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Prepare for Adventure
Learn more about Eaton Canyon’s natural history and ecology, then create a personal adventure based upon your interests.
History
From the earliest Tongva-speaking peoples through yesterday's headlines, Eaton Canyon has been a fascinating place, marked by significant events and important discoveries. Some of the canyon's human history is well documented while other aspects are generally unknown. Let's focus on that.
Climatology
Eaton Canyon is situated within the south-southwest facing coastal slopes of Southern California, offering it a uniquely mild climate year-round. The San Gabriel Valley is considered to have a mediterranean climate characterized by hot, rainless, long summers and cool, damp, short winters.
Geology
Local rocks are primarily igneous and metamorphic. Minerals like feldspars, quartz, micas and hornblendes dominate Eaton Canyon. Common types of igneous rocks include Wilson Quartz Diorite, Lowe Granodiorite, Hornblende Gabbro, Granite Pegmatite and Milky Quartz. Metamorphic rocks found in the canyon include Muscovite Mica, Biotite Mica Schist and Gneiss.
Biology & Botany
Eaton Canyon contains elements of several plant communities including chaparral, coastal sage scrub, oak woodland and riparian growth. In addition, numerous species of birds, mammals, lizards, insects, arachnids and even two species of fish are verified canyon residents. Please respect Eaton Canyon’s biological and botanical diversity by not collecting specimens.
Accessibility
The centralized location of Eaton Canyon just 17 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles makes the canyon within 30 minutes drive time of over 5 million Angelinos.
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Lower Eaton Canyon can be accessed by the Metro A "Blue" Line to Sierra Madre Villa Station > Pasadena Transit Bus 32 to the New York Drive at Altadena Drive stop > walk one block north on Altadena Drive for the main entrance or east on New York Drive for the equestrian park entrance.
Alternate public transit routes - Some California counties charge $6 to park at hiking trails, but Los Angeles County does not and there is no admission charge for the Eaton Canyon Natural Area.
- Parking along many roads within the Angeles National Forest is permitted if your vehicle displays a federal interagency pass, including all "America the Beautiful" National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands passes.
- The canyon is not physically accessible for the disabled north of the Bridge, but the main trails from the Eaton Canyon Nature Center to the Bridge are navigable with an all-terrain wheelchair.
- The route from the Pinecrest Drive gate to the area below the Bridge is also all-terrain wheelchair accessible, but the trail north to Eaton Canyon Falls is not.
Waypoints
Waypoints is a collection of interactive map photos documenting the location of various odds and ends throughout the canyon. The purpose of sharing these is to document features for present-day visitors and future generations of explorers.
Jurisdictions
Various governmental agencies have jurisdiction over portions of Eaton Canyon.
- The lower ⅔ of the canyon below the Toll Road Bridge is the Los Angeles County Parks & Recreation
- The upper ⅓ of the canyon below the Toll Road Bridge is the City of Pasadena Department of Water & Power
- North of the bridge is the United States Forest Service
- From the Mt. Wilson Toll Road to Henninger Flats is the Forestry Division of the Los Angeles County Fire Department
Latest Information from Other Sources
Both Los Angeles County Parks & Recreation and the Eaton Canyon Nature Center Associates maintain Web sites with varying content about Eaton Canyon Natural Area. Neither Web site includes information about the canyon north of the county park. Likewise, the Angeles National Forest Web site includes information about Eaton Canyon only north of the country park. Automatically updated news feeds from those Web sites, the Los Angeles County Fire Department and nearby search and rescue organizations are listed below.
