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Summary: In this scenic loop trip form Chantry flat, you'll climb by way of the Gabrielino Trail to Sturtevant Camp, and return by way of the Mt. Zion and Upper Winter Creek trails. You start down a paved road (.06 mi) . There is a restroom at the end of the pave road. You edge along side a number of small cabins. At 1.4 miles, amidst a beautiful oak woodland, you come to a 4 way junction of trails. Take the time to see 50-foot-high Sturtevant Falls, a worthy trip. Take the middle (lower) trail -the more scenic and exciting alternative. This trail slices across a sheer wall above the falls and continues through miniature cascades and pools. About 2.8 miles into the hike you will reach Cascade Picnic where ther are restrooms. Another .7 you will reach Spruce Grove trail Camp. This is a nice place to stop for a snack or you can continue to Sturtevant Camp which is .1 miles where you can relax and have a swing. Cross a dam and take the MT. Zion trail to upper Winter trail. Trailhead: From the Foothill Freeway(210) in Arcadia, exit on Santa Anita Avenue and drive six miles north to its end at Chantry Flat. The trail begins across the road from the parking lot. (Lat:34.19459 Lon:-118.02405) Trail Guides for Big Santa Anita Loop: Trails of the Angeles by John W. Robinson (Wilderness Press) Day Hikers Guide to Southern California by John McKinney (Olympus Press) Best Seasons: Year-Round User Groups: Hikers, Dogs, Bikes, Horses, Ranger Contact: Angeles National Forest, (818) 790-1151 Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Sandy Westphal, who has posted 1 other hike on this site Trail Reviews Page 1 of 10 Submit your own review Loved this hike. Trail was crowed up the Sturtevant but not beyond. Really enjoyable forest/stream hiking. My photos and more information are at: http://budurl.com/SantaAnita Hiked this on Wed 4/2/09. Not many people there early in the morning. This hike has everything. Lots of uphills, lots of downhills, waterfalls, trees and more. The first half of the hike, up to Mt. Zion, is all uphill. After that, it's all pretty much downhill. The hike to Sturtevant Falls isn't too hard. There's a lot of river crossing on this hike, so make sure you wear water proof shoes or sandals. The majority of the hike is under the shade of the trees with the exception of the downhill portion of the Zion trail which is in the sun. You should also be aware that on the lower portion of the Zion trail, maybe the last half mile, there was a hive of bees in one of the trees along the trail. This hike is a legkiller but way fu Went on the weekend of March 28th. Down hill was nice but remember you much go up going up. There was plenty of water. The troop did ok. As boys do. The water fall and the levels of water were nice with the sound of the water going over them. It rained Sunday and when we hit the trail it stopped. You take your time and it is pleasant hike. Zendragon Having discovered I dropped my point and shoot camera upon getting to the lower falls, I backtracked back to the hardball. Being such a great day, instead of bailing, I started back down the same trail again, and discovered the trail above the falls. I was sort of off plan, but had the time to trek and discover. Some of the trail to MT Zion was on the narrow side... And I left my knees on top, which made the long trip down uncomfortable. But great hike, and plenty of water flowing in the creek and over the falls! I love going hiking and as an all time favorite, it has to be Santa Anita. It's close enough to home to be able to go weekly. Hiked on 1/27/09: Some things of note: The sign at the Cascade Picnic Area states that it is .5 mi to Spruce Grove Cmpgrnd. It is at least a quarter mile further as indicated on this site. I would say that .7 is a more accurate representation. There was virtually no one on this trail. I passed a group of ten and then only three other people along the entire trail. I didn't have any problems and did not find any on my dog...yet. It should be noted that there are two ways to return to Chantry Flats once you reach Hoagee's Camp. If you take the lower winter creek trail it will drop you out at the green bridge and you will have to climb up the dreaded hill. The hill is not that bad, but after 8+ miles it can be a little demoralizing. This was a very pleasant hike. It is mostly shaded, and there are many different options. I'm sure I'll do this again soon. Me and my dog (an American Eskimo) hiked this trail on 12/27/08. It was just beautiful and w the rain we just had the trail was hard and easy to walk on. No ticks! The views were just amazing and it's nice to know you don't have to travel 300 miles to see such beauty! Many stream crossings. We ate our snacks at the Spruce Grove Camp and headed back to have our REAL lunch at In N' Out on Santa Anita Ave. What a beautiful day! We'll hike this again, most definitely! Notice: Traveling in the backcountry can be hazardous. You are responsible for informing yourself about these hazards and taking necessary precautions. Information on this web site comes from volunteer reporters and may contain errors or omissions. A current guidebook and proper equipment are essential for safe enjoyment of the hikes posted on this site. Keys: California Hiking, California Trails, California Hikes, Los Angeles County Hiking, Los Angeles County Trails, Los Angeles County Hikes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||