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| Favorite Preserved Areas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Part one | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Return to home page | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Conservation info | Habitat and wildlife info | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| POWDER CANYON OPEN SPACE: There are five main entrances to the reserve. Three are along Fullerton Road from the end of East Road to Harbor Blvd. in La Habra Heights. At each entrance there are large green signs reading HABITAT AUTHORITY WILDERNESS RESERVE. They are along the north side of the road and parking is very limited. These trails will take you through coastal sage scrub and toyon/sumac chaparral (especially the one nearest Harbor) and through excellent walnut and oak woodlands in several canyons. There are many trails to follow and many areas to explore! Going north will lead to a ridgeline with a great oak woodland on a loop trail to the left can be found. If you go straight you will end up in the following location. Another gate is located in Schabarum Park near the horse stables at the end of the developed part of the park. This will meet the previous trails if you go straight up to the ridgeline. Going left at a side trail will switchback up a canyon where a single scrub oak tree grows (one of maybe three known to grow here)! The fifth entrance is found by turning onto Leucandia Drive from Hacienda Blvd. A sign states that the dirt road (actually a part of Skyline Trail) to the left is an equestrian trail along the Edison right-of-way which eventually leads to Powder Canyon. This is a long hike but has a beautiful collection of wildflowers in the spring along the winding trail. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SKYLINE TRAIL: This county trail traverses through both public and private land but is legal to hike. It goes from Powder Canyon in La Habra Heights to Rio Hondo College in Pico Rivera, over eight miles. Along the way it passes through many different habitats and is an excellent overview of the Puente Hills ecosystems. This trail can be accessed, since it is long, from several places. A good start is to drive up Turnbull Canyon Road from Whittier to the top and park along the road on the right where a log marks the trail. From here you can climb to the right to the highest peak in the range and continue to Colima Road or travel down the trail to the left, also marked with a log and old metal sign, to explore Turnbull Canyon and maybe continue to Hacienda Hills Open Space if you want a good workout. Turnbull canyon is beautiful and has riparain habitat, oak woodland, coastal sage scrub, grassland, and toyon/sumac chaparral! A great way to see most of the ecosystems of the Puente Hills. The trail to Colima continues under the road and climbs up and then decends to Hacienda Blvd. From here you can travel under this road and parallel it until joining the trail discussed above off of Leucandia Road. Yet another option is to park at the bottom of Turnbull Canyon Road on the Whittier side and take the fire road up the canyon (details). This area was just opened to the public and presents some great hiking and scenic views. You can take any of the many dirt roads and explore this new 951 acre addition to the wilderness reserve! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SYCAMORE CANYON: This is one of the finest riparian habitat examples in the range. This area is once again accessible from Hellman Park since the old trail has been cleared to a usable condition. The best way is to travel up Workman Mill Road in Pico Rivera and park in front of the MRCA (Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority) headquarters just before Rose Hills on the right. Enter the open gate and look for another smaller gate to the left. This leads to the dirt road which then travels up the canyon for a great hike. Keep to the left at all forks in the road. Water runs in the stream during the winter and you will pass many large and beautiful California sycamores and coast live oaks, some of which must be very old! There are also many arroyo and black willows plus black cottonwoods which all lend their color and mountain feel to this hike. The road ends officially in Dark Canyon, a very beautiful and pristine oak woodland which feels very isolated and peaceful. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HELLMAN PARK: This is a seasonal hike as the main gate is locked during the fire danger season as determined by the Fire Department. Travel up Greenleaf Avenue and park in the dirt lot to the right marked by a large Hellman Park sign. Hike past the double gate with the sign pointing to the trail and around a reservour and then up either the first trail encountered just as you turn right or up the larger one marked with another small sign. This is a very aerobic hike as it travels up the mountain side by switchbacks and then to the ridge line overlooking Sycamore Canyon, a beautiful view. Along the way you will see a large collection of California brittlebush, a Sunflower family member with large yellow flowers in the spring. On a good day Catalina Island is observable. Keep going and you reach the ridge where you now look down into Sycamore canyon. You can return the same way or take the other trail by the water tower down as both reach the same main gate. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HACIENDA HILLS OPEN SPACE: This reserve is reached by parking where Orange Grove and Seventh Avenue meet in Hacienda Heights. Take the fire road past the large green sign denoting the reserve. This will take you up a slope adjacent to a large canyon where many California sycamores grow and up to Skyline Trail eventually. Halfway up you meet another trail by an old hitching post. The start of this trail is reached by parking at the end of Orange Grove and entering to the left of the chain fence by the large Mexican elderberry. This trail goes up a canyon with huge sycamores and a nice oak woodland to the left. This trail turns left and intersects the trail that will lead to the hitching post previously described if you take a left. Going right will continue up the same canyon to Skyline Trail. This will take you through the oak woodland you saw from below (if you go left on the trail) and through another canyon with towering sycamores and another beautiful oak woodland before climbing to meet the first trail discussed. This is a great place to see riparian habitat, oak woodland, coastal sage scrub, and toyon/sumac chaparral! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ARROYO PESCADERO. This is the newest trail to open in the Puente Hills and is located on former Chevron land purchased by Whittier for preservation. The area is over 1,000 acres in size but currently only a two mile loop trail is open. Hopefully more trails are soon to follow. Drive up Colima from Whittier and make a u-turn on the left hand side at the parking lot for the baseball field there. Heading down Colima you pull into the first gate on your right and park in the parking lot. There are neat displays and info on local plants and animals and uch info on the corridor and value of the hills for wildlife. Hike up the dirt road to the trail head marked by a sign. This hike is through coastal sage, toyon-sumac chaparral and riparian habitat. When the trail reaches the bottom of the canyon and does a 180, look ahead to the left of the canyon a you'll see several caves, some pretty large. This is great shelter for wildlife and no doubt is being used by them. There are some very healthy sumac trees, and willows along the streambed. Follow the loop back to the parking lot. Click to continue | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| If anyone is interested in scheduling a nature hike in the Puente Hills I would be happy to try to meet you or your group at the trailhead and show you up close the many natural wonders found here. E-mail me to set up a time! **[email protected]** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||