Hello! I'm Jaclyn Cosgrove, outdoors reporter for the LA Times. I write about the best trails, bodies of water, campgrounds, and more you should visit in and around Los Angeles County. I'm also the voice behind The Wild, our weekly outdoor newsletter. I often go hiking with Maggie May, my faithful tracking dog, whether for work or fun. As the seasons change, I'd love to meet you along the way to determine if fall foliage really exists in Los Angeles.
I'm inviting 30 LA Times subscribers to join me on a walk from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on October 19. This is the second event in our series of subscriber-only walking events. (We're already busy planning fun outdoor events for 2025.)
We will start from the lower parking lot of the Gabrielino Trail and take an easy three-mile walk along the Arroyo Seco. This is one of my favorite hikes in the entire Angeles National Forest as it includes a river, a shady trail, and plenty to look at and listen to. Along the way, we'll keep an eye out for native trees, such as bigleaf maples and black walnuts, that change color seasonally. (And yes, you can take photos for Instagram, iNaturalist, or both!)
The trail begins with a short steep incline along a paved road before quickly flattening out. We will walk along a paved path parallel to the river, which after approximately half a kilometer turns into a dirt road. We will follow this pleasant path in a northwesterly direction through the canyon.
I'll be taking Maggie, since this is also one of her favorite hikes. Your leashed dogs can also join us. You might want to bring a towel for Fido, since we'll probably cross the river at least once.
We'll loop around about a mile and a half, but you can hike the extra two miles (an extra four mile round trip) to Brown Mountain Dam on your own if you want to continue (preferably with a downloaded or paper file ). map).
Instead of parking in the small paved parking lot off Windsor Avenue, you'll want to continue north on Explorer Road until you reach a large sand parking lot. Parking is free and no pass is required.
Park toward the north end of the parking lot. We'll meet here, near the short bridge that leads to the rear entrance of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (which we won't go to, but which hosts occasional public tours). Please wear good shoes, hat and sunscreen. We will have bottles of water for attendees, but you can also bring your own. You must be 18 years or older and will be required to sign a liability waiver before attending. Get a spot at eventbrite.com.
