June 2012 Camping Trip at BUCKHORN CAMPGROUND Day1

Community Hiking Club

June 2012 Camping Trip

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BUCKHORN CAMPGROUND

June 8-10, 2012

Latitude: 34° 20.763 N

Longitude: 117° 54.910 W

Elevation: 6,400

Introduction: This campground, with a wonderful blend of different trees, mainly Jeffrey pine and cedar, is located in a cool and shady dale carved by a creek that meanders throughout the area. Buckhorn was used as a high-country hunting camp, long before Angeles Crest Highway permitted easy access to it. Buckhorn is named for a pair of gigantic horns once nailed to a tree there, when it was a hunting camp. Buckhorn is located in Cooper Canyon, in the Angeles National Forest, and is part of the Mojave River Basin.

Map: Mt. Islip Area. See also USGS 7.5’ x 7.5 Map: Waterman Mountain.

Directions: From Santa Clarita, take the 5 south to the 210 east (direction Pasadena). Exit the 2 (Angeles Crest Highway), and turn left over the 210 freeway. Take the Angeles Crest Highway to the turnoff to the campground, which will be about 34.3 miles. The road to the campground does not have a name. All you will see is a gate (that will be open) that has a sign on the right side of it that says, “No Parking Anytime.” (See photo below.)

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The road to the campground is located between mile marker 58.19 and 58.25, on the left side of the road. If you see mile marker 58.25, you have gone too far. The GPS coordinates for the turnoff are 34°20.601N and 117°55.273W. There will be a sign for Buckhorn Campground on the right side of the road with a small arrow sign pointing to the left. Your total drive time will be about an hour and a half.

Once you turn on the road to the campground, proceed down the road about 0.4 miles. You will then see the first campsite. Continue driving on the road, until you see several signs, including a box labeled Deposit Fee Box. (See photo below.) This is where you will pay for your campsite (if you have not prearranged with Dianne to put your money in there before you arrive).

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Amenities, Fees, and Rules: Buckhorn Campground has 38 campsites, which are on a first-come-first-served basis (reservations are not accepted). Each campsite is limited to two vehicles and a maximum of eight people per site. There are no RV sites or RV hookups. There is a $12.00 per night fee for each campsite. Parking a second vehicle is included in the $12.00 fee. However, if you have a Golden Age or Access Pass, you only have to pay half of that per night. Your fee must be paid within 30 minutes of your arrival. A campsite must be occupied the first night and cannot be left unattended over 24 hours thereafter.

Each campsite has a paved parking apron, wood picnic table, and fire ring (no grills). The average parking apron size is 12’ x 32’. There is piped water and 12 water spigots are located throughout the campground (near the road, so that everyone has easy access without entering somebody else’s campsite). There are also a couple of group fire pits. There are many pit toilets throughout the campground. It appears as though there is only one group of trash dumpsters, which is located at the center of the campground.

Dogs are allowed, so long as they are on a leash.

Check out time is 2:00 p.m.

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Weather: The average temperatures this time of year, measured at nearby Mt. Wilson (elevation 5,710), are a high of 72 and a low of 62. The sunrise and sunset times this time of year will be about 5:40 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Important Advisories: Buckhorn is located in bear country. Be aware of bear activity. It is imperative to practice safe food storage techniques. Do not keep any food, lotions, soaps, deodorant, or anything with a scent in your tent. Do not leave any food or drink items out of your car or out of a bear-proof container, if you are leaving the campground or going to sleep. The safest places to keep food and other scented items are in a bear proof container, or hung up in a tree. These are the methods we recommend. However, many people have kept these items safely in their locked car in the Angeles National Forest.

Hikes: Hikes that are located in the area include:

Buckhorn Campground to Mt. Waterman, 6 miles roundtrip, 1,300 elevation gain/loss

Buckhorn Campground, Cooper Canyon Trail Camp, Cooper Canyon to Cloudburst Summit, 6 miles roundtrip, -1,300 +800 elevation loss and gain

Buckhorn Peak, 1.4 miles roundtrip, 400 elevation gain/loss

Buckhorn Campground to Cooper Canyon, Little Rock Creek, 4.5 miles roundtrip, 4.5 miles round trip, 900 elevation gain/loss

Buckhorn Campground to Cooper Canyon Falls, 3.0 miles round trip, 800 feet elevation gain/loss (See photo below.)

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Buckhorn Spring, 1.0 mile round trip, 280 feet elevation gain/loss

Buckhorn to Little Rock Creek, Burkhart Saddle, Pleasant View Ridge, 14 miles round trip, 3,300 feet elevation gain/loss

The trailhead to the Burkhart Trail is located 0.2 miles away from the last campsite in the campground. The Pacific Crest Trail is also located near the campground. If you would like to do some section hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail, just hike from the campground (on the Burkhart Trail) to Cooper Canyon, and you will see the Pacific Crest Trail sign (as well as the Silver Moccasin Trail sign).

Please keep in mind that closures of some portions of the above trails may still be in effect, due to the Station Fire and/or for protection of endangered species.

RSVP: To sign up for this camping trip, contact Dianne by email at zuliebear@aol.com. Please note that by reserving early with Dianne, she will do her utmost to get you a camping site. However, campsites cannot be guaranteed for any of us, due to the first-come-first-served rule enforced at the campground. Unused camp site fees will, of course, be refunded. If you pay in advance and do not show up, your fees will not be refunded. (They will have already been deposited at the campsite check-in on your behalf.)