Campground host Lonnie Sehr points out a spot above the waterfall in Millard Canyon above Altadena. (Staff photo by Bernardo Alps)

ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST -- Old oaks and tall alders shade the sun-dappled boulders and cliffs of Millard Canyon, where a leisurely half-mile trail leads to a spectacular 50-foot waterfall.

The quiet glen just north of Altadena shelters one of the last forest campgrounds in the San Gabriel Mountain foothills, as well as 18 private cabins. Both the campground and the easy trek to Millard Falls attract hundreds of hikers every month, said campground host Lonnie Fehr.

But the gentle trail in Millard Canyon, which draws families with young children seeking respite from the city, also attracts those who bring an unsavory urban element.

While graffiti has always been a problem in natural areas close to foothill cities -- trees in Millard Canyon are covered with decades worth of carvings -- the problem has ballooned in the past year, according to those who live there.

There are few statistics kept for vandalism in the canyon, so it's hard to quantify the problem. Forest Service spokeswomen Gail Wright said it doesn't track such incidents.

But the Forest Service is understaffed, and it is usually deputies from the Altadena sheriff's Station who answers calls from the canyon.

"The sheriff's (station) responds really well," said Fehr, 47, who credits deputies with helping keep the canyon safe.

For the deputies, an incident becomes a statistic only if someone writes a report, said Deputy Sam Estrada. Thus, there was only one vandalism incident in Millard Canyon in 2001.

Though the reports are anecdotal, evidence in the canyon is clear. The first small graffiti, generally gang signs, appears just around the bend from the last cabin overlooking the northern Millard Canyon trail.

As expectant hikers round the last turn, the sheer cliffs of the waterfall appear. A natural amphitheater draws them in, voices echoing above the cascading stream, where graffiti 2 feet tall and 6 feet wide mars the granite walls.

Fehr said he's received subpoenas to appear in court cases involving vandalism in the two years he's minded the Millard Canyon campground.

Fehr has caught kids carving on trees and scrawling on rocks though their parents are nearby. He found a father encouraging his child to finger-paint on boulders and has been threatened when confronting those he catches. One man pulled a knife on him last year, Fehr said.

"It's like a full-time job keeping up with these people," he said.

Chasing after vandals isn't Fehr's job, but he goes out of his way to keep the canyon safe and clean, said Gordon Douglas, 61, caretaker for one of the private cabins.

But what worries the cabin owners more than graffiti is its consequences. Douglas and longtime cabin owner John Grancich, 59, have heard rumors the Forest Service plans to close the campground. They say their sources are Forest Service employees from throughout the area, but don't want to reveal names.

However, Grancich finds the rumor easy to believe, pulling out a 1971 Angeles National Forest map to illustrate his point.

"According to their own documents, in 1971 we had 84 campgrounds listed on the Angeles National Forest. Right now, that's down to 28 or 29. I think the big story is the fact that they're closing an awful lot of campgrounds," he said.

"This campground is the last close campground someone can reach. If you can't afford the Winnebago or can't afford to spend $1,000 at REI (an outdoors supply store), you can at least get some forest experience (here)," he said.

However, the Forest Service insists the campground is absolutely not slated for closure.

"I can tell you that at this point, whatever you heard about Millard Canyon being closed is only a rumor. I'm not sure where it started," said Gail Wright.