AUTUMN GOOD TIME OF YEAR FOR HIKERS TO VIEW NATURE.Byline: Karen Thacker Special to the Daily News Hiking spots around the Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley are as busy as ever as cooler temperatures arrive with fall. ``We've been busy. It's a good time of the year to go,'' said Jack Farley, Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County Parks ranger at Devils Punchbowl Punchbowl, hill, 500 ft (152 m) high, in the city of Honolulu, SE Oahu island, Hawaii. In the bowllike extinct volcanic crater at the summit (reached by a scenic drive) is the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, for those killed in World War II. in the San Gabriel Mountains San Gabriel Mountains, S Calif., E and NE of Los Angeles, running c.50 mi (80 km) westward from Cajon Pass. San Antonio Peak (10,080 ft/3,072 m) is the highest of the range. Citrus fruits are raised on the southern foothills. south of Pearblossom. At Devils Punchbowl, hikers can choose trails passing from desert to chaparral to yellow pine forests, mostly within sight of the sandstone rock formations that provide the park's name, at elevations ranging from 4,200 to 6,500 feet. Trails range from a level, easy one of one-third mile, north of the visitor center, to a mile-long loop down into Punchbowl Creek Canyon and up again. From the upper Burkhart Trail, hikers may reach 30 miles of trails through Angeles National Forest The Angeles National Forest (ANF) was established by executive order on December 20, 1892 as the San Gabriel Timberland Reserve. It covers over 2,600 km² (650,000 acres) and is located in the San Gabriel Mountains of Los Angeles County, just north of the metropolitan area of Los . The trail to Devils Chair, a rocky promontory promontory /prom·on·to·ry/ (prom´on-tor?e) a projecting process or eminence. prom·on·to·ry n. A projecting part. promontory a projecting process or eminence. overlooking the eastern section of the punchbowl formation, provides a 7.5-mile round trip that is popular with hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians. Farley recommends that hikers always take along water and food to snack on. Hiking boots or tennis shoes are best. A windbreaker and other extra layers of clothes should be carried to wear if it gets chilly. The temperature drops fast as the sun goes down. ``It can get cool real quick,'' Farley said. He also advised hikers to stay within visual range of the trails. Those without a good sense of direction can get lost fast. ``It doesn't take too far off a trail to be in a wilderness,'' he added. The park, off Longview Road seven miles south of Pearblossom, remains open during daylight hours as long as weather permits. Admission to the park and trails is free, but there is a parking fee of $3 per vehicle. At Placerita Canyon Nature Center in Newhall, the fall colors are showing. Regular features there include a family nature hike - it takes 45 to 60 minutes - that starts at 11 a.m. every Saturday. At 1 p.m. there is a live animal show with local reptiles, a tarantula tarantula (tərăn`chələ), name applied chiefly to several species of the large, hairy spiders of the families Theraphosidae and Dipluridae of North and South America. The body of a tarantula may be as much as 3 in. (7. and birds of prey, including a sparrow hawk and great-horned owl. ``It gives a flavor of what lives in our area,'' said Kathleen Ritner, Los Angeles County Nature Area ranger. Live exhibits at the museum also give visitors a chance to see the differences between a gopher snake, a rattlesnake rattlesnake, poisonous New World snake of the pit viper family, distinguished by a rattle at the end of the tail. The head is triangular, being widened at the base. The rattle is a series of dried, hollow segments of skin, which, when shaken, make a whirring sound. and a king snake. There are even a redtailed hawk and a red-shouldered hawk for viewing. The nature center is at 19152 Placerita Canyon Road, east of the Antelope Valley Freeway The Antelope Valley Freeway is a freeway in Los Angeles and Kern counties in southern California. It is signed as California State Highway 14 along its length. It connects Greater Los Angeles to the rapidly developing Antelope Valley. . Vasquez Rocks, 10700 W. Escondido Canyon Road in Agua Dulce, has tours every Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. The 45-minute walk includes a look at reproduced rock art and a Tataviam Indian dwelling. Guides talk about the unique rock formations, which more than a century ago provided a hide-out for outlaw Tiburcio Vasquez. All tours and shows are free, but there's a $3 parking fee per vehicle at both Placerita and Vasquez Rocks. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Park Ranger Jack Farley and Jason Weber, 11, of Lancaster walk the trail into the Devils Punchbowl. Jeff Goldwater/Daily News |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion