Simple and ordinary trail in the Angeles National Forest. Despite the fanciful name, the canyon…read moreneither looked gold nor had any gold mining relics. Park along Big Tujunga Canyon Road where North Trail Canyon Road intersects. Hike up Trail Canyon until the road splits. Trail Canyon is to the right (see https://www.yelp.com/biz/trail-canyon-falls-tujunga) and Gold Canyon is up to the left (see pic). As a sandy service road, the trail was easy to follow, good for mountain bikes, and never gets super steep. It's also monotonously boring. Initially curvy and repetitive, the hike gets better when the road straightens and views of surrounding mountains and canyons plus the ocean on a clear day are visible (see pic). At the highest point of Gold Canyon Road, often called Gold Creek Saddle, is a circular concrete pedestal with Yerba Buena painted on the top. From the highway to this point is 4.65 miles with a 2000' elevation change. We turned back but the road continues downhill south to the city and also diverts north up towards Mt. McKinley that is overgrown with brush. With no trees, no shade exists. The low elevation means the temps aren't much different than in the city. On a positive note, Big Tujunga Canyon Road has significantly less vehicle noise than hikes along Angeles Crest Highway. When parking and leaving your car anywhere in the Angeles National Forest, a $5 Adventure pass or alternative pass like an Interagency Annual Pass is needed.

Brian U. gave a good and thorough review. I will add that one of the reasons I like this trail is…read morebecause it is not popular. I love solitude when I'm in the forest and this has it. I mountain bike this road/trail also to the Round concrete pedestal that says Yerba Buena. It's just shy of 5 miles from the car. There is another circular concrete pedestal at about 3.5 miles but I would suggest going to the Yerba Buena because that last stretch is beautiful.

Sucks that you have to park a mile and a half down the road because the closed gate, so don't…read moreforget to include that round-trip mileage when you're looking into the trail distance. The trail isn't my favorite, but it's well kept, and you will definitely EARN your reward of the lookout at the Summit! This is one of the few fire lookouts that is still actively demanded, and if they are there, you can go inside and look around and speak to them. Luckily, when we were there, we went up on top of the lookout and a California condo door came in circled us from about 30 yards away for about five minutes and that was just an amazing experience! So yes, go get your hike on and even though there is a Condor sanctuary nearby (not open to the public), you most likely will not actually see a condor, but your chances are higher than most places!

Close to LA. Just off the freeway. Have a $35 Adventure Pass for parking, better yet have a $80…read moreAnnual Pass that covers all federal lands, NP's etc. Long approach hike on paved road, then a long climb up. Then, when you get to the Look Out?, you turn around & do it all in reverse. If you want a good work out?, this is it. Bring lots of water. Since the hike is in then out, you can stash water on the way up to retrieve on the way down. Great views. Interesting historic lookout. It's worth doing once, so every time you drive by it on the 5 with someone, you can nonchalant say, yeah I hiked up there. But if you really want bragging rights for "summits you can see from the 5," go summit Cobblestone Mountain, which is in full view from the 5, brutal hike to the top. Just do it. But Slide Mountain is worth doing.

This is a 2-mile (out & back) trail that follows a rocky creek and ends at a waterfall that empties…read moreinto a large pool of water. Half the trail has you walking in the creek. The water mostly comes up to your ankles. There's a short section where the water reaches your chest. You can avoid it by climbing up a steep hill. There's some boulder climbing and some sections are overgrown. The waterfall at the end was fairly crowded so I wasn't able to fully enjoy it. You can climb up a ladder and cliff jump if you like. If I were to do it all over again I would definitely try to avoid the crowds by visiting earlier in the morning or on a weekday. Wearing pants with swim trunks underneath may not be a bad idea since it will decrease your exposure to poison ivy. There are some sections where exposure is almost unavoidable since the trail is narrow and the brush is overgrown. When you get home I would scrub yourself well with a washcloth and dish soap to remove the oils. The entrance is near a bridge. It's a popular spot so you will likely see a number of cars parked by the side of the road.

Not worth the trek, in my opinion. Covered in graffiti, trash everywhere, couple spots with poison…read moreoak, and living things swimming with you in the water . Also, not a fan of getting my feet wet while hiking. Not to mention water to my high thigh I am proud of myself for making it BOTH WAYS and my kids (10u) did it too, but the waterfall at the end wasn't worth the 2.8 mi hike end to end.

This was a very nice ~3 mile loop with an awesome view of the surroundings especially of Bouquet…read moreReservoir. Following the AllTrails map, you want to start off by following the trail on the left then coming back down from the right. The left trail has a very steep incline with some loose sand / rocks. Definitely would be easier to come back down from the right trail versus the left trail! Trekking poles would also be very helpful here!

This is little-known short trail that leads to a great big rocky outcrop with steep drop-offs and…read moresweeping views of Castaic Wilderness in the Angeles National Forest. The trail is 1 mile (there-and-back). The trailhead is located up the road and north of Castaic Lake, off of Lake Hughes Rd. Park in the dirt off the the side of the road. You'll see a narrow trail that follows the edge of the mountain. There are sections that are slightly overgrown. I walked slowly watching carefully for snakes. You'll see all kinds of wildflowers if you go in the spring. The recent rains has turned the vegetation green. There was long grass flowing in the wind. Once you reach the large rock outcrop you'll get to examine a number of small openings in the rock, peak into small caves and climb through a large slit in the middle of the rock formation. There's a real dangerous cliff-section where you need to use some caution and not let kids play unsupervised. Overall it's a fun trail with lots to see and explore. It's a nice teaser that will make you want to explore other trails in the area.

I stopped celebrating New Year's Eve years ago because of the loud fireworks that affected all my…read morepets, and started a tradition of exploring a new trail every January 1st with my pups. This year, we headed toward Lake Elizabeth and began exploring the canyon trails. These trails were perfect! We started on Forest Road, right by the lake, and got onto Pacific Crest Trail. The trails are slightly bumpy in some spots and sandy in others, but overall, it wasn't too rough for my dogs. We spent about 1.5 hours trail driving before stopping for a hike. It was incredibly quiet, safe and peaceful. Some areas of the trail are quite narrow, but others have extra space to park and enjoy the view. It's a fantastic spot for hiking, off-road driving, and a picnic. The views of the mountains and lake are beautiful ! This review is not specific to the Grass Mtn but it is in this area and these trails will get you there. I loved this trail, will definitely be back and recommend it for any outdoor or off-road enthusiast. Happy New Year, everyone!

The shortest path to Grass Mountain is via the Pacific Crest Trail. The starting point is 0.6 miles…read moresouth of San Francisquito Canyon Pass on San Francisquito Canyon Road. We didn't take this route. Instead, we opted for the slightly longer and less steep version that starts at San Francisquito Canyon Pass where Leona Divide Fire Road intersects then heading 2.8 miles northwest with a 900' elevation change. Getting to the top is easy to follow due to the eponymous grassy field, pine and juniper trees, and cell towers at the summit. The buried power line in the road is another clue due to dozens of Edison pull boxes in the trail and the separate fire break that the soft and sandy road skirts. The wide fire break and unground electrical conduit shows a major effort to limit forest fires in this area. Perhaps authorities are being extra cautious to avoid another disaster in the same canyon where the St. Francis dam collapsed in 1928 resulting in 400+ fatalities. The treeless trail meant repeated views of the wind farms in the western Antelope Valley and San Francisquito Canyon with the town of Green Valley as the centerpiece. I'm interested in going back in the spring to see if color patches of the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve are visible. The peak was windy on our visit which I'd guess that is common. An unexpected bonus were the uplifted rock formations where the bulldozing that created the road exposed swirls of sedimentary layers. The open gate allowed access for vehicles to drive to Grass Mountain but passing could be tricky since the road is mostly the width of one big truck. We crossed paths with only one pickup truck which meant for a peaceful and undusty hike. Just barely within the boundary of the Angeles National Forest, a $5 Adventure Pass (or equivalent) is customary when parking on National Forest land.

I loved this hike. I was really surprised how much fun it was. I generally don't expect great…read morethings, in regards to views, with the local hikes...drought. However, This one may cause me to reconsider such low expectations... Due to lack of time..I'll have to plan another day to come back and go further... However we still managed to explore 5miles...But this is the type of trail that makes you want to keep going. And from the looks if it, you could keep going for days. Keep in mind that this is the hike that is past mentryville, they have a $5 parking fee, bring cash. So the first part if the hike is a paved road (which makes jogging a really nice option) there are two places where you have the option to take a left which would lead to picnic tables... However if you keep going straight you will get a nice photo op. Of the Pico Canyon plaques where the first oil well once was. Right past this you can begin your climb up the mountain. The incline is perfect... It offed a great workout opportunity... And it's not too hard where it makes you feel like you may die if you continue. The view is surprisingly gorgeous.. Seriously, I have lived out in Santa Clarita my entire life and I never would have guessed such views existed. It is a hike that you should not attempt on your own, only because it's pretty secluded, my partner and I did not see another single hiker. I definitely look forward to coming back, the path seems endless and I would love to continue on... It also helps that the weather was in our favor today... Couldn't have asked for a better day. I thoroughly enjoyed this hike today

Does it really count as a hiking when the trail is mostly a paved road? Nevertheless, the Pico…read moreCanyon trail is still a fun and exciting trek. The trail starts at Mentryville, an interesting old and historically significant town that has been used for a number of movies. Further up the road you'll encounter a mini trail on the left. It's a great trail for kids. It has some small bridges and ends with a picnic bench on a hill. Continuing up the paved road you will encounter a neat little area on the left that has some old oil field relicts. Further up the road on the right you will encounter Well #4, the first commercial oil well in California. The paved road will eventually end and then you will start the trek up the mountain. Even though there is a fairly wide path, when you start to get high up the mountain the height can be a little intimidating. The views at the top of the mountain are probably the best in Santa Clarita.

There are a lot of trails out here. Some are just for atvs and bikes. And you have to be careful,…read morebecause many of the trails have black diamond offshoots that can mess you up if you're. it careful, or at least prepared. lovely place.

Although COVID cancelled our hikes overlooking Lake Tahoe, we tried Bouquet Canyon reservoir as a…read moresubstitute. Granted, not an equal replacement but was still enjoyable with multiple vistas of the man-made lake and a few patches of wildflowers. We started at Forest Road 6N08 and Bouquet Canyon Road along the eastern edge of the reservoir and just kept going up until we reached the top of Martindale Ridge. The ridge is also accessible from opposite side via Sierra Highway near Agua Dulce. Not an area of the Angeles National Forest where environment concerns are at the forefront, the roads are legal for Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) use like dirt bikes, ATVs, and 4-wheelers. We were the only hikers on the dirt roads which we safely shared with six motorcyclists and a dozen 4x4s. As with most off-roading areas, multiple tracks were cut through the mountains. The trails were either named Martindale Ridge Road or Rowher OHV Trail. Consequently, it's easy to confuse the two and depending on the route taken, distances can greatly vary. For example, we hiked 5.0 miles going up and 3.8 miles returning down. The entire hike was 8.9 miles with a 1700' elevation difference.