Indian Canyon

This review is for the Indian Canyon North Via Pacific Crest Trail which was a ~4.5 mile round trip that took ~2 hours to complete.Trail entrance is across the street from the parking lot. The first ~0.5 miles was a bit overgrown and washed out. In addition, there was one large stream crossing with a lot of water. For this particular stream, it was somewhat ankle deep otherwise you can cross by using the logs and trees.Once you cross the railroad tracks to another part of the PCT, it becomes a steady incline / flat trail for the remaining duration of the hike. Plenty of wildflowers and views throughout the hike. Unfortunately, nothing exciting at the end of the trail. Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/DyMKtjR5YZk

A decent trail and hike. No trees just bare hills. Would be pretty in spring but rather lackluster in late summer/fall. No bikes or motorcycles allowed. Parking is easy and there's a restroom at the parking lot. The trail connects to the PCT so you can make it a longer hike if you want.

Two trailheads for Indian Canyon start at the parking lot - Indian Canyon Road and Pacific Crest Trail. Both reach the Santa Clara Truck Trail but at different junctions. We took the shorter, wider, and more evenly graded road which was 11 miles roundtrip with a 2200' elevation change to the Santa Clara Truck Trail.The fire road was soft and sandy that looked recently bulldozed. We encountered two minor river crossings before working up the mountain range with views of Vasquez Rocks and the city of Aqua Dulce. The trail is good for trainspotting with an aerial-like vista of the Metrolink to Santa Clarita. The end of the hike wasn't stellar as the junction is in a saddle but still had far-reaching views.The parking lot sits in the Angeles National Forest and requires displaying of $5 Adventure Pass. Although there was a second parking lot for horse trailers, we didn't encounter any horses. Furthermore, we only crossed paths with one other couple despite being on a Saturday during a beautiful 3-day holiday weekend. When driving from the south, Soledad Canyon Road passes through a tunnel used in Steven Spielberg's "Duel".

Indian Canyon trailhead provides access to northern and southern sections of the Pacific Crest Trail located in Acton. The southern section of the trail winds its way deep into the Angeles National Forest.The "wild" northern section of the PCT is the more interesting of the two. It takes you on a 10-mile (there and back) hike that passes by some interesting rock formation and Indian caves. It eventually leads to the southern border of Vazquez Rocks located in Agua Dulce. To start, park your car at the Indian Canyon trailhead then you make your way across the street. Head north a short distance until you see signs for the PCT and a KOA camp. The trail initially makes its way through some dense trees and lush vegetation and then crosses some train tracks. From there the trail is pretty well marked. The most strenuous part of the hike is the initial incline up the mountainside. You'll eventually pass by some stone escarpments and an Indian cave as you head north in the direction of Vasquez Rocks.Nearby there do 2 different rock formations that have outcropping resembling a human face (this phenomenon is referred to as mimetoliths). To reach them you'll have to break off the PCT and travel west along Briggs Edison fire Rd. This road can also be accessed from Agua Dulce Canyon Rd although there is a locked gate at the entrance and signs indicating that it is a private residential road.

This was my first time hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail in about 25 years. I helped to build the trail 40 years ago in the section from Bouquet Canyon to Liebre Mountain, and I am going to hike from Indian Canyon through the northern extent of the Angeles National Forest in segments. It was a perfect day for this hike when I went at the end of March 2019. There is a good steady climb with little shade, so a day that is not too hot is a good choice. Wildflowers were in abundance, with poppies and other flowers lining the trail in some areas. Beautiful rock formations make this a very special hike.I encountered only about a dozen hikers on the trail, so if you are wanting to get away from the crowds in places like Griffith Park, this is one you might want to check out. If you hike through to Vasquez Rocks, it is about 8 miles.