Soon would be a good time for a light hike along the Antonovich Trail in Covina/San Dimas, more popularly known as Walnut Creek - or just “the creek” among locals. It actually has water in it these days. Real, flowing water, that doesn’t smell wacky or look very sad (by SoCal standards). This waterway flows mostly parallel to the San Jose Creek, all the way through West Covina and Baldwin Park to the San Gabriel River. See the map for various entry points.
If you’ve got small kids or un-outdoorsy friends, this is a perfect introductory level trail with lots of shade and not too many steep inclines. It's quite bikeable and open to equestrians as well. Several times along the 3.86 mile route, one will come upon property lines for toney hillside homes, replete with horses and weedy project cars.
This well-maintained trail attracts all comers from the area and is great for picnics and a popular destination for graffiti as well (there’s plenty of concrete debris from drainage culverts in the middle of the trail: if you build it, they will come). The main attraction is the rope swing near the staging entrance on Valley Center Drive. Since this reporter has been coming to the creek (a whopping 18 years) the ropes have been replaced countless times, a romantic tradition in this quiet area.
Boots are recommended, as you’ll have to cross water a few times. Bug repellent is a good idea too. Other than that, just watch out for poison oak and “road apples,” and you’re in for a pastoral couple of hours. There may be teens shooting each other with pellet guns too, but that tends to happen more in the rockier clearings on the eastern side of the trail.
Streetsblog’s San Gabriel Valley coverage is supported by Foothill Transit, offering car-free travel throughout the San Gabriel Valley with connections to the Gold Line Stations across the Foothills and Commuter Express lines traveling into the heart of downtown L.A. To plan your trip, visit Foothill Transit. “Foothill Transit. Going Good Places.”
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