What The Heck Is A Monkey Canyon?

July 9th, 2008 by A.D. Odom | Filed under Featured Articles. | 652 views

Photo: From Monkey Canyon Flickr Pool uploaded by sanserif02.

I’ll be honest, I’ve been a lot of places up in the Angeles National Forest but I have never heard of a Monkey Canyon until Saturday when I met two groups of individuals inquiring if I knew where they could find this place. The first couple asked me while I was at the Gilao Visitor Center. I saw this couple stopped along the side of the road and at one point I saw them take a turn onto a road leading to one of the camp grounds. The second couple stopped me while I was photographing a hillside from the road. They asked me if they had gone too far or were they anywhere near Monkey Canyon.

The first couple asked if I had heard of Monkey Canyon. The second group assumed I knew where it was. After asking a friend of mine who is an avid hiker and knows a lot about the various trails, nooks and crannies of the San Gabriel Mountains and valleys, I now know the location of Monkey Canyon. I also understand why the first couple wanted to know if I had heard of this apparently popular hangout. I was not wearing a hat when I encountered them and I’m sure they saw the gray hair and figured I probably wouldn’t know but “nothing beats a failure but a try.”

Yes, now I know and trust me, I have no plans on making the trek to Monkey Canyon. From what my friend told me, it is very popular with young people and the site is filled with graffiti and garbage. As a nature lover, he finds the place, and other equally popular locations in the mountains, to represent a total disrespect for our beautiful natural habitat.

He also told me there were reports some years ago of something big and ugly in that area of the forest. He said the rumor mill went “kaaa-raaazy” — yes, his words — over talk of something large, possibly Big Foot, in the area of Monkey Canyon. Well, I did a search for this by using “Monkey Canyon” and “Big Foot” on Google and whatdaya know, I found it.

The story, on a Big Foot tracking site no less, is the story about a group of guys who went hiking in the area. Upon their return out of the canyon, they heard a strange noise, saw treetops moving, heard the cracking of what they believed were two trees being knocked together and deduced the creature, being, whatever it was, tried to intimidate them by acting aggressively every time they stopped along the trail to see and hear the racket. Oh, and apparently the thing stunk to high heaven. You can read this story on BFRO.net (the Big Foot Research Organization) at http://www.bfro.net/GDB/show_report.asp?id=14953. Very interesting.

After writing this I felt I should do the responsible thing and add here bear blustering (or bluffing) can sound the same. Black bears will often grunt, clack their teeth, groan, or charge a tree or brush while making strange and often threatening noises. The guys didn’t see what was creating the racket and quite possibly it was a mother bear with cubs nearby. You can learn more about bear behavior (and learn what to do when or if you encounter them) at the North American Bear Center.

Video of Black Bear Behavior

I feel better now having done the responsible thing here. Now on to Monkey Canyon.

Though I believe the Big Foot story is much more interesting and entertaining than graffiti rocks or the possibility of “little foot gang bangers” hanging out in the canyon. Apparently, the place is called Monkey Canyon because of the ropes that hang from trees and from the sides of rocks which enable visitors to swing from overhanging trees, release, and then free fall into the waters below. Additionally, people can cliff dive from the very high and very jagged cliffs above. According to my friend, many have died here either by hiking and falling hundreds of feet to their deaths or from the much loved cliff diving into the waters below.

The path to Monkey Canyon is filled with pitfalls and is meant for the more adventurous and not the faint of heart. My advice — as well as the advice given me — is to not do this trek alone. If you’re going to carry a camera, ensure your equipment is housed in a waterproof backpack or carried high over your head and you will do this only you’re not prone to slips and falls. The reason for this is you will travel across the stream many times before arriving at the canyon.

To Get There

First, travel up Angeles Crest Highway SR-2 north for approximately 9.3 miles. At the intersection where you’ll see signs to Palmdale, turn left (north) onto Angeles Forest Highway. This is the commuter road to Palmdale. At approximately 6.0 miles up the road you’ll come upon the main turn out for Monkey Canyon. According to my friend, this trail is not marked on any map and is not marked on the road. I wouldn’t know, I’ve never been there.

In order to park on the road, you must have an Adventure or parking pass. If you do not have a pass, you can purchase a day pass at the little cafe up the road (approximately 1.8 miles further up) for about five bucks.

Once parked, across the road (on the north side), you will see a couple of openings in the bushes — that’s right, bushes — take one of the openings and use the ropes to repel yourself down the hillside. You should see a big log somewhere here and apparently the rocks here can be a little slippery. This is where a good backpack comes into play.

At some point you will hit the creek bed, turn left and head into — yes in — the creek. Exit the creek bed on the left at the first opportunity. Now, here’s where good conditioning comes in or where youth triumphs over age. You will need to go over some large boulders and you will use these boulders to cross over the right side of the creek.

Crossing over the creek again, head toward a large boulder that forms a crevice with the mountain. Ease down the crevice and continue heading down stream by swimming through the creek. When you find a safe place to exit, get out on the right side. Walk along the creek until you have to get in again. Swim downstream until the creek becomes shallow. Walk downstream and exit it on the right side whenever you can. Again, go over more boulders and continue heading down stream. At some point you should either hear people jumping from the cliffs into the water or you will see the cliffs of Monkey Canyon. Again, according to my friend, you won’t miss it because of the graffiti and apparently there is a RIP plaque somewhere near there in honor of someone who lost their life there.

The above came to me via email from the friend who has been there. I want to emphasize I have not been there nor do I have any intentions on going. I may drive by there to see but again, I have no intentions on repelling myself down any ravine or climbing over large boulders.