|Bob's Hikes
|Basic Info
|Thumbnails
|
This web page contains pictures and descriptions of a dayhike I hosted for fellow
Bergen Brunswig employees 5 miles up the East Fork
of the San Gabriel River to the "Bridge to Nowhere".
Basic Hike Info:
Topo Maps: Glendora, Crystal Lake, Mt. San Antonio
Season: Mid May thru December (Depending on snowmelt runoff)
Distance: 10 miles roundtrip, 1,000 ft elevation gain.
Hike Time: 3 to 3 1/2 hours from trailhead to bridge, at an easy pace and about
2 1/2 hours back.
Directions to Trailhead: Off the 210 FWY in Azusa, take the Azusa Ave offramp and
head North, towards the mountains. Continue North for about 2 miles until you come to
the last intersection before entering Azusa Canyon, this will be Sierra Madre Ave.. On the
left will be a Stop N Go
convenience store where you can purchase an Angeles Forest
Adventure Pass which is required to park at the trailhead. Adventure Passes can also be
purchased at the ranger station about a mile further up Azusa Ave but it doesn't open until 9AM.
Continue up Azusa Canyon for about 8 miles, past the two reservoirs, until you come to the
intersection of the East Fork Road. Turn right on the bridge over the Off Highway Vehicle (OHV)
area and continue on for about 5 miles. The road ends in the Coyote Flats parking lot, which has
bathroom facilities. The trail starts just beyond a large yellow gate.
Special notes about this hike:
There are about 15 river crossings along the first part of the trail so be prepared to get
a little wet. The best time to do this hike is late spring, early summer. Too early
in the Spring, the river can be running too strong for a safe crossing, especially
the first couple of crossings. Be sure to bring plenty of water (at least 3 bottles)
unless you have a portable water filter. Even though there is plenty of water in the river
and it looks clean, it is not advisable to drink it.
The trail itself follows the remnants of a roadway that the Army Corps of Engineers was
attempting to build in the 1930's as an alternative route to the high desert than Angeles
Crest Highway. However in the Spring of 1938 a massive rainstorm (more than 12" in less
than 24 hours) hit the San Gabriel Mountains and the resulting flood wiped out nearly all
the road work. It has been estimated that nearly a hundred feet of water was flowing thru
the gorge spanned by the bridge and it was only the height of the bridge span (150') that
saved it.
