Sycamore Canyon to Be Part of Wilderness Park
Conservationists have acquired Sycamore Canyon, an area they consider the “crown jewel” of the Whittier Hills, for inclusion in the Whittier Hills Wilderness Park.
The 107 acres near the 605 Freeway is a narrow sliver of land about a mile long. Earlier owners allowed the public to use the property, but just getting to the canyon has been difficult for the past 30 years, said Whittier City Councilman Bob Henderson.
“It is a key piece of property,” Henderson said. “People identify with it because they went hiking there as kids.”
Henderson said the Puente Hills Land Fill Habitat Preservation Authority bought the property from Mitchell Energy, a Texas company, for less than $2 million.
“The canyon has a feeling of isolation and beauty,” said Henderson, a leading preservationist. “There is running water in the stream year-round and ancient sycamore and oaks. Whittier College found that one of the oaks was over 400 years old.”
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
