Magnetic Lobster

Another photograph of Fish Canyon Falls.

The hike to Fish Canyon Falls is one of my favorite hikes in the Los Angeles area. A good description of the hike can be found on Dan Simpson’s excellent hiking pages.

The various Fish Canyon photos I’ve put up here are from January 30, 2010 when our family made this hike.

Unfortunately, the only reasonable access to the trailhead is blocked by the Vulcan Materials company quarry, which means that this wonderful hike is essentially inaccessible most of the time. Vulcan provides access to the trailhead through their property only on select days (here’s the calendar) and on those days they run a shuttle bus from their parking lot to the trailhead. Last year they had hiking days about every other weekend from January through July. As I write this, no dates are listed for 2010 beyond January 30.

When Vulcan decides not to open their doors, you’ll have to hike around their property. Vulcan has made this wonderful hike on public lands virtually inaccessible, as Tom Chester describes.  Save Our Canyon describes Vulcan’s proposal to mine a new section of the mountain, which would make access even worse.

Fish Canyon Falls

The upper and middle falls of Fish Canyon.

Fish Creek in Azusa, California.

The “middle” Fish Canyon Falls, in Azusa, California.

Here you can see the lower, middle, and (just barely) upper falls that comprise Fish Canyon Falls.  To get a view of all three at once, I had to leave the main trail and go through some brush.  Unfortunately, the price I paid for this view is a pretty bad case of poison oak.

In Fish Canyon, Azusa, California.