Welcome to

Eaton Canyon

Angelinos' Gateway to Nature

The fall, the flowers, the bees, the ferny rocks, and leafy shade forming a charming little poem of wilderness.
A blurry photo of a person
– John Muir describing Eaton Canyon in 1894
Eaton Canyon, nestled in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains of Southern California, is home to hundreds of species, a rich history and Southern California's most accessible waterfall. The canyon is visited by over a million people per year where they hike, backpack, botanize and picnic.

News

Trail Magic

Field Studies

Biodiversity

bobcat portrait
Mammals & Mollusks

Western Bobcat (Lynx rufus ssp. fasciatus), above

Birds & Reptiles

Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii), above

A close up of a flower
Insects & Arachnids

Harlequin Bug (Murgantia histrionica), above

fruit on plant
Plants & Fungi

Golden Currant (Ribes aureum), above

Buttons in this section link to matching taxa within The Eaton Canyon Biodiversity Project on iNaturalist.org.

Explore Eaton Canyon

Within a metropolitan area of over 10 million residents and adjacent to a national forest, Eaton Canyon remains a remarkably diverse ecosystem. Over 1,000 species are verified residents of the canyon, and this number continues to grow as researchers and citizen scientists document others.

The public’s strong desire to recreate outdoors recently put this treasured resource in danger of being loved to death. Thankfully, the thousands of daily visitors and the canyon’s natural environment have resumed a cautious equilibrium.

Trails & Destinations

Looking for a trail map or the latest information about hiking conditions and temporary closures? You’ve come to the right place.

Events

October 2024

Saturday October 12

All Day
🌤 55°F / 81°F
5:00 am – 6:00 am
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) passes perigee
9:00 am – 10:00 am
Docent-Led Nature Walks
10:00 am – 10:30 am
Saturday Discovery: Animal Ambassadors
10:30 am – 11:30 am
Nature Tails Story Hour for Children
12:00 pm – 12:30 pm
Saturday Discovery: Animal Ambassadors
12:30 pm – 1:00 pm
Saturday Discovery: Nature Discovery Tables
A small bird on a tree branch

Canyon Status

    Water Temperature: 68°F (avg.)
    Water Year Precipitation: 19.6 in.
    Creek Flow: 99.5% (7/1 Survey)
    Drought Monitor: No Drought
    Fire Danger: Extreme
    Air Quality: No Advisories
    Species Reported: 1,570

A close up of a rock
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