If you are reading this section of my blog, you most likely already know that the idea here is to see L. A. without a car. So, my details will be primarily about getting to Eaton Canyon without your own personal gas guzzler... but, this does not mean you will not find this useful even if you do take one. On this particular trip, I ended up riding the Metro Bus to get there but I rode my bike home as it is a beautiful ride down for me. As I mentioned in Why Eaton Canyon this is one of the few places of natural beauty left in the Los Angeles area. I hope that you will have a chance to visit before you leave, but if you do please remember to leave it just as good, if not better, than the way you found it.

I guess since it is customary to start any story from the beginning, I will do the same. Pictured here is the main entrance of Eaton Canyon. It is also referred to as the first entrance. This will be your entrance if you want to visit the Nature Center or if you have come with kids or for a picnic. It is the simplest and easiest way of getting into the canyon and is a great place to enter for your first visit.. There are drinking fountains, vending machines, picnic tables and bathrooms at this entrance as well, all things you will not find at either of the other two entrances.

Public transportation to this entrance is very easy. The Metro Bus 264, which goes by the Gold Line Sierra Madre Villa Metro Station and Allen Station about every twenty minutes during the day, will drop you off on New York Drive at the NW corner of Altadena Drive. You can connect to the Metro Gold Line at Union Station in downtown L.A. where it meets up with the Red or Blue Lines. The Metro 264 ride from the Sierra Madre Villa Station to the Altadena Drive and New York Drive is about seven minutes. From there, you will walk east and cross Altadena Drive since the entrance is on the east side of the street. Remember, here, North is towards the mountains. Once you cross the street, look north and you should be able to see the entrance. It is a very short walk. Make a right down the driveway and you will be heading into the parking lot. The Nature Center is on the west side about half way into the parking lot. If you want to start hiking right away and bypass the nature center all together, just walk to the end of the parking lot and you are on your way.

The Second & Third Entrances

If you decide that you do not want to go down the first entrance for whatever reason, you have two choices, well, actually, one, and I will explain why in a minute. The first is the second entrance pictured here to the left. This is the entrance that I am most familiar with and is the one I ended up using today. The reason I have always enjoyed using this entrance more than the others, and why I think I like it more, is because it just seems to get you right into the canyon quicker than the others. However, the trail out of the canyon here is a little more steep and difficult than exiting through the first entrance. This entrance is on Altadena Drive as well, and is on the east side of the street. Unfortunately, there is no bus stop very close to this entrance. So, unless you are driving, you would either have to walk up Altadena Drive from New York drive, which is 3/4 of a mile uphill, which it seems to me would be a lot more fun doing the same walk from inside the canyon by entering from the main entrance, or you could just continue on the Metro Bus 264 mentioned above for a few more minutes and get off at Allen and Altadena Drive. (That's right, the bus goes right back to Altadena Drive) Once there, you can walk down Altadena Drive until you arrive at the second entrance on your left. Taking this route is also about a 3/4 of a mile walk, but downhill. Please keep in mind that whatever route you choose, Altadena Drive does have some traffic so please use caution if you are walking.

Personally, I love the metro stop at Allen and Altadena Drive (pictured left). It has such a beautiful view the second you get off of the bus. This is also a beautiful neighborhood, the kind that you will not mind having to walk through any distance. There are plenty of beautiful houses, gorgeous landscapes and views to gawke over at practically every turn. This bus stop is actually an ideal stop to go to the third entrance which is where I had originally planned to go to today. A great entrance to start a hiking trip to the falls for example. From this bus stop it is only a few blocks down Altadena Drive, left on Crescent Drive, then another left at Pinecrest Drive to get there. You run right into the 3rd entrance on your right. Unfortunately, when I arrived there, as you can see from the pictures below, it was pretty locked up. Unfortunately there was a huge mudslide here after the rains we had in March of 2005, which completely blocked the toll road that this entrance leads to (also pictured below) so apparently the powers that be decided it would be best to just close it down. I hope it won't stay like this for long.

If you decided to drive to the second entrance there are a few parking spots right in front of the gate on the east side of Altadena Drive, (pictured below and to the left) or you can also park across the street also pictured below. Another great thing to note about the 2nd entrance is that it never closes. Now, I am not recommending that you go at night, but if you would like to, this is the only entrance that will allow you to do so, unless you join the nature center for one of their moonlight walks on the Friday closest to each month's full moon. You can find out more about this if you are interested by visiting their web site @: http://www.ecnca.org/Information/Events/MoonlightWalks/MoonlightWalk.htm

When you decide to leave, you can catch the Metro Bus 264 back to the Metro Gold Line Station on the SW corner of Altadena Drive just below New York Drive. This bus typically runs every 20-30 minutes during the day. If you are hungry, considering walking down Altadena Drive a couple of blocks and you'll run into a few places to eat. You have McDonald's if you are with the kids, a Shish Kabob place, a Chinese Restaurant and Domineco's Pizza just around the corner on Washington Blvd, or my new favorite in the area, Cafe Culture on the west side of Altadena Drive just north of Washington Blvd., an interesting little coffee shop with a cafe-style menu.

I hope your found this entry useful. Check back shortly and I will be adding more information about Eaton Canyon, including information about the Nature Center, familiar landmarks and trails, and the wildlife and scenery.