3 campgrounds near L.A. where you can start the morning with a hike
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Even though I’m technically a “professional” hiker, I do not excel at arriving to trailheads early.
Unless I’m camping.
Camping removes all distractions and simplifies my morning. Wake up. Boil water for coffee on the butane stove. Sit. Listen to the birds. Leave for a hike after two precious cups of java.
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I also go to bed much earlier. I’m not binging shows like Netflix’s “The Diplomat” with my wife or as interested in playing 17 rounds of Solitaire on my phone as a means to lull me to sleep. I simply lie down in the darkness, sleepy from an adventurous day and hot meal, and quickly fall asleep. Perhaps the version of myself I am while camping is something I should try to carry with me.
I know we’re all thinking about how we can squeeze every ounce of delight out of the summer. I’ve been daydreaming about campgrounds, including the three below.
These three spots will allow you to get up, make your coffee and get to the trailhead early (if you want to).
About an hour’s drive from L.A., Buckhorn is a 38-site, first-come, first-served campground shaded by large incense cedars and pine trees. It is $20 per night, payable by cash or check. It is situated along a creek just off California State Route 2 in Angeles National Forest.
The campground sits at around 6,500-feet elevation, providing a shady respite in the hottest summer months. Each camp site includes a picnic table, a fire ring and bear box, which you should use. It is a popular spot, so plan your arrival times accordingly. (Arriving before noon on a Friday should secure you a spot on a non-holiday weekend.)
Waking up at Buckhorn, you’ll be a quick walk from the Burkhart Trail, an 11.3-mile point-to-point segment of the High Desert National Recreation Trail that ends at the Devil’s Punchbowl Natural Area. Most hikers take the Burkhart Trail 1.5 miles from its trailhead to Cooper Canyon falls, which descends about 30 feet into a refreshingly cold pool. On one camping trip, my friend Hannah and I plunged into the water together, screaming on our way up to the surface. Once the shock subsided, it felt great.
Other trails near the Buckhorn Campground include the Pacific Crest Trail, which you can take as far as you’d like, or the 53-mile Silver Moccasin National Recreation Trail. The trailhead for Mt. Waterman, which dedicated Wild readers will know is one of my faves, is across the street from Buckhorn.
Chilao is an 84-site, first-come, first-served campground in Angeles National Forest. It is $20 per night, payable by cash or check. The campground features large boulders, sweeping views and, like the other two campgrounds listed, tall trees. You’ll need to bring your own water. Potable water is often available, but per the forest service, isn’t turned on right now.
Chilao is one of my happy places. A cool breeze is blowing through my window right now, making it easy to close my eyes and remember lying in a hammock at my campsite here, looking up at the pine trees as I debated whether I would keep reading my book or take a nap.
From Chilao, you can take a portion of the Silver Moccasin Trail and some fire roads to Mt. Hillyer, a fun little spot with large boulders to scramble over. Another option is to take the Silver Moccasin Trail to other segments of the forest, including a 6.6-mile hike to the Vetter Mountain fire lookout, where you can be inducted into the Ancient and Honorable Order of the Squirrels.
Manker Flat is a 21-site, first-come, first-served campground at 6,000-feet elevation near Mt. Baldy. It is $14 per night, payable by cash or check. Shaded by tall evergreens, each site has a picnic table and fire ring. The campground has vault toilets. Potable water isn’t presently available. Bears are known to frequent this campground, so plan accordingly.
Manker Flats will likely be my next trip, as I’ve been lusting over a trip up to Mt. Baldy since the route reopened. I envision hiking about 3.4 miles from my campsite up to Top of the Notch, having a quick bite and continuing the arduous but rewarding journey to the Mt. Baldy summit.
And instead of having to drive back home, I could simply arrive back at my tent, cook my dinner over a campfire and crash in my tent, looking up at the twinkling stars. That sounds like living!
3 things to do
1. Walk among raptors in Los Cerritos
The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust will host a free guided nature walk through the southern Los Cerritos Wetlands from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday. Ecologists will teach walkers about raptor habitat in the area and native people who lived in the area and their role in recent restoration efforts. Guests must wear close-toed shoes. A $5 donation is requested for those who are able to give. Register at eventbrite.com.
2. Yank invasive plants in Griffith Park
Friends of Griffith Park will host a trail maintenance day from 8:30 to 11 a.m. Saturday. The group will meet at the merry-go-round parking lot and then head to catch basins at the bottom of Fern Canyon where they’ll remove mustard, castor and other invasive plants. Volunteers should wear close-toed shoes or boots, long pants and sleeves, and bring a reusable water bottle, sunscreen and a hat. The organization will provide tools and water. Learn more and sign the waiver at friendsofgriffithpark.org.
3. Take a Dam good ride in El Monte
ActiveSGV will host a 20-mile bike ride from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday exploring the hidden gems of the Santa Fe Dam. This ride will start and finish at the Jeff Seymour Family Center (10900 Mulhall St., El Monte) and include both city streets and bike paths. Riders will learn about the Emerald Necklace network, a 17-mile series of parks, greenways and trails. Participants can register to ride an e-bike for free. Register at eventbrite.com.
The must-read
One of the most remarkable things I’ve seen in the outdoors is a black wolf crossing a meadow in Yellowstone National Park and then leaping several feet in barely a second at a deer that likely became its next meal. It’s a sight that hikers in Northern California increasingly have the chance to see, as the state now has a confirmed 10 wolf packs. Times staff writer Lila Seidman talked to experts who said there could be more than 70 wolves in California now. This is cause for celebration in conservation circles. But the resurgence of wolves in California, hunted to extinction about 100 years ago, has led to an increasing number of the canines killing cattle instead of the deer and elk that state wildlife officials expected them to eat. Killing wolves is a crime, but Sierra County Dist. Atty. Sandra Groven recently told Times staff writer Jack Dolan that she would not prosecute a rancher who kills a wolf caught preying on cattle. “What are they supposed to do? Run up and wave their arms and say, ‘Go away’?” Groven said. But Axel Hunnicutt, the gray wolf coordinator at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, cautions that the recovery of California’s wolf population is only occurring because they’re protected. “On the flip side, it would not take very much to completely topple these 10 packs,” Hunnicutt said.
Happy adventuring,
P.S.
If you’re concerned about the future of trails in the Santa Monica Mountains, consider attending the Santa Monica Mountains Fund’s event from 5 to 7 p.m. this Saturday at the Anthony C. Beilenson Interagency Visitor Center in Calabasas. Money from your $50 ticket will be spent on the fund’s “Trails Forever” campaign aimed at restoring and protecting hikes throughout the Santa Monicas. It’s great food for a great cause!
For more insider tips on Southern California’s beaches, trails and parks, check out past editions of The Wild. And to view this newsletter in your browser, click here.
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