Less than an hour from downtown L.A., Angeles National Forest is truly a “backyard forest.” Within the San Gabriel Mountains, the forest includes nearly 700 miles of trails traversing mountains, canyons, forests and more. Much of the forest’s landscape is chaparral, shaped by a Mediterranean climate of mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers filled with hardy, drought tolerant species. Five wilderness areas offer visitors the chance to escape the congestion of the greater Los Angeles area and find solitude amongst the mountains and valleys. Mountain lions, black bears, rattlesnakes, bighorn sheep, ring-tailed cats and more all call the Angeles National Forest home.

For an adventure, experienced hikers can ascend Mount Baldy—the highest point in the San Gabriels, rising 10,064 feet—along sparse terrain with gnarled trees up to a rocky ridge. With a 3,000 foot elevation gain, the 10-mile round-trip hike promises fantastic views that are well worth the climb. If you’d rather descend than ascend, explore Devil’s Canyon in the San Gabriel Wilderness. Through the willow and alder trees you’ll be rewarded with a 20-foot waterfall cascading over a granite cliff. During the summer, Switzer Picnic Area is perfect for a family picnic by a shady, tree-lined creek. In the winter, book a cabin and head up to Wrightwood for a weekend of skiing, snowboarding or sledding—6,000 feet up the San Gabriels.

For more great hikes on the Angeles National Forest and Southern California, browse through the Modern Hiker blog.

Anglers have a range of options in the Angeles. The East Fork of the San Gabriel River attracts the most lines, so if you’re looking for a quieter experience, try the North or West Fork. Be warned though, the trout are quick—a 12-inch trout can swim in spurts as fast as 12 feet per second. Also check out Pyramid Lake, Littlerock Reservoir, Elizabeth Lake and Jackson Lake for a few other places to drop your line.

Often considered one of the most scenic drives in Southern California, the Angeles Crest Scenic Byway (Route 2) winds through the mountains and climbs more than 6,000 feet in elevation at its highest point. At scenic turnouts on a clear day, you’ll see expansive views of the Mojave Desert, the San Gabriels, the San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys and the Channel Islands offshore.  Be aware, however, that the Byway is not an expressway, but a mountain road that is shared by all. Use caution so that everyone may continue to enjoy the Byway and the Angeles National Forest.

The San Gabriel Mountains are no strangers to yearly wildfires, but the flames of the arson-sparked Station Fire burned particularly hot in late August 2009. Consuming nearly 161,000 acres, the Station Fire was the biggest forest fire in Los Angeles County’s history. Today, wildflowers and the green shoots of chaparral plants are bringing color to the once-charred landscape.

While portions of the forest are still closed to visitors to allow the land to recover, campgrounds, picnic areas, trails, swimming holes, waterfalls still draw thousands of visitors each weekend and offer respite to Los Angeles’ residents. Greater steps are still needed to restore the ecosystems and recreational opportunities in the Angeles to their pre-fire condition.

The selection of the Angeles as a Treasured Landscapes, Unforgettable Experiences campaign site underscores the National Forest Foundation’s commitment to both the land and the communities that surround it. Already, the NFF and our corporate and agency partners have developed a comprehensive Station Fire Restoration Strategy and are engaging communities in restoration and stewardship projects across the forest.

With the support of our partners and the greater Los Angeles community, the Angeles National Forest will once again be a healthy, fun and treasured landscape serving all of Southern California.

Click here to help restore the Angeles National Forest.

Vance Russell, the NFF Director of the California Program recently gave introductory remarks before a screening of the 2011 documentary film Green Fire at the University of California-Davis. The father of the National Wilderness System, wildlife management and ecological restoration, Aldo Leopold and his ideas still apply today in landscapes across the country. Below are Vance’s remarks before the film.

I have a quote above my desk by Aldo Leopold that is relatively unknown: “The bulk of all management success hinges on investments of time, forethought, skill and faith rather than investments of cash.” For me this emphasizes the need for collaboration among multiple groups and that cash is not going to resolve conservation problems.

One of the things that stood out from this well-made movie was what a lovely family Leopold had. Then I also thought what a sexy man! Or at least he was sexier than our other iconic conservation greats John Muir and Henry David Thoreau. Leopold also figured out how to reach out to a much wider audience beyond academics and conservationists through his clear prose and connecting to the heart and land.

I was asked to remark about how Leopold influenced my personal and professional life. I grew up in a farming town west of Chicago, just a couple hours south of Baraboo where Aldo Leopold had his family’s farm and a few hours NW of where he grew up along the Mississippi River. We had a family farm a little further south in Lasalle-Peru near the Illinois river. Although I wasn’t fortunate enough to grow up in a place with many natural areas, Wisconsin was rich in outdoor experiences and we frequently went west for family vacations. During the year we lived in Utah for my dad’s sabbatical, my appreciation of National Forests and Parks greatly deepened as we skied and camped nearly every weekend that year throughout the west. When I was in high school my parents gave me Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There which spurred a life-long passion and interest in the intermingling of agriculture and wild places.

One of the essays that I read over and over in that book is the now widely cited “Thinking Like a Mountain”. In it Leopold recalls a moment when he had just been posted to the Apache National Forest (now known as Apache-Sitgreaves NF) in 1909. He and several other forest rangers caught site of a wolf fording a river below the rimrock they had perched on to eat lunch. They quickly grabbed their rifles and shot the wolf and her pups. The rangers reached the wolf just as a dramatic green fire in the wolf's eyes was extinguishing. This moment for Leopold was seminal both for his value of wilderness but also for his later development of the land ethic.

Leopold saw that simple assumptions about wildlife management were not necessarily true. In the essay he says “I now suspect that just as a deer herd lives in mortal fear of its wolves, so does a mountain live in mortal fear of its deer.” The devastation from overabundance of deer populations, due to lack of predators, not just in overgrazing of understory plants but cascading effects on other species has been noted throughout the US. He realized later that killing predators was a mistake and realizing the importance of the interdependence of all living things within an ecosystem.

I'll close my remarks with a quote from the Almanac: “What a more delightful avocation than to take a piece of land and by cautious experimentation prove how it works.” I’ve tried to do this everywhere I live. Everyone can learn the land ethic on a piece of land whether it is owned, borrowed, leased or volunteered. Come out to National Forests in your backyard and find out how they work.

If time is tight and you don’t have a chance to run out to your local gear store to pick up the latest outdoor gadgets, here are a few other suggestions for the outdoor explorer on your list.

Annual Pass to Forests and Parks: Providing entrance to more than 2,000 recreation areas, the America the Beautiful Annual Pass opens the door to limitless exploration. This interagency pass provides unlimited access to lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife Service, USDA Forest Service and the National Park Service.

Northwest Forest Pass: Do you and your loved one recreate on National Forests in Washington and Oregon? This regional annual pass could be the perfect gift. The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Deschutes National Forest, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and the Olympic National Forest are just a few of the locations that accept the past. For a complete list, click here.

National Forest Maps: Whether a biker, climber, hiker or explorer, maps of our National Forests will help guide them through the beauty of our public lands. Plus, when you buy your maps through this link, $1 will support the National Forest Foundation.  

Camp Cookbook: Does someone need a little more creativity in their cooking cuisine? Check out the Camp Cooking, 100 years. This handy cookbook is full of Forest Service employees’ favorite recipes, including old classics and a few that are sure to become new favorites. The book also has historical photos and facts, making for perfect fireside reading.

Trees: Through the National Forest Foundation, you can give your loved one the gift of trees. For every $1 you give, the NFF will plant a tree, helping to restore National Forests damaged by wildfire, insects and disease. This is truly a gift that keeps on giving!

I am married to a supernova outdoor sportsman, who has exposed me to some wonderful experiences, hiking, hunting, boating, and fishing. I never would have tried these outdoor adventures without him, but thanks to my husband I’ve had some powerful and unforgettable experiences in the great outdoors. 

For instance, there was the time when Scott drew a special extended-season elk permit. We drove three long, icy hours to the Gallatin National Forest, near Gardiner, Montana, in January. When we were right in town, I stood only a few feet away from a 6 by 7 bull elk that was so close to me I could have smelled his breath. We were separated only by a wrought iron fence, but I didn’t even realize he was there until everyone told me he was right in front of my nose.  Needless to say, I was totally relaxed until I saw him, and to my chagrin, my funny, startled reaction was caught on video! 

One of the most memorable experiences with my supernova husband was when we went on an antelope hunt at Fort Peck Reservoir, where the Missouri River is held on Montana’s plains for a time before continuing towards the Mississippi.  After the antelope was harvested—meaning we could rest knowing food was secured for our family—we took a nap on the hot afternoon. We awoke to see a cow elk bedded down only 15 feet away from where we slept. This sighting was an incredible surprise, since we had thought elk were only deep in the mountains to the west. 

Once we knew elk were in the area, we spent the afternoon hiking to nearby vistas of some of the deepest coulees in the earth. We spied elk and mountain goats standing on wide canyon ledges above the river.  During the hike, we decided to crouch down in the tall sage while my supernova cow-called, making the high-pitched squeaking sounds of a mother elk chattering to her calf and summoning two bull elk, one right after another. As they approached, their antlers looked like fence posts coming closer to us until we saw their whole head and bodies.  The smaller of the two, the rag horn, took off, gracefully bounding into the mazes of the coulee. It was amazing!

During the many hikes and hunts with my supernova, I was perfectly happy to be the pack mule, carrying the supplies and using the binoculars to help glass for the animals. Then my supernova husband started suggesting I get a hunting license and tag.  I said “no” for many years, and then the day came that I said, “alright, I’ll do it.”  When we went to the Highwood Mountains for “my” hunt, about 15 minutes out we glassed a mule-deer buck. I took an offhand shot, and the buck was down.  To my supernova’s dismay, we were back to the car only 40 minutes after leaving it; I had harvested my first deer and we returned with food for our family of six. 

Keep in mind, I have been on many hunts with my supernova where it took a few days or weeks of hunting to get an animal.  Despite my impressive first hunt, I knew this was the supernova’s calling and not mine.  It took some time for Scott to come to terms with the fact that his not-so-supernova wife got her first animal and rather flawlessly at that.  My hunting success has turned into a story that my husband loves to tell…and I have a little fun telling it too!