Azusa's Canyon Entrance Just Broke Ground on a Park. The River Walk Is Already There.

The building at the top of Old San Gabriel Canyon Road went up in the 1920s as quarters for the San Gabriel Canyon forest ranger. Later it became El Encanto, a restaurant people around here loved. Today it holds the offices of the Rivers and Mountains Conservancy and the Watershed Conservation Authority. In front of it are a native garden and an overlook above the river, and that overlook is where a 1-mile walk along the San Gabriel River starts, about 2 miles round trip.

On Tuesday, October 13, Los Angeles County and the conservancy broke ground on phase one of Azusa Wilderness Park at this spot, 100 N. Old San Gabriel Canyon Road. Public agencies bought most of this land about twenty years ago, and the overlook and river walk are open now. What the construction adds is the infrastructure for a park that already gets used: a proper entry, parking, restrooms, play areas and a connection to the bike trail.

Public land since 2006, and a schedule that kept slipping

The site was assembled in pieces. The City of Azusa bought roughly 3 acres early on. With grants from the Rivers and Mountains Conservancy and the California Natural Resources Agency, the Watershed Conservation Authority then bought two neighboring properties.

1. 2006: The authority buys the El Encanto property, about 40 acres.
2. 2007: A conceptual plan for the El Encanto land is finished.
3. 2008: The authority buys the Canyon Inn property, about 27 acres.
4. 2012: A second plan, covering Canyon Inn, is finished. Together the two plans serve as the park's master plan.
5. October 13, 2026: Phase one breaks ground.

The Watershed Conservation Authority's project page still says the entry improvements were in design and permitting, estimated at $8 million, and "scheduled to begin in 2017." The page is out of date, but it shows how long people have been waiting. Mark Stanley, executive officer of the conservancy and the authority, put the start even earlier at the groundbreaking. "The vision for this project began in the early 2000s," he told Streetsblog LA. "The goal was to create a place that would better serve the surrounding neighborhoods while also welcoming visitors exploring the canyon and traveling to the nearby Angeles National Forest."

Supervisor Hilda Solis has been tied to this land for nearly as long. While in Congress in 2003, she pushed for the watershed study that protected the San Gabriel Mountains, and the overlook in front of the old restaurant is named for her.

What you can use this weekend

Construction has started, but the canyon entrance still has places you can go right now.

• Hilda Solis River Outlook and native garden. It sits in front of the former El Encanto building. The authority calls it "a sneak peak" of the interpretive features still to come.
• The river walk along North Old San Gabriel Canyon Road. It starts at the outlook and follows the river for 1 mile, about 2 miles there and back.
• San Gabriel Canyon Gateway Center, 1960 N. San Gabriel Canyon Road, (626) 969-1012. The Forest Service lists weekend hours of 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., run by volunteer groups. Its listing says it's closed on weekdays, and weekend and holiday hours can change. A September notice from the Angeles National Forest says the center opens when volunteers are available, and a drive-through vending machine sells passes around the clock. Call before you count on finding someone there.

No published notice has said how the full construction phase will affect the walk or the lot. In March 2026, the authority's board took up a separate contract to repave the parking lot and entry plaza, and its scope called for traffic control so the public could keep using the site safely. The authority's board packet describes the parking area as supporting continued public use while also serving as construction staging during the buildout. Expect crews, fencing and some changes from one visit to the next.

What phase one adds by fall 2027

The San Gabriel Valley Tribune reported that Stanley expects phase one to be ready by September 2027 at a cost of $12 million. The Tribune also reported that the work rebuilds the main entry and realigns about 900 feet of Old San Gabriel Canyon Road leading to the park and parking area. At the ceremony, Solis handed the Watershed Conservation Authority a $1.8 million check toward the construction.

Some details differ depending on the source. Streetsblog LA listed a roundabout in phase one. The Tribune put the roundabout and a cafe in later phases, and said the cost of those phases isn't known yet. Parking figures differ too. The Tribune reported 42 resurfaced on-site spaces, including accessible and EV spots, with room for about 140 more nearby. The paving scope in the authority's March board item called for resurfacing and restriping roughly 150 stalls. Every source agrees on the main features: overlooks, play areas, restrooms, camping and a bike-trail link, with a cafe and rental pavilion later.

The roundabout matters for anyone crossing at the canyon entrance. The authority's earlier plans describe it as a way to slow traffic on State Route 39 where Old San Gabriel Canyon Road meets it, so people on foot and on bikes can cross into the park more safely.

Why this bend in the river

This spot was chosen for a reason. At the groundbreaking, Nathan Nuñez, a descendant of the Xaapchavit clan of the eastern San Gabriel Mountains, explained to Streetsblog LA that the city's name comes from the Serrano word for this place. He pointed toward the bend in the river just outside the park site.

"Asuksa, or Asuksa Vitam, the people of Asuksa, or the place of their grandmother, or the place of the little bend."

Nuñez said his family has been in the area for at least eight generations. He called the site "the entrance of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument" and "a spot to stop, a spot to be present." Mayor Edward Alvarez described what the canyon's four million annual visitors find here. "When you come here and you're by yourself and you just sit down on the log or on that block wall, you feel immediate peace," he said.

The block wall and the bend in the river were there long before this month's ceremony. Phase one adds restrooms, play areas and a campground to a place people already visit.

Before you head farther up the canyon

If your plans go farther north on Highway 39, check these current conditions first.

• Highway 39. As of Caltrans' October 24 report, SR-39 is closed around the clock from 2 miles north of Crystal Lake Road to the State Route 2 junction because of construction. Caltrans says that 4.4-mile stretch has been closed to public traffic since 1978. You can check current SR-39 conditions from Caltrans before you go.
• Fire rules. The Angeles National Forest raised fire danger to "Very High" on July 24, and the order runs through December 31, 2026. Wood and charcoal fires are prohibited outside developed recreation sites. The Forest Service notice has the details.
• Passes. Buy one at the Gateway Center's 24/7 vending machine on the way up.

If you'd rather head into town after the river walk, the City of Azusa's calendar lists the Downtown Azusa Night Market on Thursday, November 19, from 5 to 9 p.m. The city describes it as a monthly, family-friendly market with local businesses, food and entertainment, run with Angel City Market. The next one on the calendar is December 17, also 5 to 9 p.m.

The team at The Mark & Al Team has watched this end of Azusa for a long time, and we'll keep following the park's buildout through its 2027 target. If you own a home near the canyon and want to know how a project like this fits into your property's value, request a free home valuation or consultation and we'll go over it with you.