Seems that for just about forever, or at least for the thirty-five years that I have lived in the Northwest San Fernando Valley, one thing was for certain. Brown's Canyon was off limits. It was even part of the lesson plan in my Chatsworth High School drivers training course. "Stay out of Brown's Canyon. It's private property."
Well, not anymore. The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority purchased a good portion of the area and has opened it up to the public. There are two new parking lots, and park information kiosks with maps of the area located at the entrance on Brown's Canyon Road, about four miles north of the 118 Freeway.
Some things to note. A lot of the "Private Road" signs are still being displayed. I had a long talk with a park ranger about a month ago who told me that park patrons have a right to use the road and that the adjacent property owners have been ordered to take down the signs. Just below the summit where the radio towers are located, is an open gate that is marked as Private Property. I have been told that hikers should heed that warning as this is the park boundry.
If you drive into the park, you are required to pay a $5 parking fee at the Iron Ranger. Unlike other MRCA and SMMRA areas, there is no buffer zone outside of the fee area for one to park for free. Drop the $5 in the post and get ready for some views that up until now, only city and utility workers have been able to enjoy. There are two lots. I placed the first cache by the lower lot and then parked in the upper lot to begin my journey.
All seven caches have been placed either on Brown's Canyon Rd./Oat Mountain Motorway, or within a couple of hundred feet of it. The motorway is asphalt in varying states of decay. I personally do not prefer to hike on asphalt, but this hike is well worth it. Did I mention the views?
It was 5.2 miles to the park limits and back with a 1510' elevation gain. It's all uphill one way and all downhill back. I'm rating the terrain on all but the first one as a 3 because of the distance and uphill grade.
EDIT 12/07/06. A question was asked about the two parking areas. They are not on either end of the hike. They are basically about 2/10 of a mile from each other. I called them "Upper" and "Lower" because they are at different elevations. The idea plan would be to stop at the lower lot, pay the Iron Ranger, grab this cache, then drive to the second lot and start hiking to the others. "Authorized Vehicles Only", beyond the second lot.
"Gateway" is a small tin. You will need a pen to sign the log.
Please visit us at
