Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your tax-deductible donation now.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
How To Enjoy The Angeles National Forest For FREE Saturday
Angeles National Forest (Photo by Matt M via the LAist Featured Photos pool)
If you needed some encouragement to get into the Angeles National Forest, tomorrow is the day: you can hike for FREE.
Typically, you have to purchase a National Forest Adventure Pass to enjoy the wilderness in our backyards, but the National Forest Service is waiving those fees for National Get Outdoors Day. (The Forest Service also does this on National Public Lands Day September 28 and Veterans Day weekend, November 9-11.)
Here are some of our favorite hikes to try out if you need some help narrowing down exactly where you'd like to go in the massive forest:
Nature, History and Adventure: Hike On The Bridge To Nowhere
Mt. Disappointment: A Hike With A View That's Anything But
Nobody Hikes in L.A.: Falls Creek Falls Is So Nice They Named It Twice
If you're going on your own, don't forget to bring plenty of water, layers and sunscreen. Know your limits when you go up against Mother Nature (watch out in particular for the deadly hike to the falls at Eaton Canyon). Don't rely on your cell phone for a map since that can lose its signal deep in the wilderness or lose its charge if things really get hairy.
If you're in a giving mood, you can also help to volunteer to beautify the forest during Operation Super Canyon Sweep 2013. We got a release with all the details:
Those interested should meet at the San Gabriel Canyon Off Highway Vehicle Area on San Gabriel Canyon (Highway 39) about 2 miles north of San Gabriel Reservoir at 8 a.m.
Volunteers will then be bused to various points to clean up about 15 miles of streambed along the North Fork, West Fork and East Fork areas. Lunch, bottled water, suntan lotion and trash bags will be provided. The cleanup will last until 3 p.m.
National Get Outdoors Day started in 2008, because studies show that
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
