Chaney Trail Corridor
The Chaney Trail Corridor encompasses over 185 acres of open space, 16.5 acres of which have been preserved by AFC. Bounded on the west by the La Viña development, on the north and east by the Angeles National Forest, and on the south by housing, the Corridor serves as a gateway to the front range of the San Gabriel Mountains.
The landscape of the Corridor includes flat bottom lands, steep ridges, and deep canyons. Two blue-line streams are identified on maps. Named canyons include Alzada (developed) and Chiquita Canyon, and there are six significant ridgelines in the Corridor. The watershed drains to the Arroyo Seco and is a part of the Los Angeles Watershed.
Conservation Story
In 2000, the AFC identified two adjacent parcels totaling fifteen acres as high priority for protection. As you can read here, AFC worked with Trust for Public Land to protect the parcels in 2001. This land is now part of the Angeles National Forest. In 2002, AFC closed escrow on the adjacent 1.5-acre parcel on Chaney Trail.
Habitat & Wildlife
As one moves north on Chaney Trail Road from Loma Alta, the urban fringe is quickly left behind, and one begins to experience the foothill chaparral environment. The landscape opens up, with magnificent views of the towering San Gabriel Mountains. Trails extend to Mt. Lowe and ultimately Mt. Wilson. The foothills in this section of Altadena rise from about 1500 feet to 2000 to 2500 feet before rising more steeply into the high country. This section of the front range has been designated a Significant Ecological Habitat by Los Angeles County.
The vegetation communities in the Corridor include chaparral, coastal sage scrub, southern oak woodland, and sycamore-alder riparian woodland, along with non-native grasslands. The variety of landscape and vegetation communities makes this a healthy ecological patchwork for many species. Resident in the area are animals that are characteristic of a healthy foothills community, such as California quail, Cooper’s and red-tailed hawk, band-tailed pigeon, acorn woodpecker, numerous warblers, California and spotted towhee, California thrasher, phainopepla, various hummingbird species, bobcat, mountain lion, mule deer, gray fox, raccoon, opossum, striped skunk, and coyote.
The Chaney Trail Corridor is an important recreational resource. The Altadena Crest Trail runs from east to west and north through the project area, connecting in the north with the Sunset Ridge Trail and extending in the east to Eaton Canyon. One can hike, ride, or bike to Mt. Wilson via several trails. Many people challenge themselves on the steep Chaney Trail Road over Sunset Saddle and down to Millard Canyon.
How we saved 15-acres on Alzada/Chaney Trail and founded a land trust
Guest contributor
Nancy L.C. Steele
In 1998, aerial survey markers appeared on Alzada Road and Chaney Trail in Altadena. The neighbors were concerned. And when we found that the owners of these 15 acres of wild land had put the property on the market, we were alarmed.
The land was beautiful, home to massive coast live oaks, elderberries, native ryegrass, black sage, laurel sumac, and many other chaparral and sage scrub plants. Bobcats and coyotes were attracted by the deer, birds, and rodents that lived on the land. A trail crossed from Alzada up onto Chaney Trail, giving access to the Altadena Crest Trail and the Angeles Forest. The corridor is the gateway to Millard Canyon, leading to waterfalls in the canyon, Mount Wilson, and other scenic points in the Angeles National Forest. The remains of a small rock house tucked back into a ravine sparked the imaginations of generations of children.
We knew that we had to save this property from development and to do that, we needed to incorporate it as a nonprofit land trust. We held community meetings and found allies across Altadena. AFC was formed in 1999 because we believed that the best way to save privately owned natural land was to purchase and conserve it, in perpetuity, for wildlife and people.
The only problem was that, as a new organization, we had no money to buy the land. Fast forward to 2001 and we had made friends with Larry Kaplan, then-director of Trust for Public Land in Los Angeles. We were looking for partners to help us learn how to be an effective land trust and in Larry we got that plus more. When we discovered that those 15 acres were within the Congressional Boundary of the Angeles National Forest and adjacent to a large block of Forest land, TPL moved into action.
As the party with the money, TPL’s Jennifer Hranilovich negotiated the purchase with the owners, Bill West and Werner Mueller. The strategy was to buy the land and then transfer it to become part of the Angeles National Forest. West and Mueller had owned this land for a long time and were sympathetic to our desire to save it. Mr. Mueller was terminally ill and so there was an urgency, and a poignancy, to the negotiations. A deal was struck and on December 31, 2001, TPL completed the purchase.
Today, the land is part of the Angeles National Forest, looking much as it was when we first saw it over two decades ago. The trail is still used by hikers, runners, and equestrians, along with myriads of wildlife. We regularly see bobcats and coyotes hunting the land and we have seen evidence of a mountain lion taking down deer. Spring is riotous with bird song and the coast live oak trees have (mostly) weathered many cycles of drought and wet times. Thanks to AFC’s quick action and belief in partnerships, this land is preserved for all time.