Nothing blocks out city lights and noise like the walls of a deep, dark canyon.
As you walk down the trail from the parking lot, all signs of civilization drop away with the elevation until you're left with only the squawks and chirps of your new neighbors. In this section of Angeles National Forest , you'll set up camp amid Jeffrey pines and giant boulders, with the San Gabriel River flowing nearby. Go for a swim, catch some trout, and fall asleep under a million more stars than you could ever see from your backyard. There's a reason the Mount Wilson Observatory was built just down the road this area has less light pollution than just about anywhere in the San Gabriels . On your way to West Fork you'll pass by the Valley Forge Campground, a slightly closer and less isolated alternative.