Edgar McGregor

On January 7, 2025, Eaton Canyon and surrounding areas were destroyed by the already well-documented Eaton Fire. While there were minor landslides on a few portions of the trail and a handful of fallen limbs, the main trail system was left relatively intact. Cleanup would have only taken a day’s worth of work. However, on the evening of February 13, 2025, a torrential downpour struck Eaton Canyon. With no vegetation to hold back mud and rocks, all canyons and washes were immediately activated. Rain rates in excess of 5.00″ / hour (57.5 dBZ) were recorded by doppler radar as the thunderstorm passed over the canyon. The main trail system was wiped out, with several parts being buried in several feet of mud and rocks. Large landslides completely covered parts of the trail beside steeper terrain, while raging rivers pouring out of Walnut and Coyote Canyons left deep gashes. The damage done to the mountain gorge portion of the canyon is unknown at this time, though it is highly likely to be significant.

For now, the entirety of Eaton Canyon is under a strict hard closure. This is in place to protect both people and the recovering ecosystem. Trespassers could be fined up $5,000 if caught in the canyon without a Right of Entry permit from the county. The County will need to reconstruct the main trail, or even move it in areas where the old trail path no longer makes sense. This involves laying down decomposing granite, removing larger rocks and sediment, and allowing for set watercourses to pass the main trail without doing too much damage.

In the meantime, the MyEatonCanyon.com team scoped out multiple natural area parks in the region locals can visit while Eaton Canyon and other Altadena/Sierra Madre trails are closed.

1. Cunningham Canyon at the Crescenta Valley Community Park, Glendale

Located in Glendale, the Crescenta Valley Community Park offers cozy walks through dense Oak Woodland forests on the north face of the Verdugo Mountains. The canyon, a Los Angeles County Facility, is tucked away beside the 210 freeway and is relatively unknown outside the neighborhood. It may be a great location to go look for mushrooms, take slow, peaceful walks, and soak up nature especially after heavy rain.

Pros:
– A ~20 minute drive from Eaton Canyon
– Well shaded
– Low visitation rates, especially during the weekdays
– Flat trail going alongside the channel
– Very San Francisco Bay Area-like

Cons:
– Not really an official trail, though in the same way our West Bank Trail isn’t an official trail. Proceed with some semblance of discretion.
– Freeway noise from the 210 is prevalent, especially higher up in the canyon
– Small trail network, not great for long-distance hikers or people trying to exercise
– Concreted-in channel is an eyesore.
– No vista points or lookouts


Directions: 3901 Dunsmore Ave, Glendale, CA 91214
1. Get off the 210 Freeway at Pennsylvania Ave, and make a left to head south.
2. Turn right onto Honolulu Place, and then another right onto Honolulu Avenue.
3. Turn left on Dunsmore Avenue.
4. Make a right into the first driveway, which should be a parking lot. Be sure not to leave any belongings in your vehicle when parking. We already lost our canyon, no need to lose a backpack!

5. Cross the footbridge on the opposite side of the nearby recreational building.
6. Cross the grassy lawn and head up into the oak woodland. This is Cunningham Canyon.
7. Enjoy!

2. Deukmejian Wilderness Park, Glendale

Also located in Glendale but this time in the San Gabriel Mountains, Deukmejian Wilderness Park offers an extensive trail network, gorgeous chaparral ecosystems, and plenty of lookout points. Unlike the Crescenta Valley Wilderness Park, you won’t find much shade here. The trail network is extensive, steep, and gets plenty of sun. It also includes an incredible Nature Center complete with maps, artifacts, guides, history, and hospitality.

Pros:
– An extensive trail network to exercise at
– Plenty of biodiversity
– Higher in elevation and thus cooler than Eaton Canyon
– A Nature Center to explore
– A ~20 minute drive from Eaton Canyon


Cons:
– South-facing slopes that offer limited shade
– Low creek flow even in winter
– Nature Center only open Friday 3 PM – 5 PM (2 hours), weekends 9 AM – 5 PM (8 hours)
– Limited parking
– All trails have some form of elevation gain

Directions: 3429 Markridge Rd, Glendale, CA 91214
1. Get off the 210 at Pennsylvania Avenue, and turn right (north).
2. Turn left on Foothill Boulevard.
3. Turn right on New York Avenue
4. Go to the top of the street and turn left, which is the only option.
5. Turn right into the Deukmejian Wilderness Park driveway.

3. San Gabriel River Park, City of Industry, CA

A vast majority of natural area parks in Southern California are canyons and washes that managed to be spared from the relentless encroachment of human development. Quick thinking by locals and government officials decades ago made these parks, where nature is allowed to conduct its natural processes unimpeded, possible. There is no shortage of Southern California neighborhoods that probably shouldn’t exist because they are too close to the mountains, too close to the ocean, or too deep within a canyon. Water under the bridge now, but what if there were a natural area park that was once fully lost to human development that were brought back? What if there were a natural area that showcased human impact on nature as opposed to nature’s impact on humans? 

The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation had the same thought years ago. Enter: The San Gabriel River Park, a natural area squeezed between the heavily-modified San Gabriel River and underneath the busy 605 freeway, right beside the appropriately named City of Industry. This park is brand new, features expansive views of the snow-capped San Gabriel Mountains, and has a platform in which to view how humans have altered nature. 

Pros:
– Expansive views of the snow-capped San Gabriel Mountains
– Brand new park to get in early on and make an impact
– Low visitation rates
– Plenty of nature trails to exercise on.
– Bikes are allowed, which is rare for natural area parks.

Cons:
– Intersected by a major Los Angeles area freeway
– White noise from the freeway is constant
– Roadside trash within Caltrans jurisdiction that is unsafe to clean up without police escort
– 20 to 35 minutes from Eaton Canyon depending on traffic.

Directions: 255 San Fidel Ave, Bassett, CA 91746
– Take the 210 freeway to the southbound 605
– Take the 605 past the 10 freeway
– Get off at the first exit after the interchange with the 10, which is Valley Boulevard
– Veer to the right on the offramp to head east on Valley Boulevard. Stay in the right lane.
– Turn right on San Angelo Avenue, which is the second light.
– At the other end of the grassy park, turn right on Proctor Street
– At the end of Proctor Street, turn right on San Fidel Avenue
– Make an immediate left into the San Gabriel River Park parking lot

– Be sure not to leave any valuables in your vehicle.
– Walk back up the ramp to enjoy the grassy section, or go through the tunnel under the freeway to reach the main portion of the natural area.

On Thursday evening, February 13, 2025 at approximately 5:02 PM, a torrential downpour struck the fully burned-out Eaton Canyon area. Rain rates of up to 2.04″ per hour were observed by weather station data at the Eaton Reservoir as a rigorous narrow cold-frontal rainband (NCFR) pushed through the Los Angeles Basin. Approximately 22 minutes later at 5:24 PM, a ~12-foot tall, 100-foot wide surge of water and debris emerged from the mountain gorge and entered Eaton Canyon’s wash. The debris flow spread out to roughly 250 feet in width and 5′ in depth after arriving in the wash. The flood took less than 5 minutes to travel between the Chuck Ballard Memorial Bridge and the New York Drive Bridge. With thousands of tree logs in transport, the extreme flow laid waste to several large stands of young Western Sycamores, White Alders, and Arroyo Willow trees. In just that time, the route of the creek switched channels in many locations, burying the previous channel used since 2005 in sediment and leaving once creek-side trees up to 50 feet removed from the new channel.

Observes looking over the fence at Midwick observed the flood pass by at 5:26 PM. 

Despite only 3.5″ of rain falling as a storm total, the torrential nature of the rainfall and burned hillsides were all that was needed to trigger the debris flow. However, the duration of the flood was limited due to the lower rain totals, preventing sediment erosion on the side of the wash experienced during other major floods in past decades. 

Based on a preliminary view of the park from the various (closed) trailheads looking in, the flood easily ranks in the top-5 largest floods of the past century, approaching the magnitude of the 1969 and 1980 floods. A more formal analysis in the coming months will need to be conducted to determine the full extent of the damage.  

Three hours following the flash flood, the creek level had dropped significantly. By the next morning, creek flow returned to a typical rate of flow often seen in winter and spring.

This past Monday, January 20th, 2025, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works began clear cutting the Willow forests within the Eaton Reservoir below New York Drive. This project is being done in preparation of debris flows and significant sedimentation expected over the coming years now that Eaton Canyon has burned top-to-bottom. 

Following the devastating 1914 Southern California floods, the county created its Flood Control District to better protect the region. Several large canyons throughout the San Gabriel Valley, including Eaton Canyon and the Arroyo Seco, were significantly altered in the mid-1930s in an effort the lessen the impact of large floods. In addition, spreading grounds were dug to hold drinking water for the drier summer months. 

The Eaton Reservoir was originally meant to contain 948 acre feet of water when it was built in 1936. However, decades of flash flooding has deposited sand and gravel on the reservoir floor and left the reservoir only capable of holding 653 acre feet. This is a 31.1% loss in capacity. Efforts to clean out the reservoir and expand how much water the dam can contain before the next major flood hits are being prepared.