Eaton Canyon452

The Eaton Canyon Nature Center, at the foot of Mount Wilson, is a great place to begin for some family-friendly hikes into the 190-acre Eaton Canyon Nature Area, and the San Gabriel Mountains.

The Center was rebuilt in 1998 after being burned to the ground in the 1993 Altadena fires; the new building has plenty of information about local flora and fauna, as well as live animals, educational displays, and a cozy reading corner for kids, complete with puppets. You can also find restrooms and a gift shop.

A staff member is on duty daily from 9am to 5pm, to answer any questions or to help families with younger children find easy and safe paths.

One well-marked nature trail is less than a mile and relatively flat. The slightly more adventurous might want to try the three-mile round trip trail up to Eaton Canyon Falls. John Muir, the 19th century naturalist, described the waterfall as "a charming little thing, with a low, sweet voice, singing like a bird, as it pours from a notch in a short ledge, some thirty or forty feet into a round mirror-pool."

Naturalists lead regularly scheduled groups for bird-watching, nighttime hikes, and family walks into the Canyon. It's also possible to call ahead and reserve a docent to lead a family hike.