Santa Anita Canyon and Sturtevant Falls

The trailhead at Chantry Flat, ten minutes above central Arcadia in the Angeles National Forest, is the entry point to one of the prettiest short hikes in the San Gabriels. The 3.5-mile round trip to Sturtevant Falls descends through a fern-lined canyon past historic mountain cabins to a 50-foot waterfall in a hidden box canyon. It is moderately easy and very popular at weekends.

For more ambition, the trail continues up to Spruce Grove and Sturtevant Camp. Parking at Chantry Flat is limited and requires an Adventure Pass; arrive early or take an Uber. The trail is exposed to sun on the climb back — start before mid-morning in summer.

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A story
The cabins scattered along the Santa Anita Canyon trail were built in the 1900s and 1910s, in the era of the 'Great Hiking Era' when Los Angeles residents took the Pacific Electric streetcar to the canyon mouth and trekked into the mountains for summer holidays. The cabins are still privately owned and require all supplies to be packed in by hand or mule — there is no road.