By Catie Watson
Things to Do in La Canada Flintridge, CA
La
Canada Flintridge is a city of 20,000 people in the San Gabriel Valley area of Southern California. Located in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, it stands as a gateway to the vast wilderness of the Angeles National Forest. Across the Arroyo Seco bridge is the city of Pasadena, and downtown
Los Angeles is 20 miles away. La Canada Flintride sports a beautiful backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains, unique points of interest and easy access by freeway.
Explore Descanso Gardens
Descanso Gardens
Descanso Gardens is a 160-acre public garden that features 80 acres of flower gardens in addition to forests, streams, a bird sanctuary, a lake, a Japanese teahouse and a koi pond. There also is a 5-acre international rose garden. Descanso Gardens can be explored on foot through a series of hiking trails or by tram. For children, a scale model enchanted railroad offers another mode of transportation through the gardens. Descanso Gardens offers a year-round calendar of educational events, festivals and concerts.
Descanso Gardens
1418 Descanso Drive
La Canada Flintridge, California 91011
(818) 949-4200
www.descansogardens.org
Tour the Jet Propulsion Lab
JPL Control Room
The Jet Propulsion Lab, or JPL, is NASA's research and development center for robotic planetary spacecraft. JPL occupies 177 acres within the city limits of La Canada Flintridge and employs approximately 5,000 people. JPL has been home to many groundbreaking achievements in space flight. Its space flight operations facility and space simulator have been designated as historic landmarks. Free tours, which include an overview presentation of the lab's accomplishments, may be scheduled in advance for groups and individuals.
Jet Propulsion Lab
4800 Oak Grove Drive
Pasadena, California 91109
(818) 354-4321
www.jpl.nasa.gov
Visit the Lanterman House
The Lanterman House is an historically significant home built in 1915 in La Canada Flintridge. The house embodies the Craftsman-style architecture characteristic of Pasadena and the surrounding area and retains many of its original arts-and-crafts interiors and furnishings. Most notable is a grand ballroom that occupies the entire second floor. The Lanterman House is open for tours several days a month.
The Lanterman House
4420 Encinas Drive
La Canada Flintridge, California 91011
(818) 790-1421
www.lantermanfoundation.org
Bike and Hike in Cherry Canyon
Cherry Canyon is a 131-acre park located in the hills above Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge. This undeveloped canyon park offers a series of trails for hiking and biking with scenic views of the San Gabriel Mountains, Pasadena and the downtown Los Angeles skyline. The natural environment of Cherry Canyon is chaparral and includes a stream that runs through the canyon. A variety of birds and animals can be observed at Cherry Canyon.
Cherry Canyon
4157 Hampstead Road
La Canada Flintridge, California 91101
(818) 790-8880
www.lamountains.com/parks.asp?parkid=629
Explore the Angeles National Forest
Angeles Forest
Within the city limits of La Canada Flintridge is the Switzer Falls area of the Angeles Forest. A hiking trail runs along Arroyo Seco creek to a series of waterfalls and a swimming hole. Just outside of the city, the Angeles National Forest covers 650,000 acres and ranges in elevation from approximately 1,000 to 10,000 feet. It offers a multitude of areas for picnicking, camping, hiking, fishing, swimming and skiing, all set amidst spectacular scenery and pristine wilderness.
Angeles Crest Highway (HWY 2)
La Canada, CA 91011
(626) 796-5541
www.fs.fed.us/r5/angeles/
Resources
About the Author:
Catie Watson is a freelance writer and software engineer from Huntington Beach, California. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from U.C. Berkeley and a Bachelor of Science in computer science from Cal Poly Pomona. Watson writes on subjects as diverse as technology, fashion, business, fitness, camping and family life.
Photo Credits:
Wikimedia Commons
