Sturtevant Falls Hike

STURTEVANT FALLS HIKE

DISTANCE: 3.4 Miles Roundtrip
ELEVATION: 2200'
ELEVATION GAIN: 440'
TYPE: Out-and-Back
HIKING TIME: 1.5 Hours
RATING: Mostly easy except for a steep .6 mile climb
back to the parking lot, several benches provide
resting spots
FEATURES: 50' waterfall, man-made water features, rustic
cabins, dense forest

TRAIL HIGHLIGHTS

Removed from the high rise towers of downtown Los Angeles by a mere 20 miles, hiking to the falls is like taking a step back in history. Gold discovered in 1850 created a small flurry of interest around the canyon, but no ore of any consequence was removed from the area. The canyon was later slated for logging, but the establishment of the Angeles National Forest preserved the canyon in its natural state. The early part of the 20th century saw the construction of numerous cabins and hiker's hotels. Of the 350 original cabins only about 80 remain today; the others having succumbed to floods and fire. If you are looking for a true wilderness hike, you may find the rustic cabins and heavy crowds a bit disconcerting, but the historic nature of the canyon, the foliage and the water features make this a trip worth taking.

Click the full frame icon in the upper right corner for a larger map in a separate window.

Directions to Trailhead

Exit the 210 at Santa Anita Ave and head north for 1.7 miles. N Santa Anita Ave will become Chantry Flats Road as you enter the national forest. Make sure you have an Adventure Pass for parking. Passes may be bought at the pack store at Chantry Flats.

Continue on Chantry Flats Road for 3.3 miles until you reach the Chantry Flats Recreation Area.

Parking at Chantry Flats requires an Adventure Pass. Passes are $5/day or $30/yearly and can be purchased at the Adam's Pack Station in Chantry Flats or the National Forest Office at 701 N Santa Anita Ave in Arcadia on the south side of the 210.

Sturtevant Falls Trail Guide
Click for printable .pdf map and trail guide.

Parking

Park in the Chantry Flats Recreation Area Parking Lot. Parking
requires an Adventure Pass and may be purchased at the
Adam's Pack Station.

Rest Rooms & Water

Rest Rooms and a water fountain are located at the trailhead at
the south end of the parking area.

Adam's Pack Station

The Adam's Pack Station, built in 1936, is the base of operations
for moving freight and supplies to the cabins along the Santa Anita
Wash by pack animal as motorized vehicles are prohibited on the
footpath through the canyon. The Adam's Pack Station is believed
to be the last of its kind in the US. Drinks and ice cream are
available for purchase, as are Adventure Passes for parking.

Trailhead

The trail begins on the steps by the rest rooms and descends
steeply for about .6 mile on a paved road. Benches are located
roughly every .25 mile along this paved section, which come in
handy on the return trip. There is little shade along this first
section of the trail, but that will change drastically once the
pavement ends.

Trail Junction 1 - Hermit Falls Trail

At just over .1 into the hike you will pass the trailhead for Hermit
Falls. There is a great swimming hole on this trail and may be a
place to visit on a return to trip to Big Santa Anita Canyon.
Continue downhill on the paved road toward Robert's Camp.

Trail Junction 2 - Roberts Camp

At .6 mile you will cross a bridge and arrive at Robert's Camp.
Here you will find the first of the many cabins along the wash as
well as pit toilets. Continue along the dirt road following signs for
the Gabrielino Trail and Sturtevant Falls. The trail meanders
through this heavily forested canyon of Alder, Oak and Pine and
begins an easy uphill climb as it follows the Santa Anita Wash.
There are a few water crossings along this section that are mostly
dry throughout the year, but may have heavy water flows during
the late winter and spring months. There are numerous damn
built along the wash which make for nice cascading man-made
waterfalls during the rainy season.

Pit Toilets

Pit toilets are available at Robert's Camp.

Trail Junction - Fiddler's Crossing

At 1.4 miles you will reach Fiddler's Crossing and the last of the
cabins on the wash. Here you will find the trailhead for the
Gabrielino Trail, both upper and lower sections, on your left. Stay
on the main trail angling to your right, keeping the cabins on your
left and cross the Santa Anita Wash. This is the only point during
my fall hike that I had to cross water of any quantity and some
easy rock hopping kept my feet dry.

After crossing the wash at Fiddler's Crossing the trail becomes a
single-track. This last section is about .3 mile according to my GPS,
which felt about right, but a sign at Fiddler's Crossing indicated a
length of .5 mile.

Pit Toilet

About .2 mile past Fiddler's Crossing you will reach a back
country pit toilet. Use this only in an emergency as it was quite
foul.

End of Trail - Lower Falls

A short distance past the pit toilet you will cross a boulder field and
the falls will come into sight on your left. Continue in a slight
counter-clockwise direction and you will reach the base of the falls.

After you have spent some time enjoying the falls and the wading
pool at their base, you may notice some people peering down at
you from the top of the falls. If you would like to take in the view
from above, backtrack to Fiddler's Crossing and the junction for
the Gabrielino Trail. Take the Lower Gabrielino trail on your right
and continue for about .25 mile to reach the upper falls.

Abandoned Cabin

As you make your way to the upper falls, you will pass the chimney
and rock foundation for an abandoned cabin on a knoll up to your
left. This is a great spot to have a picnic or enjoy the solitude of
the woods.

End of Trail - Upper Falls

The approach to the falls is on a single-track trail, which hugs the
slope of the canyon with steep drop-offs, particularly at the falls,
so caution is urged. The falls are seen from a higher vantage
point along the trail, and the pond below the falls can be seen
from almost directly above the falls. You may be inclined to climb
down into the wash for direct view of the falls from above, but this
is discouraged. A slip here leaves little room for recovery,
especially during heavy water flows.

When you are ready to return to the parking lot, make your way
back down the trail to Fiddler's Crossing and turn right. It's an
easy downhill grade all the way to Robert's Camp where you
rejoin the paved road. From here it's a steep .6 mile climb back
to the parking lot. This is where you'll be thankful for those
benches!

The Big Santa Anita Canyon has a multitude of trails that will keep
you coming back, including the Hermit's Trail, the Winter Trail and
both sections of the Gabrielino Trail, with the lower portion being
particularly scenic. Sturtevant Falls will get your feet wet with this
small bit of urban wilderness, but it's up to you to discover more.
All you have to do is start walking.