Bridge to Nowhere Day Hike
Sunday December 27
Starting at 7:30 AM
Recommend Arriving by 7 AM Due to Parking Limitations.
This is an interesting trip to view one of man's failed attempts to overcome nature.
History of Bridge to Nowhere
LA’s Bridge to Nowhere was constructed in 1936 over a gap carved by the East Fork of the San Gabriel River. The bridge was built to serve as a link in a roadway between the San Gabriel Valley to the south and Wrightwood to the north. However, in the spring of 1938, a massive flood changed the landscape of the canyon and washed out the road leading to the bridge. The road was never restored and construction was abandoned due to a lack of financial investment.
We begin at the parking lot at the end of the road to the East Fork of the San Gabriel River. GPS Coordinates are: 34.237156,-117.765051.
Directions: From I210, take Azusa Ave (Hwy 39) North for 12 miles. It becomes San Gabriel Canyon Road. Turn right on E. Fork Road, over bridge and then 5 miles. At hairpin turn, stay straight onto Camp Bonita Road for about 1 mile. Parking lot is at end of road. The parking lot fills up early and we recommend arriving by 7:00 AM; we will be leaving the trail head at 7:30 AM.
We follow the river up the canyon. If you are sensitive to poison oak, long pants is recommended due to the abundance of poison oak along this trail. Depending on recent rainfall, shoes may get wet, as we will be crossing the San Gabriel River several times along the way. Some hikers bring two pairs of shoes; one to hike and one to wear when crossing the river - the amount of water in the river is dependent upon the amount of recent rainfall. I've seen it at times where the water is ankle deep, and others when the water is knee to thigh high.
The trail gains about 1,000 feet over 4.8 miles making this a moderate hike.
When we reach the bridge, we will see bungee jumpers going over the side. The bridge itself is a beautiful curved concrete arch bridge high above the waters of the canyon. After spending sufficient time at the bridge and eating our lunch/snacks, we will retrace our steps.
Click here for the list of your your ten essentials Bring at least two liters of water and food for lunch and snacks. Carpooling is recommended to help reduce gas cost and parking. An Adventure Pass or a National Parks Pass is required for parking. For Information, click here.
Members Only! No guests allowed; if you would like to become a member of the OC/LB Chapter please click here: https://greatoutdoors.wildapricot.org/sys/website/?pageId=18321
Trip Leader & Contact: Lance Whitmier.
E-mail: [email protected]
Lance @ the Bridge to Nowhere.
