Wrightwood Trails

[Chesslike]

We moved up here at the beginning winter.  I noticed on one of the forums awhile back about hiking trails in town that go to waterfalls and other nice areas. I was wondering how to learn where these are.  We live near acorn but we could not see where a  trail might start without feeling we would be trespassing. Any help would be appreciated.

Rickster, I don't know what sized waterfall you are looking to find, but I just got back this morning from a long hike up past the water company property at the end of swallow dr. There are two moss covered waterfalls up past the large twin water tanks. Just follow the dirt road to the left of the water tanks and after you come to an old abandoned pump house there is a stream that starts about 300 yards beyond that. Follow that stream and you will come to a 10 foot waterfall and then 200 yards past the first is another waterfall that is about 20 feet tall. The flow of water is actually quite impressive for the end of May. I hope this bodes well for our water supply.

[Royce]

Rickster, I don't know what sized waterfall you are looking to find, but I just got back this morning from a long hike up past the water company property at the end of swallow dr. There are two moss covered waterfalls up past the large twin water tanks. Just follow the dirt road to the left of the water tanks and after you come to an old abandoned pump house there is a stream that starts about 300 yards beyond that. Follow that stream and you will come to a 10 foot waterfall and then 200 yards past the first is another waterfall that is about 20 feet tall. The flow of water is actually quite impressive for the end of May. I hope this bodes well for our water supply.

Where's swallow dr. ?  Is this the waterfall in the government canyon area?

[Nolena]

The Guffy Trail is easier to find going down from Guffy Camp. If you want to find it from Lark, go up Lark past the last curve, where it gets really steep. On the left, there's a gate & a (sometimes vague) road between houses. (The trail is not maintained.) Go around the gate & up the road. If you stay about on the top of the ridge, you meet up with the trail (which was fixed up by the U.S. Fosrest Srevice after one of the recent fires).
* NOTE * I haven't been on it in a year or so, so the access may have changed.
The trail goes up along the west side of one of the slides to Guffy Camp. In some places, you get a LITTLE too close to the edge of the slide and the trail is undermined. Avoid these spots, or name me as a beneficiary.
Just below Guffy, there's a small cinder block building on the west side that houses a spring. Quail are ususally abundant in the area.
Please let the rest of us know if the landscape has changed. Happy hiking!

[Chesslike]

Thanks Nolena, I think I know where that is at if it is next to that steel built house. I always thought that was someones private driveway.

[Chesslike]

Royce, Swallow Dr. is on the L.A. side of town and it takes you right into the water co. property. I think that is called government canyon, but I am not positive.  

[Royce]

That's private property, I found out today

[Chesslike]

That's private property, I found out today

If you mean it is water company property you are right, but it has been used by countless joggers, bike riders and hikers for years. I have been hiking there for over 20 years. There is most likely a prescriptive easment for the use of the trails there now, but beside that I see water company personnel there all the time and they always wave or say hello. In fact a couple of months ago I reported a suspicious vehicle up by the old pump house and they seemed most appreciative.

[Nolena]

There's some private property in the Government Canyon area south of the Water Road - a couple hundred acres of private property, I think.

[clint]

[RobertW]

So Clint, can we legally access the Acorn trail from the bottom or not?  I always felt it could only be accessed via crossing private camp property.

[Wrightwood]

[Nolena]

I believe there is an old logging road going up the ridge on the east side of Government Canyon. I don't see it on the map, but lots of things aren't on the topo maps.

[Chesslike]

WW from your map I would say the waterfalls would be in Government Canyon as that shows a water tank at the mouth of the canyon. There are actually two tanks there and one looks like it could be a million gallon tank.

[Chesslike]

[clint]

[clint]

Robert,

Hi. I don't know about the Acorn Trail access. Frankly I've wondered about that myself. I know I have always felt a little guilty somehow just strolling through Camp Maria Stella. It is posted as private. When ever I have met camp employees I have asked permission and they always seem suprised I'm even asking. I am guessing, and again I don't really know, that if someone from the camp stopped you, you certainly coudn't just ignore them. At least I wouldn't. Imagine some poor PCT hiker reaching the bottom only to be told he can't cross camp property and has to go back up!

[Wrightwood]

The private property issue in Wrightwood has come up a few times recently.

I've put together a series of the latest topo maps offered by USGS and photographed them. In the latest topo maps they indicate private property in a shaded color.

(Because of the differences in printing of multiple topo maps, that have been assembled to show Wrightwood, two shaded colors appear but they both represent private property in Wrightwood.)

As you can see from the latest government maps, most all of Wrightwood is private property.

I've circled the area in red known as 3 levels, just east of town.



For a large size 1200 x 800 image of the map click here:
ftp://http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/nature/LG_wwtopo2.JPG

[Chesslike]

Clint, I would love to debate this with you as I have studied prescriptive easements and adverse possession extensively in my law and real estate classes, but WW has already stated this is not the forum for this. We will have to agree to disagree, but you need to check your case law on this and also talk to a few beach front property owners who tried to stop public beach access through their property. And I do not have to make up my mind, implied permission does not preclude a presciptive easement.

[clint]

It's not me your disagreeing with, it's the American Congress on Mapping and Surveying. I am not a lawyer, and have not studied the law, but I do know how to read. I supplied three links providing the legal information. I am still waiting to see the "specific steps and language spelled out in the law" that you reffered to. Apparently KC has read similar information to that which I provided. In any case I have no interest in debating with you either. If you care to take the time to go to the court and find that there is in fact a recorded finding of Prescriptive Easement, great, we will all be enlightened with actual proof.

My only interest as a moderator is to ensure that people do not post inaccurate information which encourages people to disregard the property rights of others. We run a "kid safe" site and have an active membership of local youth, for whom we must all set the best examples. When Royce very responsibly points out that trail access is private we cannot allow anyone to advocate ignoring those conditions. I encourage all interested parties to read the information provided in the links, or the NOLO book on property law, which clearly explains that prescriptive easements do not take effect witout court action.  

[WWHead]

A good day hike is the PCT from the 15 up to acorn trail and down into town.  Alot of brush so watch for the snakes.   It's about 22 miles.  You can always get off the trail earlier and go down to Lone Pine to make it a shorter trip.  There's always someone willing to give you a ride into town.