I wanted to find a trail that was secluded and didn't have mass crowds following me my entire hike…read more This trail is not too much further than most of the other "popular" tourist hikes available in the surrounding area, however, it is very isolated. My buddy and I hiked over 4 hours and never saw or heard a single soul. This fact alone makes the hike worth the small drive. As far as difficulty, the original hike down is pretty straight forward. There are some steep cliffs with very little room for error at certain points. While this isn't immediately frightening for the average hiker, I wouldn't recommend it for the faint of heart. Just be sure to watch your step! It will seem easy at first because you are going down the whole time. Remember, the way back up isn't your run-of-the-mill trek. . You must make your way back up the same route you originally came down. Keep this in mind and be sure your in good enough shape to complete the hike. Bring lots of water and stay hydrated. Most importantly, be sure to buy a day pass for parking or you will be fined. You can pick one up for $5 at Big 5 and other participating locations. I how you enjoy it as much as did!

It doesn't seem like many people hike through here as much since the fire…read more I ran into fresh snake holes on the trail, so be careful. Snakes usually avoid humans, so hopefully if more people start using the trail they will move somewhere safer. There's lots of tall and itchy vegetation growing near and on the trail, I reccomend to wear pants. Overall, it's a lovely trail with an amazing view. The camground is clear and spacious. The first stream crossing you'll encounter is barely a trickle. Dont worry! There's more water the further you hike and enough at the campsite to filter some water. It's not a pool anymore, but its deep enough to go halfway up your calves.

August 2021: I have now completed this hike twice since May 2021 and more than likely this will…read morebecome a once a month to once every other month adventure. It is demanding but, still good for newcomers who want to bump their, say - Griffith Park adventures up a few notches and not drive to the Sierras.

This is actually called Dawson Saddle to Throop Peak. But you can really bag quite a few peaks in…read morethis route. Just google map Dawson Saddle to Throop Peak and it should take you to the correct location as it worked for me. It's nearby Vincent Gap area to hike to Baden-Powell. You need an adventure pass when parking and there is no restroom in this area. So plan accordingly. The trail to Throop Peak was nice and short. It's light traffic so you won't see a lot of hikers like you would on the Baden-Powell hike. Most people will make it a nice 6 mile round trip from Dawson Saddle to Throop Peak, then to Mount Hawkins. But you can also add more miles and connect to Mount Burnham and Baden-Powell. So you can definitely make this a short hike to a long hike pending which route you want to take. I think you can even go further out to like South Mount Hawkins and Mount Islip if you have time. The trail is straightforward. Once you reach the ridge, you will see a PCT sign. If you go left, that is to Mount Burnham and Baden-Powell. You want to go right towards Little Jimmy Campground. You will see a split with no posted sign. Go right to Throop Peak, if you stay left, that's PCT to Little Jimmy Campground and to Mount Hawkins. The view from Throop Peak is beautiful. Once done, someone mention there is a trail that will meetup back on PCT. But I could find it, so i went back down the same trail and hop back onto the PCT trail. The trail is easy to follow till you get to another split. The trail going right and downhill, that's PCT. The trail going left up the hill, that's to Mount Hawkins. The view at Mount Hawkins is nice, there isn't a plaque like Throop Peak has, but I found a pile of rocks that previous hikers posted when on top of Mount Hawkins. You will hike back down the way you came up for a nice 6 mile RT. I would suggest a map of the area, just in case. I like naturalatlas.com As always pack accordingly to the weather and have fun.

Its a hidden spot theres no signs so make sure you follow the exact lin point of your maps app…read more Theres no parking so parki alongside the road if find an open spot. Only way i found the opening was from people exiting the spot. It was off putting to see people disposing their trash right by the opening i guess people camp around here.. I would rate the hike moderate theres no guided path so use yoir instincts to navigate through here. You will reach a point to proceed once you reach the waterfall with a rope to climb up. I didnt go up i think its smarter if you bring gloves and good hiking boots cuz there are large rocks and boulders to climb over Please dont leave a trace

The most difficult part is finding the start of the trailhead. Once you pass the graffiti tower,…read moreyou are close! You'll also see some signage saying North Fork. I would keep an eye out for an opening in overgrown vegetation. It is off the 39. The cars parked out front help as well. There is limited parking and I'd say 10-12 cars max fit on the same side of the trailhead. Pros: clean and secluded. I think I counted about a dozen people total on my hike in and back. Con: short lol The trail has a good amount of shade and smaller falls and streams along the way. You'll transverse several rocks and low crossings and fallen trees so waterproof boots are best. I had my 65lbs senior pitlab mix with me on our hike. I had to lift and carry him over some of the rocks. Since it rained yesterday, portions of the trail were muddy. Visited on 1.16.22

This was definitely a medium to hard trail in the summer because of the heat and some of the areas…read morethat require one's attention as there is a hillside next to you. We started at 9am ish and I would definitely start at 7am in the future because of the heat in august. The water fall was still there! People got in and the water was refreshing and cool. We found that tadpoles were transforming into frogs in the water so I recommend mindfulness to not step on them as they learn how to properly swim! Tips from our hike and waterfall visit: - we had sufficient water and first aid kit - we took various water breaks - we added mosquito repellent as are some - we had all trails gps to help us navigate trail first time - bring shoes with good ankle support - I would bring electrolytes next time - I would do 3-4-snacks vs. 1-2 next time

Birthday Shaynanigans at Tujunga Falls !!…read more Decided to go on a little adventure on my birthday and got out of San Diego to explore Tujunga Falls. Don't forget to get an adventure pass if you plan to park alongside the road or you'll get a ticket ! It's October so the falls were DRY. Boo. I would love to go back when we get a bit more rainfall, because the waterfalls were non-existent at this time. We ended up calling it 'invisible' falls. Other than that, the hike was great ! It's about 6 miles round trip and took us about 3 hours including taking pictures and testing out a friend's drone ! He's sooo cool ! LOL. Plenty of breathtaking views and the trails were wide enough for a group of hikers. Things to note: Start early so you can avoid the heat ! This will determine how long the hike will take you ! The sun was unforgiving so be prepared ! 'Trail' and 'waterfall' signs will help guide your way ! You'll also notice cabins at the beginning of the trail. After about a mile, you'll experience more of an incline so make sure to stay hydrated. There's barely any shade on this trail so bring a hat and sunscreen as well ! Poison ivy everywhere ! I had a traumatic experience in 6th grade camp when I got poison ivy. I made sure to cover my arms and legs this time just to take precaution. Rattlesnakes !!! We spotted one !!! Eek !! Be cautious of your surroundings. Unstable log bridges !! There was barely any water so hopping on the logs was an option, but do be careful because some are barely stable. Good to have some proper hiking shoes for this. Overall, most of the crossings and lack of water made it easy to traverse. As we got closer to the falls, we found a major descent and a climbing rope which guided us towards the waterfall (or invisible fall). The rope helped aid us up and down the mountain which was great ! Once you reach the waterfall (invisible falls) you'll enjoy the much needed shade and it was a perfect spot to take a fruit break ! We packed some oranges and apples with us ! There's plenty of spots to sit, relax, and enjoy nature ! Overall, it was a pretty good workout for moderate and advanced hikers ! We definitely made a few stops to take pictures and videos of our surroundings ! It was so calm and peaceful ! Perfect time to enjoy mother nature ! We will definitely come back to experience the REAL DEAL of the waterfalls ! Go out there and hike friends !!

What an amazing morning in our public lands right here in Los Angeles! Catching the sunrise was…read morephenomenal and there were beautiful vistas in every direction. The Bird Sanctuary Trail is only a mile and a half trail with a bit of elevation, but so worth the visit. Good tread on your trail shoes help especially on the descent. Two thumbs up!

The beginning of the trail is very steep but it's worth the climb. Great access to connect to…read moredifferent parts of the trail and choose your own adventure.

Great route for hiking and biking. Even better if you are into bouldering…read more You are in bear country so be weary. Adjacent to horse flats campground. Nearby Pacifico and the PCT. Ranger and Firestation are nearby for an added sense of security.

You can get to Mt. Hillyer from Upper Chilao Campground, from Horse Flats Campground and from…read moreRosenita Saddle. To get to Upper Chilao or Horse Flats take Interstate 210 in La Canada, exit at Angeles Crest Hwy. (Hwy. 2). The drive takes less than an hour. This review is for the backdoor entry into Mt. Hillyer and the descent towards Horse Flats Campground. This backdoor entry starts at Rosenita Saddle which you can get to by turning right at the same fork which takes you either left to Horse Flats or right to places where you can park if you are not camping like Rosenita Saddle. If all you want to do is admire the 360 degree view that is afforded by Mt. Hillyer then start at Rosenita Saddle. It is less than a mile of hiking from Rosenita saddle to Mt. Hillyer. The hike from Rosenita Saddle to Mt. Hillyer is easy. You don't have to climb uphill at a steep incline. The trail is easy to follow throughout the hike. After the lookout rock atop Mt. Hillyer there is a descent to Horse Flats. The climb back up to Mt. Hillyer is not too steep at all. Then from there it's downhill to Rosenita Saddle. We were here in April and there really are no bugs like on other hikes along the Angeles Crest Hwy. You may need sunblock since most of the trail is not under the shade of trees. The whole area is characterized by high areas (where you feel refreshing gusts of cool wind), some meadows, pine trees and large rock formations. Some of these formations can be climbed and they afford incredible views. There are no streams or waterfalls here if that is what you consider necessary for a beautiful hike, but generally those kinds of hikes do not afford the views hikes like Mt. Hillyer offer. From the top of Mt. Hillyer you can see the extent to which forest fires have caused deforestation but you can also see pinecapped mountains. At the right time of the day if you look towards Los Angeles you can see clouds and/or smog hugging the mountains. It's quite a beautiful sight. We were lucky to see gray squirrels, blue jays, woodpeckers and unfortunately a rather large rattlesnake - so be very careful around the parts of the trail with brush. It's bear country so make noise often and be sure to contact the Ranger's Office for tips on what to do if you encounter a bear. Since it's bear country you need to be very careful if you bring along kids or pets. Pets are allowed but must be on a leash. Be wary of mountain bikers. Some of them rush downhill recklessly. The trail is fairly kid friendly since the climbing is moderate, but you can't forget it's bear country. Don't forget your Adventure Pass which is currently $30 for a year and $5 for a day and can be obtained at Ranger Stations. The fines are pretty steep for people who don't use Adventure Passes. The area around Mt. Hillyer is just as beautiful as more famous trails like the one at Mt. San Jacinto near Palm Springs. This trail is really worth your time if you like to climb rock formations, see impressive views and love pine trees!

Had so much fun hiking here. We climbed to the peak of a couple mountains, made it to two stone…read morepiles. Our starting point was at the opposite way of the loop, the trail wasn't very clear but we kept moving forward. We began hiking around 9 AM made 4 or 5 stops and finished at 5:40PM, I started tracking the distance roughly by the 3rd hour of our hike and it marked 14.7 miles. Most of the signs up were all rusty and unreadable. The combination of strong and cold winds, the rocky trail, a loose sandy ground on the steep areas were to die for- literally. Some parts were incredibly challenging but it was an exhilarating experience.

Will never give nature less than 5 stars but this was a CHALLENGING hike. So beautiful and plenty…read moreof rest points to break up the hike but man was I feeling it afterwards. We packed plenty of water and snacks and followed the trail etiquette(downhill hikers mover over to uphill hikers, ect) Our figure 8 route included: 2.5 miles to echo Another 2 to inspiration point where we sat and ate a quick lunch- love the telescopes all over!! Another 1.5 to Mt Lowe! This part was definitely the hardest for me, quite a bit of elevation gain in a small space but I did it! The swing wasn't at the top but still a gorgeous view. 10/10 would hike again and a great conditioning hike for Mt Wilson!

I have a theory that this waterfall is not as popular as it should be because it has such a bland…read morename. If it had a name like Big Tujunga Thunder Falls it would definitely attract more visitors. It's all in the marketing. Fall Creek Falls is a four-tiered 250-ft waterfall. You'll only get to view up-close the lower 80-ft section of the waterfall. If you're familiar with Trail Canyon Falls (another blandly named waterfall) it's just up the road along Big Tujunga Canyon Road one mile past the reservoir. The trail descends down a dirt fire road 700ft and drops down into Big Tujunga Canyon. Once you reach the canyon floor you'll need to rockhop and bushwhack a quarter mile down stream to reach the base of the lower 80-ft waterfall. This is actually the best part of the hike. I had a lot of fun with this section. It would be smart to wear pants to reduce your exposure to poison ivy and pointy yucca plants. You can expect your shoes to get wet. The actual waterfall is what you make of it. I'm a waterfall nut so I really enjoyed it. A lot of online reviews mention that the trail was isolated. It must be gaining in popularity. There were about 8 cars parked at the trailhead when I visited on a Sunday. I passed someone about every 15-20 min. Conserve your energy for the return trip since it's all uphill. Fortunately the grade of the incline is gentle so it isn't too painful. Be sure to take in the awesome views of Big Tujunga Canyon. There's some amazing rock formations with interesting geologic patterns. Be sure to display your adventure pass. There are no bathrooms. After you leave be sure to stop by the dam overlook and also be sure to take a moment to appreciate the nearby scenic bridge off Big Tujunga Canyon Road.

Beautiful trail with views of Big Tujunga Canyon and, as promised in the name, a multi-tiered…read morewaterfall. The trail is well maintained with several parking spots at the trailhead. It's only downfall (haha) is that it's all downhill at the start and all uphill on the way back. But, don't worry, it's not super steep and the views are worth it. To see the waterfalls close up, you do have to clamber over some rocks, follow along the creek, and eventually cross the creek (bring your waterproof boots.) As of this date, the creek had a decent current, so be careful. As always, bring water and your mobile tracking device (I've watched one to many "disappeared on the trail and never seen again" videos, sorry!). And enjoy.