Much of Angeles National Forest reopened Thursday after a weeks-long closure because of wildfires and red flag warnings, but some beloved trails and campgrounds will remain inaccessible while the land recovers from the blazes.
The areas that burned in the Eaton fire in January and Bridge fire in September will remain closed, an area that makes up about 17% of the 700,000-acre forest. Both fires’ closure orders are set to expire Dec. 31, 2025, although the U.S. Forest Service has the authority to extend those orders if necessary.
One of the biggest losses to L.A’s outdoors community is the closure of trails in Big Santa Anita Canyon, which had only just reopened in October after being closed for four years. The Bobcat fire raged through the area in 2020, and volunteer crews spent hundreds of hours rebuilding trails, including the path to the serene 55-foot Sturtevant Falls.
The Chantry Flat Recreation Area in Big Santa Anita Canyon is technically open, but because of the Eaton fire, the Los Angeles County Public Works has temporarily closed the county-managed section of roadway that leads visitors into the area. This cuts off access to the charming Adams Pack Station (and its famous donkey herd) and Sturtevant Camp. Staff at Adams Pack Station were told it could be three or four months before the road reopens, according to the store’s Instagram page.
Several miles of hiking and popular mountain biking trails remain closed, including much of the Gabrielino National Recreation Trail, a 28.8-mile tree-lined treasure popular among hikers, backpackers, horseback riders and mountain bikers.
Here is what is closed in Angeles National Forest because of the Eaton fire. The Times previously reported on the 26 trails that burned in the Eaton fire and the 25 trails that burned in the Bridge fire.
A fire danger sign damaged by the Bobcat fire at Chantry Flat in the Angeles National Forest on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020.
(Nick Agro / For The Times)
