Eaton Canyon, Natural canyon in San Gabriel Mountains, California
Eaton Canyon is a natural canyon in the San Gabriel Mountains of Southern California, crossed by a creek and lined with native plants along several hiking trails. The most popular trail follows the creek upstream to a waterfall that drops into a rocky gorge.
The canyon takes its name from Judge Benjamin S. Eaton, who ran a ranch in the area from 1865. Long before his arrival, the land had been home to the Tongva people, who knew the creek and its surroundings well.
The Tongva people, who originally lived in this region, depended on the creek and the plants growing along it for food and water. Visitors walking the trail today still pass through the same stretches of native vegetation that shaped daily life here for generations.
A visitor center near the entrance has parking and information about local plants and wildlife. The trail to the waterfall involves several creek crossings, so sturdy shoes are a good idea.
In 2022, a small piece of land overlooking the canyon was officially returned to Tongva ownership for the first time since the 19th century. It was the first time in generations that any land in this area had formally come back to them.
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