Placerita Canyon Natural Area is a lovely woodsy habitat a short way off the 14 freeway in the western portion of the San Gabriel Mountains. It is in a transition zone between the San Gabriel Mountains and the Mojave Desert. This east-west trending canyon contains a number of trails including the main Canyon Trail which extends two miles from the Nature Center to the picnic area at Walker Ranch and beyond to a small waterfall. There are also a couple of trails that lead up the ridges to the south of the main canyon. The Canyon Trail is mostly level, much of it shaded, and it follows seasonal Placerita Creek along its oak, willow and sycamore-lined course. The property was the site of the first documented discovery of gold in California and was sold by the Walker family to the State in 1950. The Nature Center is open Tue-Sun 9-5 but the park itself is open every day from sunrise to sunset. Unlike my other photo galleries, this one includes pictures taken throughout the year. In addition to half a dozen visits in previous years, I will be taking regular trips into different parts of Placerita Canyon.

Copyright @ 2017-2019 by Michael L. Charters.
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