Hiking: Millard Canyon Falls

HAG WILD

The author and her teenaged son relax in the shade with a morning snack at the bottom of Millard Canyon Falls in August 2020 (Photo – Kitty Cahalan)

In the 1860s, Henry Millard and his family homesteaded in the hills above modern-day Altadena, where he kept bees and logged in an area then known as Church Canyon, having been the source of lumber for the Plaza Church in Los Angeles.

By Kitty Cahalan

Although he left only ten years later, the canyon where he lived bears his name to this day. Millard Canyon Falls is a woodsy 2.5 mile out-and-back hike into the San Gabriels that starts from the parking lot of the Millard Trail Camp on Brown Mountain Truck Trail. Start by hiking uphill on the road out of the parking lot. Past the campground, the trail branches to the right and narrows to a single-track, where it winds into the canyon. During the cooler, wetter seasons, lasting until it dries out in late summer or fall, there are a number of stream crossings, as well as some rock hopping, so sturdy shoes that can withstand slippery rocks are recommended. The trail is easy enough, and short enough, that it serves as a baby’s-first-hike for parents with young children, and ends (for as long as the water lasts that season) at a beautiful waterfall into a shallow pool.

Note that many of the trails in the San Gabriels are temporarily closed as we face a hot, dry forecast for fall 2021, leading to fire danger. Check the trail status on the US Forest Service page.

Parking

From Loma Alta Dr in Altadena, take Chaney Trail north; turn left on Brown Mountain Truck Trail, and drive downhill to the parking lot below the Millard Trail Camp. This modest-sized lot holds about two dozen cars, and fills up early on weekends and holidays. Note the cars must display an Adventure Pass, and that the gate at Chaney Trail just above Loma Alta locks at sunset.

Hiked: 8/5/2020