Big Dalton Views and Brews!

Hike the Keiser Trail in Big Dalton Canyon Wilderness

Woman hiking on the Keiser Trail overlooking a big view of the San Gabriel Mountains below in Big Dalton Canyon Wilderness in Los Angeles County

The Keiser Trail in Big Dalton Canyon Wilderness Park might not be big in mileage, but it’s definitely big on views. This 2.1-mile (round-trip) loop climbs 439 feet through the riparian woodland full of coast live oaks. Hiking in a clockwise direction, the dirt path immediately ascends from the road; it isn’t marked, but if you’re hiking parallel to the road and heading toward a building, you’re on the right path.

Woman hiking in a forest on the Keiser Trail in Big Dalton Canyon Wilderness Park in Los Angeles County

Shortly after you pass a building, you’ll reach a wooden post to your right indicating the “official” start of the Keiser Trail. Now the trail is easy to follow. Continue in a clockwise loop! Short uphill bursts are spaced between flat stretches and the occasional downhill, making the entire trail feel like a roller coaster. Every bend offers new views: The wooded canyon opens into grasslands and chaparral; around one turn you get dramatic views of the San Gabriel Mountains, and around the next you get vistas of LA County.

Official trail sign for Big Dalton Canyon Wilderness in Los Angeles County

Woman hiking a forested section and sun beaming through on the Keiser Trail at Big Dalton Canyon Wilderness Park in Los Angeles County

View across the way of the San Gabriel Mountains from the Keiser Trail in Big Dalton Canyon Wilderness Park in Los Angeles County

The Keiser Trail ends back at the road (though in a different part than where you started). From there you can either walk along the road (heading to the right to complete the clockwise loop) or, for a more interesting path, cross the street and head across the bridge just slightly down the road. After crossing the bridge, head to the right, away from the small amphitheater. Take the Big Dalton Trail to parallel the road (more or less). Informational signs throughout this stretch of trail point out the variety of plant life growing in the park. After crossing a few more cool bridges, you’ll see the parking area.

Woman hiking on a boardwalk at Big Dalton Canyon Wilderness Park in Los Angeles County

POST-HIKE BEERS: Alosta Brewing Co. in Covina is just 15 minutes from the trailhead and is the perfect spot to cool off after a hike. In addition to a rotating selection of beers on tap, Alosta Brewing also serves hard seltzer slushies and has different food trucks on-site each day. For a unique beer with a local flair, try the Saison Bleu, a farmhouse ale/saison brewed with ginger and locally grown blue sage. Beers sold in taster flight, pints, crowlers, and growlers. Indoor and outdoor seating available.

Big Dalton Canyon Wilderness Park is located off the 210 Freeway in Glendora. Take the Lone Hill exit and head north, followed by a left on Foothill Blvd., a right on N Valley Center Ave., a left on E Sierra Madre Ave., an immediate right on Glendora Mountain Rd., and then a right on Big Dalton Canyon Rd. Follow the road until it ends at a locked gate in approximately 1 mile, then park in the dirt area on the right-hand side of the street. Park is open from dawn to dusk; free parking available. Dog friendly!

Alosta Brewing Co. is located at 692 Arrow Grand Circle in Covina. Tasting room is open from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, noon to 11 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, and closed on Monday. Check their website for calendar of food trucks and to see what beers are currently on tap.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Serene Las Gallinas

    A serene stroll alongside marshland, passing ponds and grasses frilled in seasonal wildflowers, with Mount Tam a beacon in the background … how nice. As part of the esteemed Bay Trail, San Rafael’s Las Gallinas Valley Birding Loop and Wildlife Ponds comprises about 3.5 miles of wide-open trail.

    View
  2. Paint Brushy

    This time of year you’ll have good reason to head for the hills—the electric-green rolling hills of Brushy Peak Regional Preserve in Livermore. This 4.5-mile loop hike is like stepping into a plein air painting.

    View
  3. Sponsored

    2025 POST Wildflower Walks

    Get flower empowered! POST’s complimentary 2025 Wildflower Walks guide blooms with the best places to see a variety of florals across the Peninsula and South Bay this spring.

    View
  4. All right, Almaden!

    Take a trip through time on this 5-mile loop in Almaden Quicksilver County Park. Explore the ruins of an old cinnabar mine and enjoy the first hints of wildflower season.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Sponsored

    Weekend in Reno Tahoe

    Weekend plans? Reno Tahoe! Just a few hours by car or a short flight away, Reno Tahoe springs to the moment with great ways to combine adventure and relaxation in its beautiful mountains-meets-desert setting.

    View
  2. Hiker walking along the North Bluff Trail on Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park

    Purely Wild

    Channel Islands National Park lives up to its nickname as “North America’s Galapagos.” This less-traveled national park is an undeveloped and isolated series of five dramatic and distinct islands reached by boat. Hike the largest of the islands, Santa Cruz.

    View
  3. Woman hiking the South Kaibab Trail in the Grand Canyon

    Truly Grand Day Hike

    One of the best spring day hikes in the Grand Canyon? See layer upon layer of the park’s grandeur—including the river—on this 3-mile (one-way) journey to Skeleton Point via the South Kaibab Trail.

    View
  4. A woman stands amid an array of yellow and purple flowers at Descanso Gardens in Los Angeles

    Petal Paradise

    Tulips, lilacs, and daffodils—flower power is in full bloom at Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge. Sprawling across 150 acres surrounded by mountains, the gardens are putting on their best show right now.

    View