Just in time for Labor Day weekend, a 10-mile stretch of scenic Angeles Crest Highway is reopening to the public after being closed for years due to storm damage.
Heavy rains during the back-to-back stormy winters of 2022 and 2023 triggered slope failures and rock slides, and collapsed pavement along the road — also known as Highway 2, which runs alongside Angeles National Forest.
Further damage followed in September 2024, when the Bridge fire burned sections of Angeles National Forest and raged across the highway.
New guardrails, retaining walls, erosion control and drainage systems were put in place to address the destruction. However, the stretch of highway between Islip Saddle and Vincent Gulch continued to be closed until Friday.
The total cost of repairs was approximately $7.9 million, officials said.
In a Q&A on its website, the California Department of Transportation said the closure “took so long” due to inspectors having to evaluate the area in person, and that conditions were constantly changing with the weather.
Angeles Crest Highway connects to many popular hiking trails, including Vincent Gulch and Mt. Baden-Powell.
“For some, taking the long way around could have not been an option for them. It could be too long to walk, too time-consuming or too expensive for the gas,” said Jeff Hester, a hiker and creator of the SoCal Six-Pack of Peaks hiking challenge. “A lot of people really enjoyed that drive and being able to explore places that they might not have seen otherwise. Having that reopened gives them access to that again.”
Besides increased access, some predict that the reopening will help reduce littering and overcrowding.
“The reopening of these trails are huge for the hiking community in terms of access,” said Justin Rimon, founder of the L.A.-based outdoor group Just Trek. “Also, this stretch of the Angeles Crest Highway that’s open, it not only opens more trails, but I think it’ll help reduce congestion at some of the most popular trailheads. Because for a long time, people were going to the same trailheads because of this closure and it was getting really overcrowded.”
Members of the local hiking community said they were relieved to see this stretch of the highway, though there were some concerns around the timing.
As Labor Day weekend is expected to bring more visitors to the Angeles National Forest, the U.S. Forest Service announced heightened fire danger warnings for the area.
On Thursday, the agency said that the Angeles National Forest is now at the extreme fire danger level, meaning campfires, stoves, barbecues or open flames are prohibited.
“Since it’s also Labor Day weekend, I’m worried people are not going to listen to the warnings, or they’re not going to know that it’s an extreme fire level in the Angeles Forest, and they’re going to be cooking and grilling and celebrating,” Rimon said. “I wonder if the timing was right.”
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