravine. From this starting point, there is a moderately steep decline heading down to the main trail. After this portion, the trail is a casual nature walk. The terrain consists of well-established stream crossings, clusters of old trees you can climb, eclectic art pieces made by local residents, makeshift swings made out of rope, and even manhole covers from India! Folks we meet along the way would say their hellos while riding their bikes and walking their dogs in the evenings. Every so often there would also be small frogs and worms squirming around. Once you get to the main entrance and parking lot, there are a few restrooms as well as resting/training areas for horses. As an out and back route, the incline back onto Sesnon gets the calf muscles working.

Such a beautiful park and easy trail! I love that it's shaded and that there's a creek that runs…read morethrough it. Restrooms are clean and there's plenty of parking.

Never heard of such trail exist, recently I tried it first time and it's just wow! If you're…read morelooking for the great workout with a view!

There is no shade on this trail which was perfect on this cold New Year's Day…read more It was certainly a workout, but most certainly doable. We had a toddler with us and he made it all the way up and then down. There are shortcuts but I don't recommend taking the shortcuts unless you want to up your workout even more. There is a bench under a giant tree close to the top as a reward. I would say the view from the top is a reward, but really, you can enjoy the awesome view from the trail even without making it all the way to the top. At the very top, there is a memorial... behind it, you'll see the a giant pit where Sunshine Canyon is or used to be... feel free to let me know if I got that bit wrong or not. That giant pit that looked like a mini-city with those roads and vehicles moving about was very interesting... maybe it's SoCal Gas is getting their natural gas from?

Do you ever not realize you haven't heard a certain noise in years until you finally hear it again…read moreand it's like music in your ears? This is how I felt yesterday evening as I stepped foot into Limekiln Canyon trail! What was that noise? Frogs!!!! I did not realize that I haven't heard the sound of frogs croaking in years and suddenly it was the most beautiful noise so peaceful and serene I wanted to spend the night on a log just listening!!! I attended a meet up hike and I had no idea this trail existed! As a side note it was funny I didn't know this is the same hiking group my step dad attends so it was a fun surprise when we saw eachother and we hiked it together! I've lived around the area and explored all my life but this is the first time I heard of this trail or seen it!!! Parking is street parking off Tampa and across from the church. The entire path is dirt roads and very very well maintained brush on all sides. My step dad said he's had a run in with rattlesnakes on this trail and to be very careful on the parts of the trail that get narrow with bushes on both sides so close to where you're walking. All the trees are huge and give great shade and cover. We hiked at around 6pm and I did see people with dogs who were all on leashes which was good and the trail wasn't too congested so I do believe next time I come to this trail I can bring my dog along! When it gets dark the trees don't let in too much light from the sky so make sure you bring your flashlight. I'm really excited to have such a nice place to hike so close and, well, as I said the sound of the frogs has me hooked and you might catch me there just sitting on a log listening to the beautiful nature sounds!

This trail is a secluded escape tucked away in the hills of the Valley! If you're looking for a…read morehike that is low key & quiet, this is definitely the spot. Once you reach the top, you're rewarded with a wonderful panoramic view of the Valley. It's also quite interesting as you hike along; you get a bird's-eye view into various backyards with some truly beautiful pools & hot tubs. The day I went was overcast, which made for a very pleasant & chill walk. There is plenty of nature to enjoy, including lots of birds flying around. Also lots of street parking outside the entrance to the trail. One thing that caught my attention: lots of litter & beer cans everywhere:( very sad .