EISPIRATEN

something where i can hike in on friday after work
and be out by early sunday morning.
id like to get my lil girl [3] into backpacking
she hikes with all over so she can hang
maybe 6-7 miles round trip

do any of you guys have any spots you can recommend

friendowl wrote:something where i can hike in on friday after work
and be out by early sunday morning.
id like to get my lil girl [3] into backpacking
she hikes with all over so she can hang
maybe 6-7 miles round trip

do any of you guys have any spots you can recommend

I was also wanting to do the same with my daughter, she will be 3 in Nov. We do a lot of car camping when I can talk my wife into it, at Malibu Creek State Park and Chilao Campground on the Angeles Crest Highway. I was planning to hike into Mount Lowe Campsite from Eaton Saddle for an overnight backpack sometime. The hike is only ~3 miles each way and it is fairly level. However, I think they took the fire pits out of that campsite, which sucks, camping without fire is just not the same. I can provide more details on any of these if you are interested. Let me know what you have planned, it would be fun to get a group together,

Travis

Hoegees campground out of Chantry Flats is about 3 mi. each way. Not a difficult hike. Has plenty of campsites and fire rings (check with forest service to see if fires are allowed right now). It can be crowded though.

Have a good time wherever you end up going!

Little Jimmy campground is about two miles from Islip Saddle. Water is always flowing at Little Jimmy spring about a quarter-mile away from the campground.

You can also try the campgrounds along the West Fork of the San Gabriel River accessed from Red Box. I think the first one is Valley Forge, and the next one is West Fork. Water is solely dependent on whether the river is flowing.

ive stayed at valley forge with my son
i didnt like it at all
it felt unsafe for some reason
we set up out tent and after a few hours
we decided to go back to the car
as we were walking out we passed
a group of about 5-6 guys who were
headed that way.they looked like trouble
and it was good we got out before the fun started

I could understand feeling that way at Valley Forge, I noticed beer cans along the trail when I walked there, and graphiti carved in tree bark.

I have always felt safe and isolated at the Mount Lowe Campground.

No doubt about it. The San Gabriels are one of the closest areas that cost nothing or next to nothing to visit for the day for many of the Big City ganster/trouble makers.

Graffiti is everywhere. There was a time when local parks were safe in the city. Not anymore. Local parks are free, or next to free if you have to pay for parking. Therefore instead of taking the kids to Disneyland, these local parks become over run by gangster/trouble maker types.

Now they have moved into areas adjacent to the mountains of southern California. The San Gabriels are probably the most visitied of these areas by this element.

The San Gabriels have become a place where you might have to think twice about taking your family to. Seeing a group of 5 or 6 who look like they're there for trouble is becoming commonplace.

Good call on heading the other way. Unfortunately.

All of the preceeding suggestions sound like good ones.

Some other ideas:
Switzers (the tent sites are just above the falls) is nice for a quick one if you go in on a Friday and come out on Saturday. It's very very popular, but my friend and I had the place to ourselves Friday night. We then did Strawberry Peak the next day, but for an easier day hike option, you could go down below the falls and swim in the pools down stream or up into Bear Canyon. There's also a TC in Bear Canyon, but I haven't stayed there in years. It was nice the last time I stayed, but I don't remember what condition it was in when I did a day hike there last year. There is typically water just upstream from the camp.

Cooper Canyon is also nice, although it's an "upside down" hike (where you go down first and then climb out). You can go from there for a day hike down to Cooper Canyon Falls which is a nice spot. This hike is a little harder, you'd want to scope out the mileages and the topo to see if this one is for you and your daughter. Cooper Canyon is also typically dry in Summer, but has good water in the Spring. I was there in May and it was flowing well even in a drought year. This one has tables and an outhouse.

You could always camp on top of Echo Mtn which is reached via the Sam Merrill trail which starts at the North end of Lake Ave. in Pasadena. This however would be a dry camp (the old drinking fountain wasn't working last time I was up there). I think it's about 2 miles one way.

Heninger Flats has tables and piped water and a little county nature center (I think it's run by LA County Fire not the USFS. You might call county fire for conditions). It's on a fairly steep fire road. I can usually get up to the flats in under an hour even with a backpack. Not exactly unspoiled wilderness, but maybe OK for a first outing. Day side trips include Idyllhour camp, the Dawn Mine, and Mt. Wilson.

Spruce Grove is a little farther than Hoegees, but it's not too bad of a hike and Spruce Grove is a little less crowded, particularly if you go in on a Friday. You can make a nice loop by going in up the trail in the canyon bottom (Santa Anita Canyon) and returning via the trail that goes over the shoulder of Mt. Zion. If you want a good side trip on Saturday, you can go to Newcomb Saddle or if she's in good shape, Mt. Wilson. There's an outhouse and tables. Water is in the creek.

Cedar Glen over on the Chapman Trail in Icehouse Canyon might be an option. On Saturday, you could climb Timber Mtn. as a side trip. Cedar Glen has no amenities. Water runs near the camp.

Tom Lucas camp in Trail Canyon is about 6 miles (I think) in. It's a little brushy above the falls, but the falls are worthwhile in the Spring. There's water in the creek in Spring and usually well into Summer. In '05 there was year round water, but I'm not sure that there would be this year. Side trips might include Iron Mtn (not the one by Baldy!), Indian Ben Saddle, Lightning Pt. etc. It's pretty steep out of Trail Canyon as I recall, so you might want to take a good look at a topo.

If you don't mind a bit of a drive, it's ~6 mi RT to Johns Meadow Trail Camp in the San Gorgonio Wilderness from the Forsee Creek Trailhead. The first part of the hike is a bit steep from the parking area (not that bad), but it's pretty flat from the trail junction just inside the wilderness boundary to Johns Meadow. I camped there last April, and it was very nice. The meadow itself is lovely in season. A really lovely hike. I always keep this in mind when friends are in from out of town.

Also out that way is Fish Creek trail camp. You can drive (kinda rough dirt road) to the Fish Creek trail head, and I think it's a mile and a half or two miles to Fish Creek camp. I haven't stayed at the camp or hiked through there since 2001, so definitely check the conditions. It's a nice area, typically reliable water. There was water there on Labor day and also mid September according to the SGWA message board.

Fish Creek TC is also accessible from Aspen Grove (which would be lovely as the leaves change this time of year). It's 4.1 miles one way from Aspen Grove on trail with mostly a easy gradient. Really lovely spot.

I'm writing all of this off the top of my head, so check my facts!! Take a good look at the topos and check the conditions if one of these sounds interesting.

Hikin_Jim wrote:Heninger Flats has tables and piped water and a little county nature center (I think it's run by LA County Fire not the USFS. You might call county fire for conditions). It's on a fairly steep fire road. I can usually get up to the flats in under an hour even with a backpack. Not exactly unspoiled wilderness, but maybe OK for a first outing. Day side trips include Idyllhour camp, the Dawn Mine, and Mt. Wilson.

Henninger Flats is officially closed and has been since the big land slides of 2005 that covered the toll road below the Flats. This info is from a month ago, but I doubt anything has changed. The water is not potable and the bathrooms are closed. Basically it is unmanned and unmaintained.

Despite all of that, you can still hike across the land slides and I have seen people camping up there a few times over the last year and a half.

Like, I say check my facts and get current conditions!

Thanks, HikeUp