Explore the Forest!
The Angeles National Forest is a unique area nestled in the midst of an ever-changing and growing population in the Los Angeles area. The Forest is one of the few remaining open space areas in Southern California. The forest is an important part of the overall health and well being of the area population. It provides open space, solitude from the everyday stress of modern living, a place to conduct research, a haven for wildlife, and offers a wide variety of recreation opportunities.
The forest hosts visitors from around the world and provides a scenic backdrop for the larger Los Angeles population. We invite you to visit the forest, become a volunteer, and join the Forest Service in preserving this wonderful area for future generations!
The San Gabriel Mountains National Monument
On May 2, 2024, President Biden expanded the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. This designation enlarges the monument by 105,919 acres, and together with the 2014 designation by President Obama, the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument now stretches more than 452,000 acres. The monument protects rich cultural history, striking geologic features, and vibrant ecological diversity.
Wilderness Areas
The Wilderness Act of 1964 established a National Wilderness Preservation System intended to preserve the unique wild and scenic areas of America's public lands. The Act defined "Wilderness" as - "an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain."
"Wild" areas can be found within an hour's drive of downtown L.A. These are areas set aside by Congress to remain untouched - where people can experience the solitude of some of the nation's most beautiful country.
Congress designated the Cucamonga Wilderness in 1964. About 1/3 of the 12,781 acres lie on the Angeles National Forest - San Gabriel Mountains National Monument while the remaining acres are administered by the San Bernardino National Forest. There is an increasing pressure on the land from large groups visiting and requesting to visit the wilderness. These groups tend to be larger than the average group size, and combined with the high visitor use already occurring, are having a negative impact on the resources and visitor experience. Although the group size is limited to 25 and a permit is required to visit the Cucamonga Wilderness, groups often ignore the regulations posted at trailheads, or they are unaware of the impacts of their over-use. There are three dispersed campsites within the wilderness (two on the San Bernardino National Forest side, and one on the Angeles National Forest).
Vegetation
This wilderness consists of a sub-alpine setting, which is primarily composed of mixed conifers ranging in age class such as Ponderosa, Jeffrey, and Douglas-fir pines.
Wildlife
Numerous wildlife species do well in the area, including deer, bear, mountain lions, and Nelson bighorn sheep.
Trails
Trails going through this wilderness are the 3 T’s (7W06/06A), Icehouse Canyon (7W07A), and Ontario Peak Trail (7W08).
Congress designated the Magic Mountain Wilderness in 2009 with 12,282 acres. The use of this area in large part is unknown but contains great opportunities for hiking and solitude.
Vegetation
Chaparral (chamise, manzanita, scrub oak, ceanothus) covered hillsides in steep, vertical-walled, narrow canyons with perennial streams yield to scattered stands of mixed pines and hardwoods (oaks, willows, alder, sycamores). Several federally listed sensitive plants which include Nevin’s barberry, Braunton’s milk-vetch, and the lemon lily habitat the area.
Wildlife
The California condor, a federally endangered species, inhabits this wilderness. The least Bell’s vireo southwestern willow flycatcher, arroyo toad, mountain yellow-legged frog, unarmored three-spine stickleback, Santa Ana sucker, and the two-striped garter snake inhabit this area.
Trails
There are no officially designated trails that fall within this wilderness.
Pleasant View Ridge Wilderness, designated in 2009, has 26,757 acres. This wilderness area is located roughly 30 miles northeast of La Canada, north of the Angeles Crest Highway where the San Gabriel Mountains slope north to meet the Mojave Desert. This area is known for its’ majestic peaks and spectacular views of the San Gabriels and desert basin.
Trails
Burckhardt (10W02 High Desert National Recreation Trail), Islip Saddle (9W02), and the Pacific Crest Trail go through this wilderness.
Over 36,000 acres within the Angeles National Forest are designated as the San Gabriel Wilderness Area and have been set aside to preserve their wilderness character. The area encompasses some extremely rugged terrain, ranging in elevation from 1,600 to 8,200 feet. The lower elevations are covered with dense chaparral which rapidly changes to pine and fir-covered slopes and majestic peaks with glimpses of wildflowers and a variety of wildlife as you enter the upper elevations.
For a detailed description of the San Gabriel Wilderness area with associated maps, please follow this link to wilderness.net .
- Wilderness Permits are not required for the San Gabriel Wilderness Area. You can enter the San Gabriel Wilderness on the following trails:
- Bear Creek Trail - An eleven-mile trail, with trailheads near Rincon and Coldbrook Ranger Stations, both on Highway 39.
- Mt. Waterman Trail - A ten-mile trail, from Three Points to Buckhorn, with a one-mile side trail to Twin Peaks Saddle.
- Devil's Canyon Trail - A four-mile trail down into rugged Devil's Canyon.
If you have questions about the San Gabriel Wilderness, please contact any of the following Forest Service offices. Information concerning the 44,000 acre Sheep Mountain Wilderness Area, which is also within the Angeles National Forest - San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, may be obtained from these offices also.
In 1984, the 44,000-acre Sheep Mountain Wilderness was set aside as one of the Nation's truly unique wild areas. With elevations ranging from 2,400 ft. to over 10,000 ft., this area offers something for everyone. Whether you're a novice hiker, an experienced backpacker, a fisherman or just interested in the "great outdoors", this rugged terrain provides a variety of opportunities for all.
Special Provisions:
There are several private land holdings within the Sheep Mountain Wilderness that frequently conduct what may seem to be non-conforming activities. Special provisions permit reasonable access to these private areas and development of their mining operations. Please respect the rights of these owners/operators during your visit.
Permits:
A Wilderness Permit is required for entry into the Sheep Mountain Wilderness from the East Fork Trailhead only. This area has traditionally received heavy water-related recreational use. The permit system allows the Forest Service to make decisions to ensure better protection of the wilderness resources in this area.
When entering from the East Fork Trailhead please observe the following permit rules:
- Keep party size small to minimize impacts.
- Obtain a Wilderness Permit in person or by mail.
- Permits requested by mail must be received two weeks prior to the date of entry.
- Self-service Wilderness Permit issuance is available at the East Fork Trailhead.
Permits are free and available at the following locations:
San Gabriel Mountains National Monument
110 N. Wabash Ave.
Glendora, CA 91741
626) 335-1251
(Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.)
Los Angeles Gateway District
12371 N. Little Tujunga Canyon Rd.
San Fernando, CA 91342
(818) 899-1900
(Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.)
San Gabriel Canyon Gateway Center
1960 N. San Gabriel Canyon Road
Azusa, CA 91702
626) 969-1012
(Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.)
(Saturday - Sunday, 7 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.)
"We simply need that wild country available to us, even if we never do more than drive to its edge and look in. For it can be a means of reassuring ourselves of our sanity as creatures, a part of the geography of hope."
-Wallace Stegner