July 10, 2024 5:16pm update: The county has temporarily reopened Walnut Canyon with an advisory that the trail is in bad condition. Hikers are free to proceed with caution. The Los Angeles County Trails Division is expected to begin work repairing the trail on Monday, July 15th.
On Monday, July 1, 2024, the County of Los Angeles made the decision to temporarily close the Walnut Canyon Trail within the Eaton Canyon Natural Area. The Walnut Canyon trail rises 600′ up the San Gabriel Mountains to connect the Eaton Canyon Trail to the Mount Wilson Toll Road. It is a switchback trail that is one of the least popular in the area due to its steep incline, lack of shade, and alternative route options. The county cited severe trail degradation from recent storms as the purpose of the closure.
On the morning December 14, 2021, an intense thunderstorm struck Eaton Canyon and dumped rain rates in excess of 4.00″ per hour. The Walnut Canyon Trail was severely damaged when water began flowing through a side canyon below the trail. At the time, this water flow did not damage the main Eaton Canyon trail below. However, the new watercourse was responsible for completely wiping out a section of the main trail in a subsequent storm on January 10, 2023. Recent storms have made the situation on the Walnut Canyon Trail worse.
There is no word on when the trail will reopen. Hikers are asked to use the Mount Wilson Toll Road as an alternative route to Henninger Flats for the time being.
