Angeles National Forest

Our great American Road Trip in 2015 featured family, friends and forests – and sometimes a mix of all of the above! After our adventures in Yosemite and Inyo, we headed straight south to meet one of Kent’s high school friends in Angeles National Forest.

A photograph of the author, her husband, their friend Omid and his dog Perry at Inspiration Point. The group are high on a mountainside, with dramatic views of rugged ridges behind them.

We had decided that a shared camping trip was in order, and we met in the forest. Kent and Omid connected like they hadn’t spent years apart, and I was delighted to meet one of Kent’s friends – and his pupper Perry!

A portrait of Perry the poodle. In this close-up, the small white dog lays in a shady patch of dirt, his paws stretched out in front of him and his tailed curled around to the front. You can see his blue collar and bone-shaped nametag.

By the time we were all set up at the campsite, it was too late to take a hike. So instead we spent an evening around the campfire: cooking, chatting and catching up. We watched the sunset paint the distant horizon, and then witnessed a smattering of stars come out.

In this image, pine trees in silhouette frame the sherbet hues of a sunset in Angeles National Forest.

The next morning, the four of us were ready for some serious exploring! The plan was to begin at Inspiration Point, and then follow the Pacific Crest Trail for a while. But that’s not quite how things worked out.

A large brown sign points the way towards Pacific Crest Trail parking. A sunlit ridge beckons beyond the sign.

While we did enjoy the splendid vistas from Inspiration Point (and the Lightning Ridge trail bench!), the rest of our day was somewhat less inspiring. A wrong turn had us leave the PCT behind in favor of a dark, chilly valley.

A photograph featuring Kent, Omid and Perry at the Lightning Ridge trail bench on the Pacific Crest Trail. Kent is standing closest to the camera. Omid sits on the far side of the bench, with Perry at his knee. A lone tree angles over the bench, casting shade on the dry landscape beyond.

Our trail bore obvious signs of use, and we simply continued on it without much thought. Perry was scampering ahead, and the guys were lost in conversation. It was entirely possible that this was just a somewhat less scenic section of the PCT…wasn’t it? I had some misgivings as we continued to descend, but wasn’t sure enough of my surroundings to stop us in our tracks.

A close-up capture of fluffy peach-colored flowers on a mountain slope in Angeles National Forest.

Down, down, down we went, on an old forestry road. Eventually we all agreed that this couldn’t be the PCT and that we must have lost our way. But we carried on, curious about where this new trail would take us! The answer was: down to the road again, back near our campsite. So we turned around and hiked back to Inspiration Point. We were definitely ready for some more inspiration!

Striking views over Angeles National Forest in an image taken from the Pacific Crest Trail at Inspiration Point. Distant clouds stripe the blue sky overhead, accummulating in a grey mass on the horizon. Trees poke up through the foreground and partially obscure the views of a gentle mountain slope. A road winds through the center of the scene.

So this hike wasn’t exactly the preview of the PCT that we’d hoped for. It doesn’t even show as an official trail on the map, much less represent the best that Angeles National Forest has to offer! Still, we’d had fun with an old friend and spent a morning exploring a new place – which is exactly what we enjoy about life.

The trio of humans and their canine friend pose on the edge of a ridge. A brilliantly blue sky forms the background, and the foreground is the scruffy growth of the chaparral.

And, heading back to the start, we were amazed all over again by the tremendous views of Angeles National Forest from Inspiration Point!

A panoramic image taken at Inspiration Point in Angeles National Forest, one of the stops on the Pacific Crest Trail.

Planning an outing in Angeles National Forest? There’s so much to explore! And, since you’ll do a better job of it than I likely did, let me know what we should explore next time we’re in the area! Try this resource for help with planning your adventures, and happy trails!

A vertical image of Kent ascending a narrow trail with a gentle grade. A white post marks it out as the Pacific Crest Trail. With shapely trees ahead and a blue sky overhead, it's an enticing day for hiking!

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