#RecreateResponsibly Every Day

Planning a trip to the Angeles National Forest is a lot like planning a big holiday meal. Have you already been dreaming of foods like hot dogs, hamburgers, tacos, burritos, apple pie, corn-on-the-cob, s'mores, churros, or dulce de leche to enjoy during your visit to the forest this Fourth of July?

Whether you plan for a food fest or a fun hike, mountain bike ride, or other activity this weekend, you will have a better visit by keeping the following few tips in mind:

• Find out what you need to "Know Before You Go" by visiting the Angeles National Forest website or by calling or stopping by one of our offices or visitor centers. Think of it as a recipe for more fun!
• Like Woodsy Owl says, "Give a Hoot, Don't Pollute!" Bring extra trash bags with you to the forest. Please place trash inside designated trash cans and dumpsters—not outside of them. If nearby trash cans and dumpsters are full, please consider taking your trash home with you. Keep wildlife wild—feeding them human food or trash could harm or kill them.
• Save a life by not blocking roadways! This will allow emergency vehicles to pass through the area. The life you save could be your own or the life of someone you love.
• Check out a map of areas you plan to visit before arrival. Have a back-up plan in case an area is closed or crowded.
• Recreate Responsibly – Learn about fire restrictions before starting a campfire, carry tools to extinguish a flame, and report a fire by calling 911.
• Remember: Fireworks and pyrotechnics are prohibited on public lands — every forest, every campsite, every day.

Fire Danger is "High" at the Angeles National Forest

Effective July 2, 2024, fire danger levels have increased to HIGH at the Angeles National Forest, which includes the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. Visitors to the Angeles National Forest, including recreational cabin owners and concessioners, are advised of the following updates: 

• Remember, fireworks and pyrotechnics are prohibited on public lands — every forest, every campsite, every day. This includes sparklers.  
• All stoves and campfires require a valid California Campfire Permit. Get your campfire permit online. 
• Campfires are allowed only at developed campgrounds in USDA Forest Service-provided campfire rings and Klamath stoves. Klamath stoves look like wood-burning fireplaces that can be used for cooking or to generate warmth.  
• Wood or charcoal BBQ use is allowed in USDA Forest Service-provided grills only in developed campgrounds, picnic sites, and day-use areas. 
• Visitors may only bring gas grills (-no charcoal grills) and use them in developed campgrounds, picnic sites, and day-use areas if all combustible (burnable) material is removed five feet from the base of the grill.   
• Only portable lanterns or stoves (commonly referred to as "backpacker stoves") using gas, jellied petroleum, or pressurized liquid fuel are allowed to be used outside of developed campgrounds, picnic sites, and day-use areas. Users must possess a valid California Campfire Permit, even for use of a lantern or stove, and be in compliance with permit conditions. Get your campfire permit online. 
• Shooting of guns is only allowed in designated shooting areas, except for hunters during legal hunting seasons. In addition, shooting of tracer, armor piercing, steel core, or Teflon ammunition is not allowed.   
• Welding, grinding, cutting, and the use of explosives is only allowed with a proper permit.  

A violation of the law can result in a $5,000 fine and/or six months in jail. Anyone causing a wildfire is liable for all costs of suppressing the fire. 
 
Angeles National Forest Fire Chief Robert Garcia said, "Although we have had a mild spring this year due to extensive winter rains, the vegetation is quickly drying out. As temperatures continue to rise, we are seeing a significant number of wildfires start in the greater Los Angeles area, including in the Angeles National Forest." He added, "The vast majority of our wildfires in the area are human-caused, so we need the public's support to prevent wildfires."  

To read Forest Order No. 05-01-24-06, click here.   

Public Comment Opportunity: Proposed Changes to Camping Fees in a Few Locations

The Angeles National Forest is proposing to charge new and increased fees at 11 developed campgrounds: Oak Flat, Sycamore Flat, South Fork, Monte Cristo, Manker Flat, Lightning Point Group Campgrounds, Horse Flats, Crystal Lake, Coldbrook, Chilao, and Buckhorn.

The public is invited to comment on the proposal. Please send comments no later than close-of-business on September 3, 2024, to Angeles National Forest, ATTN: Jeremey Sugden, 701 N. Santa Anita Ave., Arcadia, CA 91006, or jeremey.sugden@usda.gov. Comments can also be submitted to an online map. For more information on the proposed project, visit our website, or contact Jeremey at (626) 574-5274