Chantry Flat (Big Santa Anita Canyon)
Yes, it's open — and that's the recent news, not the permanent state. Chantry Flat reopened in October 2024 after the Bobcat Fire, closed again within months for the January 2025 Eaton Fire, and reopened in April 2025. In July 2026 the road is open, the gate runs 6am–8pm, and an Adventure Pass ($5/day, $30/year) is required. The lots fill before sunrise on weekends. Two catches: the Forest Service warns the road may close for safety at any time, and the Mt. Wilson side of the canyon is still inside the Eaton Fire Area Closure through December 31, 2027.
The facts
- Trail served
- Sturtevant Falls, Sturtevant Trail & Loop, First Water, Gabrielino National Recreation Trail, Upper and Lower Winter Creek — all reported open. Mt. Wilson Trail is a separate Sierra Madre trailhead, not this one
- Cost / pass
- Adventure Pass $5/day or $30/year; Interagency passes accepted
- Lot size
- Upper and lower paved lots plus road spaces; no official capacity published
- When it fills
- Weekends: before the 6am gate opening — hikers queue at the gate
- Overflow option
- Road spaces below the lots (entirely behind the white line), or Adams Pack Station's paid parking, reported around $25
- Tow / citation risk
- Forest Service tickets vehicles over the white line; anything blocking the road gets towed
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Road to the lot
- Paved Santa Anita Canyon Rd (Chantry Flat Rd) from Santa Anita Ave in Arcadia, ~4.6 mi; gate controlled by the City of Sierra Madre
- Busy season
- Winter and spring for the waterfall; year-round access, weather permitting
Getting there
End of Santa Anita Canyon Road, Arcadia, CA 91006
Get directions →Open — with an asterisk you should actually read
Big Santa Anita Canyon spent four years mostly shut. The 2020 Bobcat Fire closed it; the road repairs finally let it reopen in October 2024; the Eaton Fire in January 2025 slammed it shut again within three months; the Forest Service reopened Chantry Flat along with several other trails in April 2025. As of July 2026 it's open, and hikers report Sturtevant Falls running.
The asterisk is in the Forest Service's own language: the roadway into Chantry Flat "may be closed to vehicles for safety reasons at any time in this steep environment, even if the picnic area and adjacent hiking trails are open to the public to hike in." That isn't boilerplate — the road is managed by three different entities: the City of Sierra Madre controls the gate, LA County maintains most of the pavement, and the Forest Service owns a short section. Repairs and storm damage can shut the drive with no notice and no coordination with the trail status. Check the official Chantry Flat page or call the LA Gateway District at (818) 899-1900 the morning you go.
Parking: the gate is the whole game
Day-use hours are 6am to 8pm, and on weekends the queue forms at the gate before it opens. There are upper and lower paved lots at the flat plus road spaces on the way up; no agency publishes a space count and we're not going to guess one. What's consistent across every source is that they're all gone early on weekend mornings — this is the closest real waterfall hike to a metro area of thirteen million people, reached by one two-lane road.
If you park on the road below the lots, the rule is specific and enforced: your car must be entirely behind the white line or the Forest Service will ticket it, and anything narrowing the road gets towed. An Adventure Pass or Interagency pass goes on the dash wherever you end up. On the plus side, this is a genuinely developed site — flush toilets and drinking fountains at both lots, picnic tables and grills.
What's still closed up here
Don't plan a Mt. Wilson summit from this canyon without checking first. The Eaton Fire Area Closure (Forest Order 05-01-26-04) runs through December 31, 2027 and covers the Mount Wilson Toll Road, Idlehour, Castle Canyon, the Sam Merrill trails, Echo Mountain, and both Mount Lowe trails.
Separately — and this trips people up because of the name — the Mt. Wilson Trail is not a Chantry Flat trail at all. It starts in Sierra Madre off Mira Monte Avenue, miles away, with its own street parking. Volunteers rebuilt 24 damaged sections after the Eaton Fire and the lower ~3.5 miles reopened in time for the Mount Wilson Trail Race to return in May 2026, but the upper trail remains inside the closure. A hiker died on the reopened lower section in May 2026 after a fall near the fixed-rope stretch; it is not the casual walk the reopening headlines implied.
Plan B
Three real options when you arrive to a full flat. One: park on the road below, entirely behind the white line, and walk up. Two: Adams Pack Station at the flat sells paid parking — reported around $25 — which also buys you a snack bar and the resident donkeys. Three: leave. There's no third lot, and circling a full canyon road with a gate at the bottom is how people burn an hour.
If the gate is shut when you get there, don't improvise on the residential streets of Arcadia and Sierra Madre below — head for Switzer Falls instead, which is about forty minutes west and serves the same waterfall itch from a different canyon.
Frequently asked questions
Is Chantry Flat open in 2026?
Yes. It reopened in April 2025 after the Eaton Fire closure, and the road and picnic area are open as of July 2026 with day-use hours of 6am to 8pm. The Forest Service cautions the road may close for safety at any time, so confirm before driving up.
What time do you need to arrive at Chantry Flat to get parking?
On weekends, before the 6am gate opening — hikers routinely queue at the gate. Weekdays are far easier. There's no published space count, but every lot at the flat fills early on busy mornings.
Can you park on the road at Chantry Flat?
Yes, below the lots, but your vehicle must be entirely behind the white line or the Forest Service will cite it, and anything blocking the road gets towed. An Adventure Pass is still required.
Is Sturtevant Falls open?
Yes — Sturtevant Falls, the Sturtevant Trail and Loop, First Water, the Gabrielino Trail, and the Upper and Lower Winter Creek trails have been reported open in 2026. The Mount Wilson Toll Road and the Eaton Fire closure area to the west remain closed through December 31, 2027.
Do you need an Adventure Pass at Chantry Flat?
Yes — $5 per vehicle per day or $30 per year, with America the Beautiful Interagency passes also accepted. It applies in the lots and on the road spaces alike.
Facts on this page last verified July 20, 2026. Fees, hours, and access rules change seasonally — confirm with the official source before a long drive.