A Moderate Hike to:
Sycamore Canyon to Water Tower
Puente Hills Reserve
Saturday October 26, 9:00 AM
Let's de-stress!
Distance: 6.3 miles | Elevation gain: 1,132 Ft
Saturday, October 26 at 9:00 AM
Time: Allow about 3 -3.5 hours depending on our pace and water/snack/lunch breaks.
This one is for our Long Beach members as the trailhead is 3 minutes off the 605 freeway near Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier. It’s an easy 30 minute drive from Long Beach.
This in and out hike starts in Sycamore Canyon, located in the Puente HillsPreserve.
From the website of the Puente Hills Habitat Preservation Authority:
Located in the westernmost portion of the Preserve, just south of Rose Hills Memorial Park, Sycamore Canyon boasts a perennial creek and large riparian trees along the meandering Sycamore Canyon Trail.
Due to the varied topography and presence of water, the canyon is home to a variety of plant communities and wildlife such as mule deer, bobcats, several species of bats, and California toads.
It is an especially good birdwatching area, with regular sightings of the regionally significant coastal cactus wren and federally threatened coastal California gnatcatcher, as well as seasonally migratingbird species.
Because of the presence of ecologically sensitive resources, SycamoreCanyon Trail is only open to hiking (dogs, horseback riding, and bicycles are not allowed).
Along the way there are great views of Rose Hills (the largest cemetery in NorthAmerica) and its Buddhist Columbarium (the largest Buddhist pagoda in the UnitedStates).
On a clear day there are great views of the San Gabriel Mountains, downtown LA and Long Beach.
Big THANKS! to GO members and Whittier residents Joe Huckeba and Jim VanCampen for suggesting this hike.
Where Do We Begin?
The trailhead is 3 minutes off the 605 freeway just before Rose Hills Memorial park at:
5040 Workman Mill Road in Whittier, CA
There is a porta potty at the trailhead.
Link to Trailhead in Google Maps
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tw4eQgrjb7mEK5YYA?g_st=im
The Hike
The hike is pretty flat for the first mile and we will go past a small oil field at the beginning of the hike. There is a small creek with pretty lush vegetation including thenamesake sycamore trees. We will cross the creek and then there is a series ofswitchbacks that takes us up to Rattlesnake Ridge.
This is the hardest section of thehike. Once on the ridge the view is 360 degrees and is impressive one a clear day.From there we continue on the ridge and have one more hill to climb to get to ourdestination, the water tower.
After a short break we will continue back the way we came. There is not much shade on the entire hike.
What to Bring:
You should bring your ten essentials, a day pack, water (2 to 3 liters), trekking poles, sunscreen, hat and trail snacks.
Option:
If there is any interest we can have lunch after the hike at one of several local eateries.
BRING PLENTY OF WATER!!!!
Any Questions:
If you have any questions about this hike, please do not hesitate to reach out to me, your trip leader, Richard Norman.
Email: richard@richardnorman.net
If there are any last-minute day-of cancellations,
please let me know via text:
626-319- 4740.
Click here for the list of ten essentials.
Wear shoes with good tread, as parts of the trail are steep with loose gravel.
Carpooling is recommended to help reduce gas, cost and the environment.
If you cannot attend, please cancel your registration, so the next person on the waiting list can have a chance to register.
