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62-403: The area around Crystal Lake, before there was a campground and resort, was referred to as Pine Flat. The lake was called Sycamore Lake by R. W. Dawson who lived at Sycamore Flats located down the hill from the lake. The lake has no sycamore trees, so the name was derived from Dawson's place. The area was a great draw for grizzly bears as they seemed to prefer the lake waters to the stream waters. It

124-640: A forest, considered a sacred place, and law enforcement had encountered the remnants—including leftover votive candles—of similar rituals elsewhere in the Angeles National Forest. The Curve Fire caused fourteen injuries and destroyed 73 structures. One of these was the South Mount Hawkins fire lookout in the Sheep Mountain Wilderness , and another was the unoccupied Coldbrook Ranger Station. Most of

186-404: A gentle walk through the forest to the lake site. The campground was always run by some sort of leased or contracted concession. The main facilities consist of a general store which grew from a small tackle house in the 1950s, to a fast food snack stand by the 1970s, rental cabins from the olden days, a residence for the concessionaires, service sheds and garages, an ice cream stand which opened in

248-477: A lightning strike had touched off the fire, later changing their assessment after surveying the area. On September 6 the U.S. Forest Service announced that the fire had been caused by "candles associated with a ritual involving the use of fire and animal sacrifices". The nocturnal sacrifice, specifically that of a goat, was in keeping with the local practice of Santería, an imported African diasporic religion from Cuba. In Santería animal sacrifices are sometimes made in

310-415: A round mirror-pool." Several waterfalls also exist above Eaton Fall, which are more secluded. Until 1979, there was a tunnel which allowed access, but this has been dynamited and filled in. While the upper falls were accessible decades ago, there are no longer any maintained trails. People have been injured and killed trying to make these climbs via unofficial trails. In 2011, a man fell to his death on

372-579: A small dock that was attached to cables that ran onto shore. The dock could be raised and lowered during the year with the varying levels of the water. It was removed after the 1969 rains. As of July 2018 severe drought in California has nearly dried out Crystal Lake. It would take several years of El Nino type weather to add any significant amount of water to the lake. Swimming in the lake has been banned due to environmental and health issues involved with stagnant water. Crystal Lake Campground goes back to

434-578: A vehicular passable road from the base of the foothills in Altadena . It was accessible from Pasadena via Santa Anita Avenue which drove right to the front porch of the toll house. The road is still accessible from Pinecrest Drive, just off Altadena Drive in Altadena. Access was blocked after a 2005 landslide destroyed 50 yards of the road, but the road has since been rebuilt and reopened. Mount Wilson had always been active with human passage starting from

496-411: A woman in her cabin near Soldier's Creek who, unable to escape, had planned to commit suicide before the fire reached her and informed her ex-husband via phone call. On Wednesday, September 4, the fire moved beneath—and threatened—major electrical transmission lines connecting Southern California to its northern counterpart. The California Independent System Operator reduced the power flowing through

558-413: Is (626) 910-1029. Cabin rentals can be acquired through using that telephone number. As a recreation area the campground had many nature trails for visitors which provided scenic and educational walks through various parts of the canyon: Pinion Ridge, Soldier Creek, Knob Hill, Golden Cup, Tototgna to name a few. The Lake Trail provides a one-mile (1.6 km) walk to the lake. The Windy Gap Trail ascends

620-564: Is a group campground about one mile (1600 m) up the South Hawkins Road from the main campground. It has nine sites for groups of eight to fourteen. It provides an even more remote location for Scouting , church groups, retreats, etc. It too has been affected by the closing. The Group Campgrounds generally require a permit from the San Gabriel River Ranger District's offices before groups may utilize

682-810: Is a major canyon beginning at the Eaton Saddle near Mount Markham and San Gabriel Peak in the San Gabriel Mountains in the Angeles National Forest , United States. Its drainage flows into the Rio Hondo river and then into the Los Angeles River . It is named after Judge Benjamin S. Eaton, who lived in the Fair Oaks Ranch House in 1865 not far from Eaton Creek. The most well-known portion of

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744-428: Is available at a faucet outside the cafe, and trash bags are handed out to people to collect trash. The cafe has an ongoing policy that if you fill a trash bag and bring it back to them, the cafe will give you a free brownie or cup of coffee to encourage people to collect, bag, and dispose of litter. The cafe also provides plastic buckets for visitors to use to extinguish their camp fires with. The cafe's telephone number

806-663: Is controlled by the Water Department of the City of Pasadena . The falls are where the Eaton Creek has a fifty-foot drop and are located north of the bridge in the part of the canyon administered by the US Forest Service. John Muir once described the waterfall as "a charming little thing, with a low, sweet voice, singing like a bird, as it pours from a notch in a short ledge, some thirty or forty feet into

868-561: Is for flood control and debris storage. Curve Fire The Curve Fire was a destructive wildfire in the Angeles National Forest in Los Angeles County, California , in September of 2002. The fire, which ignited on September 1 from candles associated with a Santería ritual, grew to 20,857 acres (8,441 hectares) before it was declared fully contained on September 5. The Curve Fire destroyed 73 structures, forced

930-514: Is intended for large groups, downed trees are situated around the larger fire rings in most of the camp sites for seating. There is drinking water at Deer Flats, fed from water taken from a large water tank located at the Northern edge of the campgrounds. Water is distributed to the camp sites through a system of underground pipes, through a number of distribution valves and boxes, and then to individual drinking and outflow facilities located around

992-595: The Eaton Wash Dam were built in 1937 (87 years ago)  ( 1937 ) and are controlled by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works . The dam is a rock fill , 63 feet (19 m) in height, and is 1,545 ft (471 m) in length. Normal storage for the reservoir is 721 acre-feet (889,000 m ). It has a surface area of 54 acres (22 ha) and drains an area of 9.47 square miles (24.5 km ). Its primary usage

1054-643: The Rio Hondo river and then into the Los Angeles River . The wash is one of the Altadena streams that helps to feed to Raymond Basin. Rubio, Las Flores and others all flow to the east eventually to join the Rio Hondo. Millard Canyon on the west flows to the Arroyo Seco . Eaton Wash is one of the two major streams that channels storm water in Pasadena; the other is the Arroyo Seco on the western side of

1116-622: The Southern Pacific Railroad . Once the railroad gave up the land, it was opened for homesteading. The nature center is unique in the area because it houses exhibits that educate on the flora and fauna local to the San Gabriel Valley Southern California. The center was rebuilt in 1998 after the 1993 fire destroyed the previous facility. Pasadena and parts of Altadena receive about 40% of their water from local sources. The upper third

1178-410: The 1920s as a privately leased concession until 1946 when it was permanently taken over by the U.S. Forest Service . It served as the largest campground in the Angeles National Forest, and at its height had 232 campsites. The campground is upslope from the lake about 1-mile (1.6 km) and a one-way paved road provides easy automobile access to and from the lake. There is also a foot trail that provides

1240-603: The Bichota Mesa area. The fire began at roughly 12:30–12:45 p.m. PDT and crossed Highway 39 north of East Fork Road while moving north, burning past the Crystal Lake Recreation Area . The fire spread north on both the eastern and western sides of Highway 39. By 5:00 p.m. the fire had burned about 10,000 acres (4,000 ha) and about 500 firefighters were on the scene. Two Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies drove through flames to reach

1302-608: The Crystal Lake campgrounds consists mostly of repairing the tread upon which hikers walk, removing accumulated rocks, sand, and gravel, and reworking the tread to provide a gentle slope from which rain water can flow off the side of the trail (rather than down the trail which causes erosion and a difficult, uncomfortable hike). For some of the nature trails—such as Golden Cup and Lake Trail—maintenance and repair has consisted of volunteers hauling in many thousands of pounds of rock, gravel, and sand using buckets to fill in sections of

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1364-535: The Recreation Area, so the trail crews appreciate as much information as visitors can provide. Other Recreation Area problems such as spray paint vandalism, leaking water outlets, overflowing camp sites or BBQ boxes may also be reported to the Trailbuilders as well as to the U. S. Forest Service Glendora, California offices at (626) 335-1251, Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 4:30pm. Deer Flats

1426-604: The USFS to perform maintenance on the trails in the region even when the region is periodically closed to the general public so that once the region is re-opened the trails are constantly in a reasonably safe condition for hikers to use. Most of the hiking trails receive maintenance according to the availability of volunteers, weather, and other factors however some trails require a two-day restoration effort and as such require an overnight stay which makes maintenance performed on those trails less frequent. The maintenance of trails within

1488-641: The bulletin board located at the front of the Center and if the Forest Ranger or Forestry volunteer has stepped out of the Center for a period of time, a sign is provided to alert visitors of when the person is expected to return to re-open the Center. Summertime hours limited to Saturday and Sunday only. There is no public telephone access available at the Recreation Area. The USFS employees and volunteers have radio communications capabilities with medical assistance, rescue, law enforcement, and other agencies in

1550-501: The campgrounds because of the easy access across the San Gabriel Mountains . Crystal Lake is a naturally formed lake , a rarity in Southern California. It is snow and spring fed and has no other artificial means of being replenished. Geographically it sits in a bed of decomposed granite. There is a fissure located at the bottom of the lake that depletes its water during and after the rain and snow season. Because of this,

1612-750: The campgrounds once the Recreation Area is reopened. In March 2011, it was reopened. One of the most interesting features of the Crystal Lake Recreation Areas is the amphitheater which was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps and other agencies and was fully restored after the damage to the facility caused by the Curve Fire of 2002 by contractors. This open facility is often used by U. S. Forest Service volunteers and employees to give lectures to individuals, Boy Scouts, hikers, campers, and picnickers during

1674-517: The campgrounds. There are several toilet buildings located toward the Southern end of Deer Flats Group Campgrounds which have been installed after the Curve Fire swept through the area. The existing older stone toilet facilities are currently closed and will likely remain closed in favor of the newer, more environmentally friendly toilet facilities. Benjamin S. Eaton Eaton Canyon

1736-603: The canyon as "El Precipicio" because of its steep gorges, the canyon falls under several governmental jurisdictions. Benjamin Eaton was hired by Don Benito Wilson to bring water to the Fair Oaks Ranch , building a house on the property in 1865. In August 1877, naturalist John Muir set out from Pasadena for an expedition into the San Gabriels. He writes: "On the first day of my excursion I went only as far as

1798-691: The canyon is the Eaton Canyon Nature Center in Pasadena, California . The trailhead of the Mount Wilson Toll Road is in the canyon. The canyon has been part of the homelands of the Tongva for thousands of years. The village of Puntitavjatngna relied on the freshwater of the canyon to thrive, housing about 500 to 1,500 dwellings. Spanish settlers arrived in the area in the late eighteenth century and referred to

1860-606: The city. On its way to the Rio Hondo, the Eaton Wash is joined by the combined drainages from Pasadena Glen and Hastings Canyons. These channels have all been modified by flood control dams near the base of the mountains, and both have been confined to manmade channels or storm drains in their lower reaches. Typically the Eaton Wash and Arroyo Seco carry very little water. Peak discharges are typically less than 1,000 ft /s (30 m /s) for Arroyo Seco and less than 500 ft /s (15 m /s) for Eaton Wash. Eaton Wash Reservoir and

1922-403: The concessionaires to vacate, leaving campers and anglers no place to shop or eat if they didn't pack it in themselves. Management contractors were brought in to help run the facility, but in 2002 the Curve Fire burned through the canyons and the basin which forms the Recreation Area, prompting the campgrounds to be closed altogether for health and safety reasons. Due to extensive fire damage to

Crystal Lake Recreation Area - Misplaced Pages Continue

1984-456: The day and often at night. The amphitheater area is surrounded by electric lights and there are numerous electrical outlets along the walkway to the amphitheater itself. Drinking water is piped in to the facility through underground pipes fed from an underground water cistern which is in turn fed from Soldier Creek. The theater can seat about 200 individuals and there is a central ring where large fires can be had. A drinking fountain located on

2046-701: The days of the local Indians. It was Benjamin Davis Wilson who established a proper trail to the summit of Mt. Wilson from Sierra Madre through the Santa Anita Canyon . The Mt. Wilson Toll Road to Henninger Flats is controlled by the Forester and Fire Warden of the Los Angeles County Fire Department . Emerging from the foothills and flowing south, the Eaton Creek becomes the Eaton Wash, whose drainage flows into

2108-568: The dedicated efforts of volunteers, the campgrounds boast of many enjoyable and reasonably safe hikes. As of July 2018, obstructions, erosion, and other problems with hiking trails and nature trails located within the Recreation Area may be reported to the San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders web page created specifically to inform work crews of the need for maintenance. GPS coordinates of problems as well as photographs are helpful in coordinating trail repairs within

2170-559: The event a visitor requires assistance, however the Visitor Center hours of operation are limited to weekends and some holidays, and emergency assistance may not always be available. There is drinking water located at many of the camp sites within the campground system, however there is also water available at the Visitor Center and the Cafe. The Visitor Center can be reached by telephone at (626) 910-1149 Saturdays and Sundays between

2232-399: The facility so that music groups will once again play, allowing visitors to enjoy Summer music in the open air of the campgrounds. The United States Forest Service maintains a Visitor Center at the campgrounds, offering printed maps of available hiking and nature trails in the area as well as offering information about any questions that visitors may have. The Visitor Center is located across

2294-410: The ground where the hazards can be bucked up and removed. Less frequent repairs and maintenance involves the building of rock retaining walls to hold back rock and dirt slides which can flood sections of the campground's hiking trails. Additionally rock walkways across gullies are built to afford safer hiking across otherwise unsafe sections of trails. The San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders provide

2356-453: The group campgrounds. This is because individuals are encouraged to use the smaller camp sites located in the main grounds so that large groups may utilize the larger camp sites. Deer Flats Group Campground contains 25 very large camp sites, most of them with four large fire rings, many of them with concrete-and-stone ovens, and most of them with at least two large concrete tables upon which campers may cook and have picnics. Because Deer Flats

2418-415: The hike to the falls. Another man fell to his death one week later. In 2013, two hikers attempted to climb to the second waterfall, but decided against it mid-climb. As they were coming down, they both lost their footing and fell. One hiker fell to her death, and the other was airlifted to a hospital. On June 27, 2014, the US Forest Service announced plans to close the trail to the upper falls. The trail to

2480-416: The hours of 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. There is a cafe that features a potbelly stove and an open patio with a number of tables next to an array of gas and charcoal grills for outdoor cooking . The cafe opens at dawn and closes after dark all days of the week except for Tuesdays when the cafe is closed. There are menus posted inside the cafe with specials listed on post boards outside of the cafe. Drinking water

2542-633: The incident command post for the fire, the Eaton Canyon Nature Center was destroyed. It was rebuilt in 1998. In 2022, a 1 acre (0.40 ha) property overlooking the canyon was returned to the Tongva tribe via the Tongva Taraxat Paxaavxa Conservancy , which marked the first time the tribe had land in Los Angeles County in nearly 200 years. The Eaton Canyon Natural Area Park is located where

Crystal Lake Recreation Area - Misplaced Pages Continue

2604-420: The lake's depths vary dramatically from a mean low of 35 feet (10.7 m) to a probable high of 150 feet (45.7 m), depending on seasonal precipitation. The Lake is settled neatly in a bowl below the granite crags surrounding Mount Islip. In the past, the lake had amenities for picnickers, anglers, and swimmers. In 1969, a severe rainy season flooded the restrooms on the shoreline, and the water became contaminated to

2666-406: The lake's water levels which continued microbiological contamination of the water, putting it off limits to any type of swimming at all. Following a good rainy season, the lake may be stocked with fish, typically rainbow trout from the government hatcheries. Despite high or low water levels, flocks of people line the lake to fish each summer. In the past the concessionaires provided boat rentals from

2728-439: The lines so as to decrease the risk of systemic disruptions should one or more lines fail. By that evening the fire had burned more than 16,000 acres (6,500 ha) with 15 percent containment. These figures both increased during the remainder of the week: by nightfall on Saturday, September 7, the burned area had grown to 18,776 acres (7,598 ha) and containment had reached 52 percent. Investigators originally suspected that

2790-576: The main highway (Highway 39) Caltrans has had the highway closed while repairs have been budgeted and scheduled and currently Caltrans has been completing the repairs needed on the last remaining bridge and will be installing new safety railing along a six-mile (10 km) section of the highway that was destroyed. Caltrans and the United States Forest Service are hoping to have the highway reopened late in 2009 and concessionaires are being solicited to bid on running and maintaining

2852-434: The most popular trails—such as Windy Gap, Soldier Creek, and Sunset Ridge. Trail restoration, repair, and maintenance for such areas consists of bucking up fallen trees with chainsaws or crosscut saws as needed and hauling the bucked up sections of the trees off of the trail. In some instances where hanging safety hazards exists, proactive maintenance is performed by safely pulling dead and hanging trees and tree limbs down to

2914-520: The mountain stream debouches into the foothill wash at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. The park is administered by the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation . The county administers the lower two-thirds of the area below the toll road bridge. Most of the 190 acres (0.8 km ) that comprises the natural area lie on the northern boundaries of the old Rancho San Pascual and Rancho Santa Anita on land designated for

2976-620: The mouth of Eaton Canyon, because the heat was oppressive, and a pair of new shoes were chafing my feet to such an extent that walking began to be painful." In October 1993, the Kinneloa Fire , begun accidentally on the slopes above Eaton Canyon, burned much of the area as well as more than a hundred homes in neighboring Altadena and Kinneloa Mesa as part of a rash of late October wildfires driven by Santa Ana winds in Southern California. One man died of complications from smoke inhalation and dozens were injured. After briefly serving as

3038-414: The old dance floor is the amphitheater where campfire programs were used to gather the campers in the evening for group sing-alongs and maybe a nature film. Due to budget constraints, the remoteness of the area and other maintenance and logistics problems, the campground has faced closures of several camp sites reducing the number by nearly 100. In some cases the campground was completely closed. This forced

3100-511: The parking lot from the kitchen and general store (which is run by a private individual and not by the USFS.) In many cases the Visitor Center will be staffed by highly knowledgeable individuals from the Angeles Volunteer Association or by other volunteers which can answer questions about the flora and fauna of the area as well as answer questions about the history of Crystal Lake. The hours of operation are posted on

3162-475: The point that the swimming facilities were closed. Subsequent rainy seasons flooded the small cabin that served as a summer residence for concessionaires who operated a snack stand from the lower level and patio, and by 1990 the facility was demolished. Over the past four decades, budgeting has limited the Forest Service's ability to maintain the lake and its feeder pipeline. Then years of drought reduced

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3224-592: The remainder were special use cabins, outbuildings, and Forest Service buildings in San Gabriel Canyon. About 8,000 people, largely campers, were forced to evacuate the Angeles National Forest. Some families and other groups were separated during the rapid evacuations. The fire forced the temporary closure of both California State Route 39 and the Angeles Crest Highway, fouling Labor Day travel plans for many. Smoke impacted communities in

3286-740: The south slope of Mount Hawkins to the saddle between Hawkins and Mount Islip, known as "Windy Gap", where it connects to the Pacific Crest Trail . The hiking and nature trails located within the Crystal Lake Recreation Area as well as within the surrounding San Gabriel River Ranger District of the United States Forest Service are restored, repaired, and maintained by the San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders which brings in and coordinates other volunteers from Southern California and surrounding States. The tax exempt volunteer Trailbuilders organization works closely with

3348-430: The summer, and a ranger station, which by 1990 had become a visitors center managed by forestry volunteers. Camping is $ 12 for first car, $ 5 for second, paid in a fee envelope. Away from the main campground are located the ruins of an old dance hall. In later years as the building deteriorated, the floor was left in open air, and a small shed was put up to house a juke box. By the 1960s this was all but abandoned. Just past

3410-499: The surrounding area from 1907 through the mid-1970s show that the campgrounds have been used by "Singing cowboys" during the era of black-and-white television, which used to feature cowboy shows. Because the campgrounds could be accessed from Angeles Crest Highway prior to the 1978 landslide, which demolished a half-mile section of California State Route 39 four miles (6 km) from Crystal Lake, Hollywood performers and other Los Angeles celebrities and politicians used to frequent

3472-533: The temporary closure of several highways over the Labor Day weekend , and caused multiple injuries. The Curve Fire was the seventh largest of the 2002 California wildfire season , in which 8,171 wildfires burned a total of 538,216 acres (217,808 ha). Antecedent hot, dry weather helped drive the fire. The Curve Fire ignited on Sunday, September 1 by California State Route 39 , near Rincon Canyon and about one mile (1.6 km) north of East Fork Ridge, in

3534-408: The tools, equipment and planning required for maintenance of the trails, soliciting and coordinating additional volunteers from organizations such as Buddhist Youth Groups, Boy Scouts of America , church groups, hiking, biking, and climbing clubs, High School students, and court-ordered Community Service individuals. Trail maintenance within the Crystal Lake Recreation Area never ends and because of

3596-418: The trails which have been damaged by rainfall. When such efforts are performed, surveys of the lay of the trail and the surrounding land is performed to design rain water runoff schemes so that future rains won't damage the repair work which is being performed. For most of the trails bark beetle infestation of pine trees has killed many trees, and the Curve Fire of 2002 also destroyed many trees along some of

3658-541: The upper falls was closed off on August 1, 2014. Violators caught trespassing the off-limits area will face a fine of up to $ 5,000 or six months in jail. Members of the Coalition of American Canyoneers would like access to the area that is closed. The Eaton Canyon Golf Course is a regulation 9-hole course featuring narrow fairways and rolling terrain. It is administered by the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation and has been open since 1962. It

3720-404: The walkway to the facility provides water taken from an underground cistern fed by Soldier Creek. Above the theater are the ruins of the large bandstand / dance floor that used to play host to Big Band Era music groups such as Benny Goodman and, on rare occasion, Elvis Presley—among many other groups. The dance floor ruins continue to crumble however there is some hope that volunteers will restore

3782-427: Was a dangerous place for a human to be without a firearm of some sort. Frightful grizzly bear stories abound from the middle 1860s. In 1887, Judge Benjamin Eaton , an early Pasadenan for whom Eaton Canyon is named, visited the pristine little lake and said, "The water is clear as crystal and the [visitors] found it good to drink." The lake soon became known as Crystal Lake. Historic Photographs of Crystal Lake and

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3844-449: Was originally planned as an eighteen-hole facility and was designed by famed golf course architect , William Francis Bell (known as Billy Bell Jr., son of famed golf course designer, William Park Bell ). Opening day ceremonies included a golf outing with dignitaries and local golf professionals, including 1961 PGA Champion, Jerry Barber . The Mount Wilson Toll Road (1891–1936) is a historic roadway which ascended Mount Wilson via

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