The East Fork is the largest headwater of the San Gabriel River in Los Angeles County , California , United States. It originates at the crest of the San Gabriel Mountains in the Angeles National Forest , at the confluence of the Prairie Fork and Vincent Gulch near Mount Baden-Powell . It then flows south and west for 17 miles (27 km) to San Gabriel Reservoir , where it joins with the West Fork San Gabriel River . Although the East Fork is colloquially considered a separate river (to distinguish it from the West Fork), the U.S. Geological Survey officially lists the East Fork as the upper part of the main stem San Gabriel River, a fact is shown by topographical maps of the area.
6-684: The West Fork is one of two major streams, the other being the East Fork , that combine to form the San Gabriel River in Los Angeles County , California . The West Fork flows for 19 miles (31 km) in an easterly direction from its origins at Red Box Gap, in the San Gabriel Mountains , eventually reaching San Gabriel Reservoir where it is bridged by SR 39 just above its mouth. The major tributaries of
12-615: A 120-foot (37 m) high concrete arch bridge that was once part of the East Fork Road before the rest of the road was destroyed by flooding in 1938 . The East Fork Road was originally intended to connect the Los Angeles Basin to the Angeles Crest Highway , but was never completed due to the high cost of cutting and tunneling through the rugged East Fork Canyon. A later attempt to build a road through
18-794: The San Gabriel Valley .The West Fork of the San Gabriel River is a refuge for Southern California wild rainbow trout. This article related to a river in California is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . East Fork San Gabriel River The major tributaries of the East Fork, from upstream to downstream, are the Prairie Fork, the Fish Fork (which rises near Mount San Antonio /Mount Baldy,
24-736: The East Fork via Shoemaker Canyon, in the 1950s, was also aborted due to lack of funds. Today the East Fork Road provides access to the Heaton Flats trailhead, a popular jumping-off points for visitors to the San Gabriel Mountains. The stretch of the river along and above East Fork Road is one of the most heavily used parts of the Angeles National Forest, and is visited by hikers, campers and recreational gold miners alike – as many as 15,000 per day in
30-612: The West Fork, from upstream to downstream, are Devil Creek, Bear Creek and the North Fork San Gabriel River . A large portion of the watershed is situated in the San Gabriel Wilderness , whose southern boundary is formed by the West Fork. Cogswell Dam impounds the river to create the 10,785-acre-foot (13,303,000 m) Cogswell Reservoir, whose primary function is flood and silt control for
36-588: The highest summit in the range), the Iron Fork and Cattle Canyon. The "Narrows" of the San Gabriel River is the deepest river gorge in the San Gabriel Mountains, flowing as much as 6,000 feet (1,800 m) below the nearby peak of Iron Mountain . Much of the upper half of the river is within the Sheep Mountain Wilderness . A major point of interest on the East Fork is the Bridge to Nowhere ,
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