The Angeles National Forest (ANF) of the U.S. Forest Service is located in the San Gabriel Mountains and

Sierra Pelona Mountains The Sierra Pelona, also known as the Sierra Pelona Ridge or the Sierra Pelona Mountains, is a mountain ridge in the Transverse Ranges in Southern California. Located in northwest Los Angeles County, the ridge is bordered on the north by the San An ...

, primarily within Los Angeles County in southern

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. The ANF manages a majority of the

San Gabriel Mountains National Monument The San Gabriel Mountains National Monument is a United States National Monument managed by the U.S. Forest Service, which encompasses parts of the Angeles National Forest and the San Bernardino National Forest in California. On October 10, 2014, ...

. The national forest was established in 1908, incorporating the first

San Bernardino National Forest The San Bernardino National Forest is a United States National Forest in Southern California encompassing of which are federal. The forest is made up of two main divisions, the eastern portion of the San Gabriel Mountains and the San Bernard ...

and parts of the former Santa Barbara and San Gabriel National Forests. Angeles National Forest headquarters are located in Arcadia, California.

Geography

The Angeles National Forest covers a total of , protecting large areas of the San Gabriel Mountains and

. It is located just north of the densely inhabited metropolitan area of

Greater Los Angeles Greater Los Angeles is the second-largest metropolitan region in the United States with a population of 18.5 million in 2021, encompassing five counties in Southern California extending from Ventura County in the west to San Bernardino Coun ...

. While primarily within Los Angeles County, a small part extends eastward into southwestern

San Bernardino County San Bernardino County (), officially the County of San Bernardino, is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, and is located within the Inland Empire area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 2,181, ...

, in the Mount San Antonio ("Mount Baldy") area, and a tiny section also extends westward into northeastern

Ventura County Ventura County () is a County (United States), county in Southern California, the southern part of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 843,843. The largest city is Oxnard, California ...

, in the

Lake Piru Lake Piru () is a reservoir located in Los Padres National Forest and Topatopa Mountains of Ventura County, California, created by the construction in 1955 of the Santa Felicia Dam on Piru Creek, which is a tributary of the Santa Clara River. ...

area. The

, established in 2014 and managed by the U.S. Forest Service, is largely within the Angeles National Forest. The John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act of 2019 established the Saint Francis Dam Disaster National Memorial and Saint Francis Dam Disaster National Monument at and around the ruins of the

St. Francis Dam The St. Francis Dam was a concrete gravity dam located in San Francisquito Canyon in Los Angeles County, California, United States, built from 1924 to 1926 to serve Los Angeles's growing water needs. It catastrophically failed in 1928 due to a d ...

in the Forest's

San Francisquito Canyon San Francisquito Canyon is a canyon created through erosion of the Sierra Pelona Mountains by the San Francisquito Creek (Santa Clara River tributary), San Francisquito Creek, in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, Southern Califor ...

Wilderness areas

The Angeles National Forest contains five nationally designated wilderness areas. Two of these also extend into neighboring

: *

Cucamonga Wilderness The Cucamonga Wilderness is a federally designated wilderness area located in the eastern San Gabriel Mountains, in San Bernardino County, Southern California. The wilderness is managed by the United States Forest Service in Angeles National Fo ...

— ''mostly in

'' * Magic Mountain Wilderness * Pleasant View Ridge Wilderness *

San Gabriel Wilderness The San Gabriel Wilderness is a wilderness area created in 1968 of more than 36,118 acres (150 km2) within the Angeles National Forest and San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. The area lies on the southern slopes of the San Gabriel Mou ...

Sheep Mountain Wilderness Sheep Mountain Wilderness is a wilderness area of within the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and managed by the Angeles National Forest. It is within Los Angeles County and San Bernardino County, southern California. The U.S. Congress ...

— ''partially in

Climate

History

The

San Gabriel Forest Reserve San Gabriel National Forest was established as the San Gabriel Forest Reserve (or San Gabriel Timberland Reserve) by the General Land Office in California on December 20, 1892 through a proclamation order by President Benjamin Harrison. With and a ...

was established on December 20, 1892, the

San Bernardino Forest Reserve The San Bernardino Forest Reserve was established by the General Land Office in California on February 25, 1893 with in the San Bernardino Mountains. After the transfer of federal forests to the U.S. Forest Service in 1905, it became a National F ...

was established on February 25, 1893, and the Santa Barbara Forest Reserve was established on December 22, 1903. Together, they became National Forests on March 4, 1907, and they were combined on July 1, 1908, with all of the San Bernardino forest and portions of San Gabriel forest and Santa Barbara forest composing the new Angeles National Forest. In 1916, there was a movement to create the Sierra Madre National Park, but that never occurred. On September 30, 1925, portions of the Angeles National Forest and the Cleveland National Forest were detached to re-establish the

. Angeles National Forest is registered as

California Historical Landmark A California Historical Landmark (CHL) is a building, structure, site, or place in California that has been determined to have statewide historical landmark significance. Criteria Historical significance is determined by meeting at least one of ...

#717, for being the first National Forest in the state. The campgrounds at Broken Blade, Twisted Arrow and Pima Loops were closed on July 26, 2013, after squirrel infected with bubonic plague was discovered.

Wildfires

240px, 2014, new growth emerges after the fires of 2012

Loop Fire

On 1 November 1966, a fire started at 5:19a.m. on the Los Pinetos Nike Site (LA-94). The fire spread, threatening medical facilities and residential areas south edge of the national forest. 12 firefighters with

United States Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency in ...

's El Cariso "Hot Shot" crew were killed they were caught in a flare up in a canyon. 11 more firefighters were seriously burned in the incident. The fire was brought under control on at 1:00p.m. on 2 November, having burned .

Station Fire

In the Station Fire, more than of the forest were burned by an arson fire that began on August 26, 2009, near

Angeles Crest Highway The Angeles Crest Highway is a two-lane (one lane of travel in each direction) highway over the San Gabriel Mountains, in Los Angeles County, California. Its route is to/through the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and the Angeles Nation ...

in La Cañada and quickly spread, fueled by dry brush that had not burned for over 150 years. The fire burned for more than a month and was the worst in Los Angeles County history, charring , approximately one-fourth of the forest; displacing wildlife, and destroying 91 homes, cabins and outbuildings and the family-owned Hidden Springs Cafe. During the fire, two firefighters died after driving off the Mt. Gleason County Road looking for an alternate route to get the inmates out at Camp 16. The Station Fire threatened the

Mount Wilson Observatory The Mount Wilson Observatory (MWO) is an astronomical observatory in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The MWO is located on Mount Wilson, a peak in the San Gabriel Mountains near Pasadena, northeast of Los Angeles. The observat ...

atop Mt. Wilson . The site includes two telescopes, two solar towers, and transmitters for 22 television stations, several FM radio stations, and police and fire department emergency channels. Although the fire scorched one side of the outhouse at amateur-owned Stony Ridge Observatory, six miles northeast of Mt. Wilson, aside from minor damage from smoke and ash infiltration, the remainder of the observatory and its historic 30-inch Carroll telescope survived.

Bobcat Fire (2020)

In September and October 2020, the Bobcat Fire burned (468 km²) in the central San Gabriel Mountains of the Angeles National Forest. It was one of the largest wildfires in Los Angeles County history.

Natural history

The Angeles National Forest manages the

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' ...

and

fauna Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is ''funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as ''Biota (ecology ...

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syste ...

s, and watersheds. Some of the rivers with watersheds within its boundaries provide valuable non-

groundwater recharge Groundwater recharge or deep drainage or deep percolation is a hydrologic process, where water moves downward from surface water to groundwater. Recharge is the primary method through which water enters an aquifer. This process usually occurs ...

water for

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban a ...

. The existing protected and restored native vegetation absorb and slow surface runoff of rainwater to minimize severe floods and landslides in adjacent communities. The land within the forest is diverse, both in appearance and terrain. Elevations range from . The

Pacific Crest Trail The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), officially designated as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, is a long-distance hiking and equestrian trail closely aligned with the highest portion of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, which lie ...

crosses the forest.

Flora

Much of this National Forest is covered with dense chaparral shrub forests with

oak woodland An oak woodland is a plant community with a tree canopy dominated by oaks (''Quercus spp.''). In terms of canopy closure, oak woodlands are intermediate between oak savanna, which is more open, and oak forest, which is more closed. Although the ...

s, which changes to pine and fir-covered slopes in the higher elevations. Subsequent to the fire there was a heavy growth of poodle-dog bush, apparently triggered by the fire's effect on dormant seeds, that lasted for several years. The plant produces prolific lavender flowers. Unfortunately, as visitors to the Forest discovered, contact with it may cause a poison-oak-like rash. Tree species for which the forest is important include bigcone Douglas-fir (''

Pseudotsuga macrocarpa ''Pseudotsuga macrocarpa'', commonly called the bigcone spruce or bigcone Douglas-fir, is an evergreen conifer native to the mountains of southern California. It is notable for having the largest (by far) cones in the genus ''Pseudotsuga'', henc ...

''),

Coulter pine The Coulter pine or big-cone pine, ''Pinus coulteri'', is a native of the coastal mountains of Southern California in the United States and northern Baja California in Mexico. Isolated groves are found as far north as Clearlake, California on the ...

(''Pinus coulteri''), and California walnut (''Juglans californica''). The National Forest also contains some of

old growth An old-growth forestalso termed primary forest, virgin forest, late seral forest, primeval forest, or first-growth forestis a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance, and thereby exhibits unique ecological featur ...

, with Jeffrey pine (''Pinus jeffreyi'') forests, as well as mixed conifer forests (with

Coast Douglas-fir ''Pseudotsuga menziesii'' var. ''menziesii'', commonly known as Coast Douglas-fir, Pacific Douglas-fir, Oregon pine, or Douglas spruce, is an evergreen conifer native to western North America from west-central British Columbia, Canada southward t ...

(''Pseudotsuga menziesii'' var. ''menziesii''),

ponderosa pine ''Pinus ponderosa'', commonly known as the ponderosa pine, bull pine, blackjack pine, western yellow-pine, or filipinus pine is a very large pine tree species of variable habitat native to mountainous regions of western North America. It is the ...

(''Pinus ponderosa''),

white fir ''Abies concolor'', the white fir, is a coniferous tree in the pine family Pinaceae. This tree is native to the mountains of western North America, including the Cascade Range and southern Rocky Mountains, and into the isolated mountain ranges ...

(''Abies concolor''), and

lodgepole pine ''Pinus contorta'', with the common names lodgepole pine and shore pine, and also known as twisted pine, and contorta pine, is a common tree in western North America. It is common near the ocean shore and in dry montane forests to the subalpin ...

(''Pinus contorta'') being the most abundant trees).

Fauna

This forest is home to

black bear Black bear or Blackbear may refer to: Animals * American black bear (''Ursus americanus''), a North American bear species * Asian black bear (''Ursus thibetanus''), an Asian bear species Music * Black Bear (band), a Canadian First Nations group ...

gray fox The gray fox (''Urocyon cinereoargenteus''), or grey fox, is an omnivorous mammal of the family Canidae, widespread throughout North America and Central America. This species and its only congener, the diminutive island fox (''Urocyon littor ...

es, bobcats, cougars,

mule deer The mule deer (''Odocoileus hemionus'') is a deer indigenous to western North America; it is named for its ears, which are large like those of the mule. Two subspecies of mule deer are grouped into the black-tailed deer. Unlike the related whi ...

, bighorn sheep, rattlesnakes and coyotes.

Access

A National Forest Adventure Pass is required for parking at many locations in the Angeles National Forest and other National Forests in

, and this can be obtained online or from visitor centers and local merchants. Los Angeles County has declared that passes are not required on county-maintained roads. There are also many other areas that do not require the pass.

General information

* Acres of land: 700,176 (2652 km²) * Wilderness areas acres: 80,284 (324.9 km²) * Miles of roads: 1,032 (1661 km) * Visitor centers: 4 * Information centers: 4 * Fire lookout towers: 2 * Recreational residences: 505 * Picnic areas: 36 * Campgrounds: 66 * Ski areas: 2 * Entrance stations: 2

Ranger Districts

* Los Angeles Gateway Ranger District ** Station:

San Fernando, California San Fernando ( Spanish for " St. Ferdinand") is a general-law city in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. It is bordered on all sides by the City of Los Angeles. As of the 20 ...

* San Gabriel Mountains National Monument ** Station:

Glendora, California Glendora is a city in the San Gabriel Valley in Los Angeles County, California, east of Los Angeles. As of the 2020 census, the population of Glendora was 52,558. Known as the "Pride of the Foothills", Glendora is nestled in the foothills ...

Trails

* Trailheads: 53 * Trail miles: 697 (1122 km) * Off highway vehicle areas: 3 * Off highway vehicle route miles: 261 (420 km)

Natural features

* Wilderness areas: 5 * Lakes and reservoirs: 10 * Rivers and stream miles: 240

Sensitive species

* Sensitive plants: 22 * Sensitive wildlife: 23 * Threatened & endangered species: 16

Mountain peaks

Mountains within the Angeles National Forest include: * Mount San Antonio — also known as "Mt. Baldy" * Pine Mountain * Dawson Peak * Mount Harwood *

Mount Baden-Powell Mount Baden-Powell () is a peak in the San Gabriel Mountains of California named for the founder of the World Scouting Movement, Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell. It was officially recognized by the USGS at a dedication ceremony in 1 ...

Throop Peak Throop Peak ( ) is a peak of the San Gabriel Mountains, in the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and Angeles National Forest, in Los Angeles County, California. The high peak provides views of both the Mojave Desert and the Los Angele ...

* Mount Burnham * Telegraph Peak (California) * Mount Islip — site of historic Mt. Islip fire lookout tower * Waterman Mountain *

Iron Mountain (Los Angeles County) Iron Mountain is a mountain in the San Gabriel Mountains of Los Angeles County, California. It is within the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, in the section managed by the Angeles National Forest. Names The peak is sometimes referenced a ...

* South Mount Hawkins Lookout destroyed in Curve Fire 2002 * Mount Gleason 6,502 ft *

San Gabriel Peak San Gabriel Peak is a summit in the San Gabriel Mountains in the U.S. state of California. It was named by the United States Geological Survey in 1894 and is located in the Angeles National Forest. This peak was first named ''The Commodore'' for C ...

* Mount Disappointment (California) *

Vetter Mountain Vetter Mountain is located in the San Gabriel Mountains and within the Angeles National Forest, Los Angeles County, California. Elevation feet. Named by USFS surveyor Don McLain (c. 1933) for Victor P. Vetter (nd.), a dedicated forest ranger an ...

) — site of historic Vetter Mountain fire lookout tower * Burnt Peak * Mount Wilson — location of the

* Mount Lowe (California) *

Mount Lukens Mount Lukens is a mountain peak of the San Gabriel Mountains, in Los Angeles County, Southern California. Geography It is in the Sunland-Tujunga community within the northeast corner of the city of Los Angeles, above the Crescenta Valley. Th ...

* Echo Mountain All the above mountains are part of the San Gabriel Mountains, except for Burnt Peak, which is in the

Water recreation

* Pyramid Lake is located next to Interstate 5 (take Smokey Bear exit), north of Magic Mountain Amusement Park in Valencia, California. *

Castaic Lake Castaic Lake (Chumash: ''Kaštiq'') is a reservoir formed by Castaic Dam on Castaic Creek, in the Sierra Pelona Mountains of northwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States, near the town of Castaic. The California Office of Enviro ...

is located north of Magic Mountain Amusement Park in Valencia, California, just off Interstate 5 (take Lake Hughes exit.) The lake is managed by the L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation * Elizabeth Lake is located approximately west of Palmdale, California, on Elizabeth Lake Rd. It can completely dry up in drought years. * Crystal Lake is a small natural lake located near the northern end of Highway 39. *Jackson Lake is another natural lake located on the San Andreas Fault about west of the community of Big Pines and roughly west of the town of Phelan, California.

Volunteer organizations

* Angeles National Forest Fire Lookout Association: Restoration and operation of fire lookout towers in the ANF * Altadena Mountain Rescue Team: Saving lives through mountain rescue and safety education * Concerned Off-Road Bicyclists Association: Restoration and maintenance of multi-use trails in the ANF * Sierra Madre Search & Rescue: A group of dedicated volunteers committed to saving lives in the wilderness * San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders: California's hiking and nature trail repair group * West Fork Conservancy: Maintains the West Fork of the San Gabriel River and Beer Creek * Angeles Volunteer Association: Organizes Visitor Center information, trail repair, and a broad spectrum of forestry efforts * Fisheries Resource Volunteer Corps: works with the Forest Service, helping with various projects during the year * San Dimas Mountain Rescue Team: Highly trained mountain rescue team http://www.savetheeastfork.org/ *

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Air Rescue 5 The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD), officially the County of Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, is a law enforcement agency serving Los Angeles County, California. LASD is the largest sheriff's department in the United States a ...

: Volunteer Reserve Deputy Sheriffs are paid $1 a year for their work * Save The East Fork Association: Works along the East Fork of the San Gabriel River * Helping Our Mountain Environment: HOME—Glendora Mountain Road (GMR) trash and spray paint cleaning *Lowelifes Trail Crew: Lowelifes focuses on trail work in Southern California's Angeles National Forest, fostering conservation, sustainability, & community in Los Angeles County.

Gallery

Image:Viewangelesnf.jpg, San Gabriel Mountains Image:Sangabrielcanyon.jpg, San Gabriel Canyon Image:Sangabrielwater.jpg, San Gabriel River Image:Jackson Lake, Angeles National Forest.jpg, Jackson Lake File:IcehouseCanyon.jpg, Along the Icehouse Canyon Trail File:Sierra Pelona Mountains.JPG,

File:San Francisquito Canyon2015.jpg,

File:Ridge Road1 2014.jpg, View west from

Image:Sgranf.jpg,

Riparian zone A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the terrestrial biomes of the Earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks a ...

habitat. File:LA Natl Forrest1.JPG, Montane chaparral ecotone with the

Mojave Desert The Mojave Desert ( ; mov, Hayikwiir Mat'aar; es, Desierto de Mojave) is a desert in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the Southwestern United States. It is named for the indigenous Mojave people. It is located primarily ...

. Yellow sulphurflower buckwheat flowers in foreground.

California Historical Landmark

The

Marker NO. 717 at San Gabriel Mountain, Clear Creek vista point, State Hwy 2, 8.3 mi N of I-210, La Canada reads: *''NO. 717 THE ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST - The first national forest in the State of California and second in the United States, Angeles National Forest was created by proclamation of President Benjamin Harrison on December 20, 1892. The first name given to the forest, "'San Gabriel Timberland Reserve," was changed to "San Gabriel National Forest" March 4, 1907 and then to "Angeles National Forest" on July 1, 1908.. ''

References

External links

Official Angeles National Forest website
��at National Forest Service (Accessed 05 Dec 2014)
Crystal Lake Recreation Area
��Largest campground in the Angeles National Forest (Accessed 05 Dec 2014)
Southern California Trails
at Local Hikes (Accessed 05 Dec 2014)
Hiking Trails around Wrightwood, in the Angeles National Forest
��Wrightwood Hiking Trails (Accessed 05 Dec 2014)
Mountains around Wrightwood, in the Angeles National Forest
��San Gabriel Mountains (Accessed 05 Dec 2014)
Canyons and Valleys around Wrightwood, in the Angeles National Forest
��Canyons and Valleys in the Angeles National Forest (Accessed 05 Dec 2014)
Photograph of Angeles National Forest fire bulldozer transport December 2017
- saved at archive.org
Image of vacationers at Crystal Lake, Angeles National Forest, 1935.
Los Angeles Times Photographic Archive (Collection 1429). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles. {{Authority control National Forests of California Parks in Los Angeles County, California Protected areas of Los Angeles County, California Protected areas of the Mojave Desert *Angeles Sierra Pelona Ridge California Historical Landmarks Parks in Southern California Protected areas established in 1908 1908 establishments in California Protected areas of Southern California Tourist attractions in Los Angeles County, California