Hiking Santa Anita Canyon loop

Want to visit Hoegees Camp, Mt. Zion and Sturtevant Falls in one hike? There’s a loop for that. The Santa Anita Canyon loop was described by John W. Robinson in his paramount guide, Trails of the Angeles, as:

One of the best [loop hikes] in the San Gabriels.

No argument here. At 9.5 miles, this is a longer hike, but it is completely enjoyable. The sixty-foot Sturtevant Falls is the main attraction, but the trail runs along such fine wooded canyon streams that the entire loop has something to offer.

The only negative is the last half mile. To enter the loop, you descend a paved road from the parking lot at Chantry Flats down to Roberts Camp. At the end of the hike, you have to return back up this very same road. It can feel quite steep after nine miles of hiking (and it’s paved). Aside from that, the hike is comprised of pleasant groves and streams and offers a great escape from Los Angeles. 

Sturtevant Falls

This loop can be completed in either direction, depending on whether you would like to see Sturtevant Waterfall toward the beginning or the end of your hike. On a hot summer day, it may be better to start in the direction of Sturtevant Falls so that the steep hiking is done in the shade leading up the Spruce Camp, rather than in the sun, hiking up the south face of Mt. Zion.

The details of this loop hike have been divided into five legs (which can be visited separately as well). The articles for each section provide more information and photos of the trail.

• Gabrielino Trail to Sturtevant Falls
• Gabrielino Trail to Spruce Grove Camp
• Upper Zion Trail between Spruce Grove and Mt. Zion
• Lower Zion Trail between Hoegees Camp and Mt. Zion
• Lower Winter Creek Trail to Hoegees Camp

The basic directions for the Santa Anita Canyon loop are:

1. Take the Gabrielino Trail from Chantry Flats, past Roberts Camp to the Upper Trail over Sturtevant Falls
2. Turn right at Falling Sign and hike past Cascade Picnic Area, and Spruce Grove
3. Turn left and cross a cement dam to connect to Upper Zion Trail
4. Take Upper Zion Trail to the summit
5. Descend down Lower Zion Trail
6. Turn down Lower Winter Creek Trail past Hoegees Camp to Roberts Camp
7. Return to Chantry Flats

Or in reverse:

1. Descend from Chantry Flats to Roberts Camp
2. Turn left on Lower Winter Creek Trail
3. Past Hoegees Camp, turn right on Lower Zion Trail
4. Take Lower Zion trail up to the summit
5. Descend down Upper Zion Trail
6. Make two rights to join the Gabrielino trail below Sturtevant Camp
7. Pass Spruce Grove and Cascade Picnic Area
8. Make a left at Falling Sign
9. Pass Sturtevant Falls and Roberts Camp and return to Chantry Flats.

If you are feeling up for this hike, it is a great excursion into the Angeles.

This sign marking the intersection of trails at Roberts Camp

To get to the trailhead: Take the 210 East to Arcadia. Exit Santa Anita and head north. Go up the mountain for 5 miles till the road ends at Chantry Flats. Display your National Forest adventure pass and park your car in the lot. If you intend to do more than six hikes a year in the Angeles (and why wouldn't you) the annual pass is a sound investment.

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	You might also enjoy:
	Hoegees Trail Camp This campground is set among the ruins of an old resort camp, two-miles from the trailhead at Chantry Flats.
	Spruce Grove Trail Camp This campground is 3.7 miles from Chantry Flats up a lush trail that passes Sturtevant Falls.
	Sturtevant Falls This 3.25-mile round-trip hike passes the rustic cabins of Roberts Camp to visit a 60-foot waterfall.
	Hikes in Los Angeles This list of trails explores the peaks and waterfalls of the San Gabriel and Santa Monica Mountains