For this weeks Show Us Your California contest by @socalsteemit I take you to one of the most beautiful canyons in Southern California...

Big Santa Anita Canyon!

Big Santa Anita Canyon is a beautiful, lush, waterfall filled canyon in the San Gabriel mountains just north of Arcadia, CA. It's beauty as well as it's close proximity to the metropolis of Los Angeles makes it a very popular place to hike. There are several trails throughout the canyon leading to the many waterfalls and all the super cool little cabins where people still live to this day! Yep, that's right. There are people living in rustic cabins in this canyon with very little modern technological comforts. Accessible only by hiking trails, everything they have is packed for miles, by mule or on foot, in and out of the massive canyon! The last remaining pack station in the San Gabriel mountains, the Adams Pack Station still operates at the main trailhead in the canyon. Chantry Flats.

Chantry Flats sign

Picnic Areas at Chantry Flats

The (not fully accurate) trail map put out by the USFS

The trail junction for the First Water trail

The trail junction for the Gabrielino trail

Cabins

Another beautiful stone cabin

One of many check dams along the creek that were built to protect the cabins from flooding

The most popular waterfall to hike to in Big Santa Anita canyon is Sturtevant Falls! It's a 55 foot waterfall pouring off a cliff into a beautiful, but usually not to deep, pool at it's bottom. It can be a wonderful place to relax, but if you go on a weekend expect Sturtevant to feel like Disneyland, lots and lots of people visit it.

Creek crossing on the way to Sturtevant

Hiking by more cabins

One of my favorite cabins on the hike to Sturtevant

Enjoying the pool at Sturtevant falls

My friend Jen at Sturtevant falls

A short video of Sturtevant falls

The second most popular waterfall is Hermit falls! Hermit falls is a multi tiered waterfall with beautiful deep swimming holes carved out of the smooth granite. The waterslides and the cliffs to jump from make it a popular destination for young adrenaline junkies. For years it was one of my favorite places to spend the day jumping from the cliffs and swimming in the creek. Unfortunately as it's popularity has grown so has the amount of trash and graffiti. If I visit Hermit falls now days I always bring plenty of big trash bags, because there is always trash to carry out. It really is a shame. It especially upsets me because I have so many fond memories from my many years visiting Hermit falls. If anyone reading this does ever go to Hermit falls and hauls out a bag of trash the Adam's pack station at Chantry flats will gladly give you a free beer after your hike for your efforts. Just fyi. But enough of the depressing talk about the effects of human idiocy on the beauty of nature.

Hiking the trail to Hermit falls

Arriving at Hermit falls

The water slide into the upper pool

Jen hopping into the lower pool

Me at the top of the big cliff (45ft.)

Mid jump!

A short video of me, my cousin, and a friend doing some of the cliff jumps at Hermit falls

One of my old Vlogs from one of my many trips to Hermit falls

Besides those two popular waterfalls there is lots of other awesome things to see in the canyon. There really is a lot of cool stuff to choose from. Most of which (especially on weekdays) will provide you much more solitude and a better opportunity to enjoy the natural beauty of the canyon. Whether visiting the cabins, the Sturtevant Camp, the many hidden off trail waterfalls such as Adams Falls, Winter creek and the Hoegee's camp, the Santa Anita reservoir, the many blackberry patches, the Spruce Grove camp, Newcomb pass, Mt. Zion, Mt. Wilson, or any of the other awesome hiking destinations. A trip to Big Santa Anita canyon is always a great one!