Cooper Canyon Trail Camp

There's a small parking lot just below Cloudburst Summit on the way to Mount Waterman. Start your adventure there. I'd be hard-pressed to say it's more than 15 yards from the sign for the summit (7018' AMSL).

There's a fire road, if you're newer to altitude and don't know how to read a map (or even if you do but you get confused), stick to that. If you get altitude sick at all (even woozy on an airplane) just...work your way up to this.

Or feed your wild side and go up the trail immediately to your left and take advantage of some of the most impressive vistas of Los Angeles County. As you make your way downhill you'll begin to smell the stream. You won't see it, it's too small, but you'll walk out of the long-leaf pines and into other firs, red alders, and cedars (watch out, there's some poison oak, but not much).

As you walk down the fire road, you'll see various well-maintained trails coming in and out, part of the PCT. You can take them for the extra challenge, but if you're hungry or have to go to the bathroom (there's a vault on site), keep on trucking.

You'll see a myriad of birds and small mammals, and a lot of lizards, too. If you're lucky you may see something larger (hopefully from a ways off, especially if it's a predator). As you roll into the campground/picnic area, take a look around and make sure you're in the clear. There's plenty of dry grass, sticks, and wood in the area - usually - that you can use to build your fire in the pit. The pits have adjustable grates on top, but there are also stoves in the area.

They are not trashcans (in the picture up top, where I'm carrying a trash bag, half that trash is not ours). Burn anything paper or organic. If it's plastic or gross and you can't burn it, and you forgot a trash bag, carry it out. I don't know how often the grounds are cleaned by a sanitation crew or volunteers.

If you're low on water, stock up at the stream. Just filter it and purify it chemically or through boiling.

Camp overnight for fun, as part of your adventure on the trail, or just come back up. It's a beautiful area, and after a certain point you don't hear the cars and motorcycles on the highway, so you're really nowhere. If you're looking for a quick day hike, head over to Cooper Canyon Falls just east of the campground. 

GEAR LIST:

• Clothes
  • Sun protection
    • Hat
    • Sunscreen
    • Sunglasses
  • Layers! Even in the summer!
    • Belt
    • Pants/shorts
    • Convertibles
    • Light jacket
    • Long-sleeve shirt
    • Short-sleeve shirt
    • Scarf, gaiter, or shemagh/kefiyah
    • Sturdy trail shoes or hiking boots
  • Sturdy trail shoes or hiking boots
• Hydrate and feed
  • Water (lots of it)
    • Bottles and Camelbaks
  • Filtration/purification system
  • Small pot to boil water
  • Food (especially if you want to cook real food, or any food)
    • Small cutting/carving board
• Fire permit and associated materials (shovel, bucket or bag to get stream water for drowning the fire)
  • Fire starting materials
    • Ferro Rod, magnesium block with striker, etc.
    • Small hatchet, survival saw, or tomahawk
    • Knife and/or multitool
      • Pocket/survival
      • Cooking

• Hiking poles
• Hygiene kit
  • Baby wipes
  • TP roll
  • Sanitizer
  • Insect repellent
• First Aid kit (not limited to, but including)
  • Bandages
  • Gauze
  • Medical tape
  • Analgesics/anti-inflammatories
  • Surgical scissors
  • Tourniquets
  • Necessary training!
• Other/Survival (optional, and such)
  • Whiskey (if you're 21+)
    • Or beer, I don't discriminate
  • Flashlight(s)
    • Handheld
    • Headlamp
  • Chem lights/Glow-sticks
  • VS-17 panels
  • Emergency radio
  • Map, compass
    • Grid protractor
  • GPS
  • 2-way radios
  • Bear bells