Is Monte Cristo even usable anymore?

Layne Cantrell · Post by **Layne Cantrell** » Thu Nov 04, 2010 4:49 pm

Spent a night there just to see what it was like - I knew Angeles Forest Highway was a huge commuter route from Palmdale but I figured it'd be somewhat less used right now with the 2 closed.

Wrong.

Seems like this used to be quite the nice spot, has it always been such a thoroughfare? Maybe before the fire there was enough brush around to give a sense of separation from the highway?

MtnMan · Post by **MtnMan** » Fri Nov 05, 2010 6:26 pm

AFH is probably getting less than about 20% of it's normal use right now with Hwy 2 being closed. Most commuters don't consider Big Tujunga Cyn enough of a shortcut to do it, so they are going the 14.

Wait til it re-opens and then go back. This is nothing, really.

Layne Cantrell · Post by **Layne Cantrell** » Fri Nov 05, 2010 7:58 pm

MtnMan wrote:AFH is probably getting less than about 20% of it's normal use right now with Hwy 2 being closed. Most commuters don't consider Big Tujunga Cyn enough of a shortcut to do it, so they are going the 14.

Wait til it re-opens and then go back. This is nothing, really.

Yeah I believe you. What a bummer, I bet this site was really nice a few decades ago.

I guess it might still be cool on weekends and holidays, but then again in those cases it's probably better just to drive farther away.

MtnMan · Post by **MtnMan** » Sat Nov 06, 2010 2:58 pm

Monte Cristo has tended to attract more than it's fair share of undesirables.

I hear PackerGreg likes to hang out there on weekends with his jackass.

taktical · Post by **taktical** » Wed Dec 15, 2010 5:17 pm

Spent a night at Monte Cristo on Monday night to view the Geminids meteor shower. We were the only ones at the campground that set up a tent. Not sure what they were up to, but there were 2 other cars that left the campground by 4am.

Maybe it's a bit more quiet during the weekends, but I will definitely not recommend spending a night here on a weeknight if you're looking to sleep in. By 4:30am, the noise from the cars and the smell of burnt clutch/hot brakes woke us up. Other than that, the sites and vault toilets were in good shape.