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 return 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.

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 reports for each section provide more information on 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.

The trail junction in Roberts Camp

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

To get to the trailhead: Take to 210 east through Pasadena 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.

Use the map below to create your own directions to the trailhead:

View Los Angeles Hikes in a larger map

Photos

 

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

These photos were taken in April of 2009. Click to enlarge.

Nearby Trails

 

	Sturtevant Falls This 3.25-mile hike visits a 60-foot waterfall and a lush cottage-lined canyon.
	Spruce Grove Camp This 8-mile in-and-out or 9.5-mile loop takes hikers beyond Sturtevant Falls to a backcountry campground with seven first-come first-serve sites.
	Hoegees Camp This 4.25-mile hike follows Lower Winter Creek Trail through a beautiful wooded canyon to a backcountry campground with fourteen first-come first-serve sites.
	Lower Zion Trail The trail from Hoegees Camp up Mt. Zion is 1.5 miles long
	Upper Zion Trail The trail from Spruce Grove Camp up Mt. Zion is 1.5 miles long
	Hermit Falls This 2.6-mile hike heads down canyon away from Sturtevant Falls toward a 30-foot waterfall. The lush canyon and the babbling creek are quite calming.
	More trails in the San Gabriel Mountains Explore other destinations in the range.

More Info

 

Santa Anita Canyon Loop in John W. Robinson’s TRAILS OF THE ANGELES

Santa Anita Canyon Loop on modernhiker.com

Santa Anita Canyon Loop on localhikes.com

The Angeles National Forest website

A trail map and brochure of Santa Anita Canyon courtesy of the Angeles National Forest