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Hike
the Arroyo Seco
The Arroyo Seco offers a wonderful array of
experiences for walkers and hikers. From the get-away-from-it-all
ruggedness of the mountain watershed to gritty urban adventures
alongside freeways, there is a rich variety of experiences.
The Arroyo Seco begins at Red Box near Mount Wilson
in the San Gabriel Mountains and proceeds through steep mountain canyons
for eleven miles until it enters the urban plain of Southern California
at Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The Arroyo Seco stream, largely
channelized south of Devil's Gate Dam, proceeds for eleven miles more
through Pasadena, South Pasadena and Northeast Los Angeles to the
confluence with the Los Angeles River near Elysian Park, Chinatown and
downtown Los Angeles.
| Angeles
National Forest |
The
Gabrielino Trail has delighted hikers as long as people have
lived in our area. You
can take it from the top near Red Box, although most people park
at the parking lot overlooking JPL near the intersection of
Windsor and Ventura on the east side near the mouth of the
Arroyo Seco. It’s
a delightful walk along the Arroyo Seco stream which has water
flowing almost all the year.
There are a variety of destinations suited to every
hiking ability:
- Teddy’s
Outpost -- 3 miles roundtrip
- Gould
Mesa – 4 miles roundtrip
- Paul
Little Campground – 6.5 miles roundtrip
- Oakwilde
– 10 miles roundtrip
- Switzers
Camp – 18 miles roundtrip
In planning your hike, take into account the significant
elevation difference to the upper locations and the dry
conditions that often characterize the Summer and early Fall.
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| Millard
Canyon |
Millard Canyon is the
eastern edge of the Arroyo Seco watershed entering the Arroyo
from the east just north of JPL. The trail is blocked by the
odious La Viña development and private property, but there is
a wonderful trail north up the canyon from the Millard Canyon
parking lot. Go north on Chaney Trail from Loma Alta
in Altadena for one mile over Sunset Ridge and down (to the
left) into the Millard Canyon parking lot. It's a quick
one mile trip to a beautiful waterfall and several miles more up
the steam to Dawn Mine. |
| Hahamongna |
Hahamongna is a remarkable
hidden treasure, rich in water, wildlife and botanical
resources. It’s a
great place to walk around and observe Southern California’s
unique setting and seasonal changes.
Sadly the area is little appreciated because of its long
abuse and neglect. Mining
operations and other industrial activity there have scared off
nature lovers. Now
Pasadena’s master plan for the area, seventeen years in
preparation, calls for a perimeter trail that will be about 3
miles long for exercise walkers and hikers, but it’s easy to
enjoy the area now through the trails that move through the 250
acre basin at the foot of the mountains.
Park in the parking lot on the westside of Hahamongna
Watershed Park (formerly Oak Grove Park) or in the parking lot
near the intersection of Windsor and Ventura Street overlooking
JPL on the east side. |
| Rose
Bowl Loop |
This is probably the most
popular way to enjoy the Arroyo.
Everyday thousands of walkers amble around the 3.1 mile
Rose Bowl Loop for exercise and relaxation.
Taking advantage of parking in the Rose Bowl lots,
walkers often go in groups and on a regular basis.
An eight-foot wide pedestrian lane was painted on the
asphalt in the early 90s directing walkers to proceed in a
counter-clockwise direction.
This was an attempt to promote safety, so the walkers
could observe car or bike traffic coming at them.
(The California vehicle code directs walkers to proceed
facing traffic where there are not sidewalks).
But the signs are largely ignored, and most walkers still
go clockwise. |
| Pasadena's
Lower Arroyo |
Here’s another popular
jaunt for local residents.
Nature lovers and dog-walkers frequent the area, parking
on the rim of the Arroyo or in the parking lot of Pasadena’s
Lower Arroyo Nature Park. They
then walk down to the horse stables at the South Pasadena city
limits or up to the Colorado Street Bridge where you can cross
the flood channel. The
northern part of this area contains the BFI low-flow stream
experiment. Controlled
flows are diverted below the Colorado Street Bridge and directed
into streamzones on both sides of the flood channel.
The riparian habitat has become so thick that it is often hard to
see the stream. The flow in the artificial streams
sometimesis turned off because
of sediment buildup and maintenance problems. Still the area is
a welcome oasis from the urban hustle-and-bustle. |
| South
Pasadena |
There’s a little-known but
wonderful trail along the east side of the Arroyo Seco through
Sycamore Park and the golf course area.
It hugs the hillside and emerges into the four acre
nature park recently established by South Pasadena, just south of the golf course driving range near the
York Street Bridge. |
| Northeast
Los Angeles |
The
intrepid Arroyo walker has to be more ingenious and bold in this
stretch of the Arroyo because there are a variety of paths and
conditions here. From
Arroyo Seco Park on the boundary of South Pasadena and Los
Angeles, walkers can cross Marmion Way and walk along the path
near the Gold Line tracks that hugs the hillside down to and through Debs Park.
Another nice walk is to take the concrete bike path in the bottom
of the Arroyo Seco stream from Arroyo Seco Park to the
Montecito Park Community Center near Heritage Square and the
Lummis House. Walkers
need to exercise their rich ingenuity here to get through the
barriers and fences presented by Heritage Square, numerous roads
and bridges and the 5/110 freeway exchange.
The persistent hiker will be rewarded by reaching the
confluence of the Arroyo Seco stream with the Los Angeles River. Hopefully
the planning and development of Confluence Park and other
efforts will establish trails that are easy and safe here.
Some of the
highlights along the route include:
Heritage
Square
Sycamore
Grove Park
El
Alisal (the Lummis Home)
-
Southwest
Museum and
-
the
LA River Center.
There is a
also a fun walkway along the Arroyo Seco Parkway (Pasadena
Freeway) over the Los
Angeles River through Elysian Park and into Chinatown.
It is accessible from a circular stairway around
the freeway pilings at Avenue 19.
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