Sturtevant Falls Trail: Sierra Madre, CA

Sturtevant Falls Trail is a 3.3 mile trail with 689 feet of elevation gain and is part of Angeles National Forest located in Sierra Madre, CA. This is a beautiful trail through some canyons and tall trees!

This trail is currently closed due to the Bobcat Fire in September 2020. There is no planned date of reopening at this time. For the most up to date information, please see this link: Chantry Flat Picnic Area.

Parking & Getting There

Parking in the Chantry Flat Picnic area can be difficult depending on the time of day you arrive at the trailhead. If you’re there before the sunrise, most likely you will be able to get a good parking spot.

If you arrive to the trailhead after sunrise it will be a guessing game if you find parking at the top or on the street. As a result, if you have to park on the street, it’s a narrow road and will be all uphill on the way to the trailhead. This will increase the difficulty of the hike by the elevation gain from the street instead of parking area. If you have any kids with you make sure to keep them close by. On a busy day, it can be chaotic.

To park in this area you will need an Adventure Pass. You can buy this ahead of time, or at some of the local shops in the area. Make sure to plan accordingly. If you arrive early and the shop is not open, then you will have to wait to get the pass. More information can be found here: Adventure Pass

The Trail

After arriving to the the trailhead, this will be your only opportunity to use the bathroom. It’s at the top in the beginning portion of the parking lot. From there you will make your way down a paved road until it ends up turning into a trail system. Keep in mind, as you go down this hill, that you will need to save energy for the way back up.

This trail is nice because it does have a bunch of tree coverage once you make down the hill and into the mountains. Its really cool as you walk through and have all of the tree coverage surrounding you. My favorites part of this trail is the cabins nestled in the mountains. I look around and think of all the hard work put into making them. I couldn’t imagine bringing everything in by hand for each visit!

The trail is very easy to follow and there is enough signage to get you to the falls. Even with that said, I would recommend having a backup navigation like a downloaded map on AllTrails or a printed map. I noticed cell phone reception is hit or miss here. In other words, it’s important to have a backup plan before it’s needed.

Dogs are allowed to join on the trail, but must remain on leash at all times. Again, if it’s a hot day and you have to park down the mountain. Keep in mind the pavement can be very hot for their paws and might be best to leave them home.

Lookback

In conclusion, this is a very beautiful trail. Hiking Sturtevant Falls Trail is something to remember. Most importantly, don’t be like me and do your research to see if water is flowing. If this trail reopens, make sure to plan this hike when the water fall is moving!

Photo Gallery

Wrap Up

Is there a specific hike that you would like to see next? Leave a comment down below or reach out via the Contact Form and hopefully I will be able to get a recap and virtual hike posted soon! Thanks for stopping by, enjoy your adventure.