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 Reporter |
Summary: This hike drops you 1500 foot down into the lush and remote Devil's canyon. For the first couple of miles, the trail works its way down a series of switchbacks to a seasonal stream. The trail then meanders back and forth across this stream as it runs through a densely wooded, deep canyon. At about the 3.5 mile mark the official trail ends at a trail camp. Adventuresome hikers can continue further downstream boulder hopping and bushwhacking, while enjoying cascades and a 20 foot waterfall 2 miles down from trails end. I did this hike in the midst of a drought (June 2002), and there was no water in the stream. I did speak to some backpackers who said it was stunning when they did the hike in the spring with lots of water flowing. Water or not, I enjoyed the sense of remoteness that this hike provided. Note that the trail is quite narrow, with steep drop offs, so watch your step. Trailhead: From La Canada, drive 27 miles up Angeles Crest Highway (2), to just past the entrance to Upper Chilao Campground. You will see a parking area on the left side of the road and a very obvious signed trail marker on the right side of the road. (Lat:34.32372 Lon:-118.00312) Trail Guides for Devils Canyon Trail: Day Hikers Guide to Southern California by John McKinney (Olympus Press) Afoot & Afield In Los Angeles by Jerry Schad (Wilderness Press) California Hiking by Tom Stienstra & Ann Marie Brown (Foghorn Press) Best Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall User Groups: Hikers, Dogs Ranger Contact: Seco Ranger District (818) 790-1151 Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Jim Zuber, who has posted 104 other hikes on this site Trail Reviews Page 1 of 3 Submit your own review 
Reviewed by Chris on 4/13/2008 Wife, dog, and I hiked on 4-12-08 and lets just say it was a warm day. Beautiful views and little foot traffic in morning. Switchbacks are perfectly graded and the climb back out was not as bad as I feared. Hiked to camp and there seemed to be quite a bit of water. Good hike overall.....watch for ticks.
Reviewed by Anna on 3/23/2008 Went on this trail on 3/22/08 with a few friends. It was really gorgeous, there was a lot of water in the stream. We went as far as the trail camp, and had lunch, and lay on the rocks for a while. Water was freezing though, so we didn't do any more than stick our hands in. And honestly, it's pretty well graded the whole way, so I didn't even feel that the hike out was that bad.
Reviewed by Brian90620 on 3/14/2008 Hiked it on 03/01/08 to about a mile and half past the trail camp. The first water appeared right near the canyon bottom, at this point there was little water but as I kept walking further along the shaded canyon bottom, the water greatly increased with each passing tribtiuary. The first deep pools (about 5 feet deep) were near the trail camp. Past the camp I saw two pools that had to be at least 6 or 7 feet deep, looked like fun to jump into but the water was way too cold. The hike back up was tiring but not to bad with a few short breaks along the way...Overall this was a fun hike, but I did notice a few down tree's along the trail and also had many up close and personal encounters with ticks....So do use caution. 
Reviewed by Hikin_Jim on 10/17/2007 Beautiful canyon. Trail a little sketchy in a couple of places, but not bad. Watch out for poison oak. A lot of beer cans at trail camp but otherwise OK. Overnighted at TC. No water but had place to ourselves; very nice. Water available about 0.75 miles downstream. Bouldering and bushwhacking gets tough about a mile up from falls. Lots of poison oak, nettles, and yucca. Falls lovely. Pool fun to swim in with lots of fish. Don't try to climb down falss unless you know what you're doing. You may get stuck, and there is NO WAY OUT. Beautiful hike. Bun kicker -- all up hill -- on return hike.
Reviewed by eric on 8/17/2007 It seems like nothing going down. bring lots of water and prepare for the butt kicker going back up!
Reviewed by Viewer on 8/13/2007 Good workout, but would be much better if there was running water. Went past the camp about one mile and decided to turn around because it was getting hotter and hotter and got tired of dodging poison oak. Overall a good hike and it would be lovely in the spring or winter. Beautiful canyon even in the dry months. Coming back up was definitely a sweat builder.
Reviewed by Rochelle on 5/22/2007 This is a wonderful remote hike with very little foot traffic. I took it on a Tuesday afternoon and had the trail completely to myself. Started from the top at 3pm, got back up by 6:30. I stopped at the camp rather than hiking the last miles - it was too late in the day. Almost all of the hike by the creekbed was without water - only in the last .1 mile when it was close to the camp did water appear. And boy, the creek is just LOVELY. This hike would be much better in January when there is water throughout the streambed. Also, watch out for ticks - I was very glad I wore long pants and sleeves.
Reviewed by Travelmonkeys on 4/4/2007 Hiked it on 3/24 to about a half mile past the campsite, making our hike 8 miles round trip. We passed a small group of hikers just past the trailhead and those were the last people we saw until the campsite. Very remote canyon but a clearly marked trail. Even with this extremely dry winter there was water in the creek at spots, and as you get further down the canyon there's more water. We found one great pool with tadpoles and a downed tree crossing it that would make a perfect nap spot. The scenery on the trail is very pretty but not spectacular. Shortly after starting the trail you'll see a nice panorama of the canyon and then you head down into it. Most of the rest of the hike is shaded, crossing the creek and 2 tributaries. Notice: Traveling in the backcountry can be hazardous. You are responsible for informing yourself about these hazards and taking necessary precautions. Information on this web site comes from volunteer reporters and may contain errors or omissions. A current guidebook and proper equipment are essential for safe enjoyment of the hikes posted on this site. Keys: California Hiking, California Trails, California Hikes, Los Angeles County Hiking, Los Angeles County Trails, Los Angeles County Hikes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||