3 min
Overview
Sierra Madre was the first town in Southern California to establish its own wilderness preserve – and it’s still in great shape. Just past the picturesque downtown area of the small city is the entrance to Bailey Canyon Park – a beautiful city park nestled right up against the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. Near the parking area are several picnic areas and a memorial to local hikers – and when I arrived on a sunny, warm morning the small park was bustling with activity from local youth and church groups – but I was focused more on the amazing yellow foliage of this tree: If you can escape the allure of barbecued foods, head to the west end of the parking area and keep your eye out for this sign: Follow the footpath west through a few more picnic areas. Pass through a turnstile and turn right onto the paved road as it swings around the western side of the large debris dam just north of the park. Don’t worry – the pavement soon ends and you’ll be in the woods on the bank of the canyon. These early stretches of trail are very pleasant – the path narrows and becomes surrounded by traditional SoCal scrub vegetation, a beautiful grove of Live Oaks lies just across a short bridge to the east of the trail, and a small collection of cacti line the trail on its western edge. You’ll note a bridge crossing the creekbed toward a section of the canyon that’s a bit more forested. This will lead you to a short but very pleasant nature trail through a grove of native oaks. Feel free to add this on to your trip or make a quick visit on your way back out to the trailhead – if not, continue heading north into the canyon. After half a mile, you’ll come to a 3-way junction on the trail. If you just want to head to Jones Peak, stay to the right and start the ascent – otherwise, take a short detour on the left and hike on the Canyon View Nature Trail toward the waterfall. Bailey Canyon narrows remarkably quickly – and although you’re probably only a few minutes’ time away from the parking lot, soon you’ll feel like you’re deep in
Trail Stats
10.4 km
682 m
1024 m
338 m
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Photos
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a hiker stands atop jones peak with the sky behind them
a hiker stands atop jones peak with the sky behind them
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a hiker looks out at the landscape from Jones Peak
a hiker looks out at the landscape from Jones Peak
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