The move opens key assets to private investment and comes as Petroperu faces mounting losses and debt.
Published On 2 Jan 20262 Jan 2026
Share
Peru’s government has approved an emergency decree allowing private investment in parts of the state-owned oil company Petroperu, as authorities move to stabilise a firm weighed down by mounting losses and debt.
President Jose Jeri announced the decision shortly before the beginning of the new year.
Recommended Stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
The measure permits the reorganisation of Petroperu into one or more asset units, opening the door to private participation in key operations. That includes those at the flagship Talara refinery, which recently underwent a $6.5bn upgrade.
Beyond the refinery, Petroperu operates or holds concessions for six crude oil blocks with limited production, alongside a nationwide fuel distribution and marketing network.
In a statement, Peru’s Ministry of Energy and Mines said the decree seeks to “ensure compliance with financial obligations through technical management of its assets, laying the foundation for Petroperu to become a self-sustaining company”.
The ministry said the company’s financial position “is particularly sensitive”, citing accumulated losses of $479m between January and October 2025, as well as debts to suppliers totalling $764m through December.
Those figures come on top of reported losses of $774m in the previous year.
Petroperu’s financial strain has been compounded by debt linked to the Talara refinery modernisation, which ultimately cost double its original estimate and led to the company losing its investment-grade credit rating in 2022.
Since then, the government has repeatedly stepped in to support the firm, providing about $5.3bn in financing between 2022 and 2024.
The company, which is seen as crucial to Peru’s energy security, has also faced environmental scrutiny.
Authorities declared an “environmental emergency” and launched an investigation following an oil spill along a stretch of the country’s northern coastline in 2024, affecting an estimated 47 to 229 hectares (about 116 to 566 acres).
The Petroperu restructuring effort comes amid persistent political instability in Peru. Several presidents have failed to complete full terms in recent years, including Dina Boluarte, who was impeached by Congress in October.
Her successor, Jeri, has struggled to steady leadership at Petroperu, appointing three board chairs in just three months.
The move comes as Peru faces continuing political volatility, economic uncertainty and public pressure for stronger oversight of state institutions.
Washington, DC – For United States President Donald Trump, 2025 was a year of crisis.
Roaring into office on January 20 on the heels of a raucous political comeback, the president’s own telling describes a series of actions that have been swift and stark.
Recommended Stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
To name a few, he has envisioned rooting out a migrant “invasion” that includes staunching legal immigrants, and, potentially, targeting US citizens; he has touted a hard reset of uneven trade deals that pose “an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security”; and, in the final months of the year, he has gone on the military offensive against “narcoterrorists” that he claims seek to topple the US through illicit drugs, possibly used as “weapons of mass destruction”.
For legal observers, Trump’s approach has been a yet-undecided stress test on presidential power, cranked by the gears of broadly interpreted emergency statutes and untrammelled executive authority.
Decisions by the court, lawmakers and voters in the 2026 midterm elections could determine how that strategy resonates or is restrained.
“The use or abuse of emergency powers is only one corner of a larger picture,” Frank Bowman, professor emeritus of law at the University of Missouri, told Al Jazeera.
“In many cases, the administration is simply doing stuff that certainly any pre-existing understandings of executive authority would have said you cannot do,” he said.
Emergency powers and ‘national security’
The US Constitution, unlike many countries, has no catch-all emergency power authorisation for presidents.
In fact, the US Supreme Court ruled in 1952 that presidents have no such implied authorities, explained David Driesen, professor emeritus at Syracuse University College of Law. Still, Congress has passed “numerous statutes that grant the president limited emergency powers under limited circumstances to do specific things”.
Nearly every modern president has used emergency powers with varying degrees of gusto, with Congress and the Supreme Court historically wary of reining in those actions.
Like many US presidents, Trump has also used broad and ambiguous national security claims to justify expanding his reach.
But several factors have set Trump’s second term apart, most notably the lack of distinct inciting events for many of the powers claimed, Driesen said.
“I’ve never seen a president invoke emergency powers to justify practically all of this policy agenda,” he told Al Jazeera, “and I’ve also never seen a president use them to seize powers that really are not in the statutes at all.”
Put simply, he added, “to Trump, everything is an emergency”.
The tone was set on day one, with Trump’s broad executive order declaring that irregular crossings at the southern border meant nothing less than “America’s sovereignty is under attack”. The order has been used to indefinitely suspend US asylum obligations, surge forces to the border, and seize federal land.
The same day, Trump declared a national emergency under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to designate Tren de Aragua (TdA) and La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) as “foreign terrorist organizations”, posing a threat to the “national security, foreign policy, and economy” of the US.
The administration has, in part, relied on and expanded that order in efforts to circumvent due process in its mass deportation push and to rhetorically justify a militaristic approach to Latin America.
Simultaneously, Trump also declared a wide-ranging energy emergency on his first day in office, laying the groundwork to bypass environmental regulations.
To be sure, as Bowman explained, Trump’s use of official emergency statutes has been only a piece of the puzzle, combined with his broad interpretation of constitutionally mandated power to reshape the government in ways big and small.
That has included cleaving civil servants from congressionally created government departments via the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), trying to fire heads of independent agencies, renaming institutions – possibly illegally – in his likeness, and allegedly bypassing required approvals to physically transform the White House.
But the invocation of emergency statutes has remained a backbone of his second term. Trump invoked an emergency to justify sanctioning the International Criminal Court (ICC) for its investigations into Israeli war crimes in Gaza.
He used the “emergency” of fentanyl smuggling to justify tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China, later unilaterally labelling the drug “weapons of mass destruction”.
In April, in one of his most challenged uses of an emergency authority, Trump cited an emergency statute to impose sweeping reciprocal tariffs against nearly all US trading partners.
A ‘mixed picture’
In review, 2025 has shown virtually no willingness from Congress, where both chambers remain narrowly controlled by Trump’s Republican Party, to challenge the president.
Rulings from lower federal courts, meanwhile, have offered a “mixed picture”, according to the University of Missouri’s Bowman, while the country’s top court has left wider questions unanswered.
Bowman noted the six conservative members of the nine-judge panel ascribe to varying degrees to the “unitary executive theory”, which argues the drafters of the constitution envisioned a strong consolidation of presidential power.
“On the one hand, Trump is obviously willing to declare emergencies where no rational person would really believe they exist,” Bowman said.
“On the other hand, at least the lower courts have pushed back, but it remains to be seen whether the Supreme Court will back them up.”
For example, Trump has been temporarily allowed to continue the deployment of National Guard troops in Washington, DC, a federal district where he declared a “crime emergency” in August. City officials have said the characterisation defies facts on the ground.
Despite claiming similar overlapping crime and immigration crises in liberal-led cities in states across the country, Trump has had far less success. Lower courts have limited deployments of the National Guard in California, Illinois, and Oregon.
Trump has also floated, but not yet invoked, the Insurrection Act, another law in the crisis portfolio dating back to 1792 that allows the president to deploy the military for domestic law enforcement to “suppress insurrections and repel invasions”.
A judicial response to the tactics behind Trump’s deportation drive has also been mixed.
Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act – a 1798 law designed to quickly expel foreign nationals during times of war – to swiftly deport undocumented individuals without due process has been constrained, but allowed to proceed by the Supreme Court with limited due process protections.
In one of the most-watched cases on the docket, the Supreme Court is expected to make a ruling when it returns to session in January on the legal justification of Trump’s reciprocal tariffs.
A lower court has previously ruled that Trump deployed the emergency statute illegally. Some conservative justices on the top court have also expressed wariness over the president’s claim.
The panel has appeared more amenable in a landmark case determining whether Trump can fire heads of independent agencies, also set to be decided in the new year.
The spectre of war
When it comes to unilaterally making war, Trump has been bounding down a well-trodden path of misused presidential power, according to Matt Duss, the executive vice president of the Washington, DC-based Center for International Policy.
The end of the year has been marked by US military strikes on alleged drug smuggling boats from Venezuela, decried by rights groups as extrajudicial killings.
The administration has claimed, without evidence, that over 100 people killed had sought to destabilise the US by flooding it with drugs. Trump has made a similar claim about the Nicolas Maduro-led government in Venezuela, as he has continued to rattle the sabre of land strikes.
The actions have been accompanied by a pugilistic rebranding of the Department of Defense as the Department of War, a reframing of criminal Latin American cartels as so-called “narcoterrorists” and declaring a new drive to bring the Western Hemisphere firmly under the US sphere of influence.
“We have to understand this in the context of multiple administrations of both parties abusing executive authority to essentially go to war,” said Duss, who explained that the practice accelerated in the so-called “global war on terror” post-September 11, 2001 attacks.
Most recently, Republicans – and a handful of Democrats – in the House of Representatives voted down two separate war powers resolutions that would require congressional approval for future strikes on alleged drug boats or on Venezuelan territory.
The vote, Duss said, underscored “Trump’s near-total control of the Republican Party despite the fact that he is blatantly violating his own campaign promises to end wars, rather than to start them”.
Public opinion
Trump’s control over his party and his influence writ-large over the country will largely be tested in next year’s midterm elections. The vote will determine control of the House and the Senate.
A slate of polls has indicated at least some degree of wariness in Trump’s use of presidential power.
In particular, a Quinnipiac poll released in mid-December found 54 percent of voters think Trump is going too far in his authority claims, while 37 percent think he is handling the role correctly. Another 7 percent believe Trump should go further in using the power of the presidency.
Another Politico poll in November found that 53 percent of US residents think Trump has too much power, while the president has seen an overall slump in his approval ratings since taking office.
To be sure, a panoply of factors determine US elections, and it remains unclear if voters were more likely to respond to the results of Trump’s approach to the presidency, or to the approach itself.
“Does the average person really think much about any of the theoretical bases for the things Trump is doing? And frankly, would the average person care very much if the results were, in the short term, results of which they approved?” University of Missouri’s Bowman mused.
“I don’t know the answer … How all this is perceived across the country, and what’s going to happen next, is anybody’s guess.”
Los Angeles is a place where essentially anyone can find themselves, especially outdoors lovers.
The hiking trails of Griffith Park offer tremendous views of the city and landscape. Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area near Culver City features lush spaces to spend a Saturday with family and friends. But for Angelenos seeking adventure — and even solitude — a vast forested expanse awaits.
Angeles National Forest is a 700,000-plus acre wonderland that has long billed itself as L.A.’s “backyard playground.” But it’s so much more than that.
For almost a decade, I’ve hiked much of its 557 miles of trails, and so rarely was it just for exercise. I’ve sought refuge in our San Gabriel Mountains when life got overwhelming, whether it was after my brother died and my soul ached more than I could communicate, or it was just to briefly escape news headlines that kept breaking my heart. But it was also for joy.
Every hike in Angeles National Forest offers us a chance to be awestruck by our natural environment. I’ll never forget the first time I saw a California newt waddling through Millard Canyon falls. I’ve spotted hopping deer, hooting owls and exactly one haughty rattlesnake (as all other rattlers were much calmer — even the one my dog booped).
I’ve felt the temperature shift from cool to crisp on a winter’s day hike in Icehouse Canyon as a cold mist wafted through the trees, and I’ve sweated through my clothes on the exposed hillsides of the Strawberry Peak trail. I’ve made snow angels with my dog near Mt. Waterman and swam in my skivvies in the San Gabriel River.
Years ago, Angeles National Forest supervisor Michael J. Rogers pointed out what anyone who has spent time there knows too well.
“This is a national forest that could very easily be enjoyed and loved to death,” Rogers wrote for The Times on the forest’s 100th anniversary in 1992. “All of the unique values that visitors seek such as cool trees, shaded streams, solitude, beautiful vistas, watchable wildlife, fresh pine-scented air could all be lost through overuse and abuse.”
My intention with this guide falls in line with Rogers’ message: I hope you not only appreciate what the forest has to offer but also understand your responsibility to practice the “leave no trace” principles, leaving only footprints and taking only memories (and selfies).
Adventure awaits in Angeles National Forest. May you find the start and continuation of it in this guide.
Note: To bookmark this page for future use, press Ctrl+D (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+D (Mac).
A sweeping view of Angeles Crest Highway and the San Gabriel Mountains from the Hoyt Mountain trail.
(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)
Angeles National Forest is about 700,000 acres of federal land managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Its northern boundary extends through mountain ranges near the 5 Freeway near Gorman, eastward to the L.A. County and San Bernardino County line near Wrightwood. Its southern boundary runs near Castaic Lake southeast and eastward, ending north of Claremont, where the San Bernardino National Forest’s boundary begins.
It is located within a portion of the Sierra Pelona Mountains in the west, and the San Gabriel Mountains, which span about 60 miles from near Newhall to Cajon Canyon northeast of San Bernardino, according to state geology research. Angeles National Forest’s elevation ranges from 1,200 feet to 10,064 feet, its highest point being Mt. San Antonio, or Mt. Baldy as it’s more commonly known.
The original home of severalIndigenous communities for thousands of years, the forest grows several species of trees, plants and animals endemic only to the San Gabriel Mountains or California, including the San Gabriel manzanita, the big cone Douglas fir and the endangered mountain yellow-legged frog. An estimated 14%, or about 29,000 acres, of Angeles National Forest is considered “old-growth” forest — white fir, lodgepole pine, Jeffrey pine (which has a bark that smells like butterscotch or vanilla), ponderosa pine and others that have grown for more than a century into hulking giants.
It is home to five wilderness areas: Cucamonga Wilderness; Magic Mountain Wilderness; Pleasant View Ridge Wilderness; San Gabriel Wilderness; and Sheep Mountain Wilderness. Wilderness areas are the “most protected” federal land in the country. Each of these wilderness areas offers something different. For example, when hiking in Cucamonga, you might spot bighorn sheep, while Magic Mountain is occasionally host to a California condor passing through.
The view of the San Gabriel Mountains as seen from the Mt. Waterman area in the Angeles National Forest.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
What to bring
A full tank or battery. Consider entering the forest with either a full tank of gas or full charge on your vehicle’s battery. There are no gas or electric charging stations (outside of a plug-in you might find on a forest service building).
Sustenance. If hiking, you will likely want to pack all of the water you need for the day unless you plan to filter it from somewhere along the trail. If camping, check the Angeles National Forest website to see whether your campground offers drinking water. You will also want to bring all of your food, unless you plan to visit one of the few places — including Camp Williams Cafe, Cosmic Cafe, the Adams Pack Station or Top of the Notch restaurant — in the forest to buy food and you know the establishment will be open.
A thoughtfully packed bag. When preparing for a hike, some pack the “10 essentials,” which includes navigation tools, a light source and emergency shelter, while others preach a different method of considering specifically what’s needed for the day. Search and rescue team members generally recommend that folks have in their pack whatever they’d need to spend a night in the woods, just in case things go awry.
Parking pass. To park in most places in the forest, you will need a $5 single-day Adventure Pass, a $30 annual Adventure Pass or an America the Beautiful pass. You can be ticketed without properly displaying your pass. If visiting trails near Wrightwood, you might need a Big Pines parking pass, as many of those locations are managed by a concessionaire, Mountain High.
Driving up Angeles Crest Highway to Mountain High.
(Ryan Fonseca / Los Angeles Times)
Getting there
Much of Angeles National Forest’s hiking trails and day-use areas through the San Gabriel Mountains can be accessed via the 66-mile, winding Angeles Crest Highway, or State Route 2. The speed limit is 55 mph, unless otherwise posted. It’s advisable to take it easy, though, both to enjoy the view and avoid an accident.
State Route 39, another winding mountain road, takes visitors north to popular trails along the San Gabriel River and into the Crystal Lake area. The road features jaw-dropping views of the San Gabriel Valley, occasional wildflower blooms and steep drop-offs. Best to let whoever in your party isn’t scared of heights drive.
Lupine is sometimes spotted on the hillsides around San Gabriel Canyon Road (Highway 39) in the Angeles National Forest north of Azusa.
(Raul Roa/Los Angeles Times)
In 1978, a landslide destroyed the segment of Highway 39 that connected it to Highway 2, turning it into what one public official called “a 27-mile-long cul-de-sac.” Officials have said it is too costly — and dangerous to bighorn sheep — to repair, although there have been recent discussions about its reopening.
Regardless of where you’re traveling in Angeles National Forest, you should check road conditions before heading out, especially in the winter, as officials will close forest roads to protect the public, including because of snow, or require that drivers carry tire chains.
You should keep in mind while traveling to trailheads that it is considered rude in mountain driving culture not to let faster vehicles pass you. Angeles Crest Highway has several paved turnouts for this reason. Additionally, please take good care to notice signage regarding segments of the highway where daytime headlight use is required.
Lastly, be aware that there are dirt fire roads and several off-road vehicle routes through the forest. Your phone or car’s mapping app might try to send you down one to reach a trail. Please do not assume a road will be passable just because it’s open. When in doubt, call the ranger station before heading out.
Things you should know
Communicating while away. You should assume you won’t have cellphone reception anywhere in Angeles National Forest. For safety while you’re out of your mobile service area, you should share this form with a family member or friend to ensure someone knows where you’re headed. You should also print the form and place it on your dashboard so, in the event of emergency, rescuers can find you more quickly than having to track down details of your whereabouts from your family. If you forget to bring the form, simply write down the details of your day or overnight trip, including when you expect to return, and leave them on your car dash.
Emergencies. Emergency services in Angeles National Forest include 23 fire stations such as the Clear Creek Fire Station and the Monte Cristo Fire Station off Highway 2. Volunteer search-and-rescue crews respond in most hiking emergencies. If you are ever rescued by helicopter, you will not be charged by these groups. That said, they’re always in need of donations to stay afloat.
Fire restrictions. Forest officials will, at times, limit campfires and stove usage because of elevated wildfire risk. Before heading out, check the Angeles National Forest alerts webpage to discern what’s allowed on your trip. If campfires are allowed, you must still secure a free campfire permit and have a copy with you.
A vehicle heads north on Highway 39 into a winter wonderland with a good accumulation of snow at the 5,000-feet level in the Angeles National Forest north of Azusa in January.
(Raul Roa / Los Angeles Times)
Weather. Checking the forecast is not always top of mind for your average Angeleno, but hikers and campers must assess the weather before leaving for the forest. Temperatures in Angeles National Forest can range from below freezing overnight in winter, especially above 6,000 feet, to above 100 degrees in summer. Even after checking the forest, remember that elevation will play a role in temperature. Generally, for every 1,000 feet you gain, the temperature can drop from around 3½ to 5 degrees, something meteorologists call “environmental lapse rate.”
Eaton fire closures. Please note that the following guide does not include any of the trails burned in the Eaton fire, as they remain closed. Once they’re open, this guide will be updated.
Leave no trace. Whenever you hike, camp or otherwise visit Angeles National Forest, please practice the “leave no trace” principles, which include packing out everything you pack in, respecting the animals (which means not taking selfies with them), and overall ensuring these lands are protected for generations to come.
With that said, take a deep breath, and imagine being surrounded by the fresh scent of pine as mountain chickadees chirp all around you. Yes, friend, that’s possible — and all within a short drive of L.A. Let’s go on an adventure!
(Ruby Fresson / For The Times)
For Angelenos seeking a relaxing respite (easy)
It might seem daunting to drive into the hulking mountains surrounding L.A., but there are many easy-going and family-friendly adventures to be had in Angeles National Forest. Many families and friend groups spend time visiting vista lookouts and at one of several day-use picnic areas, which often feature picnic tables and grills (when allowed).
Here you’ll find some kid-friendly and wheelchair accessible trails and other opportunities, including campgrounds where you can easily drive up and spend a weekend.
These campgrounds are in the “easy” category because they’re straightforward to reach. Additionally, they all usually offer piped (i.e. drinking) water, but you should check on the campground sites linked here to ensure it is available before heading out.
Crystal Lake Campground is a 120-site campground north of Azusa.
(Raul Roa / Los Angeles Times)
The campgrounds below range from $12 to $30 per night for single sites ($5 per additional vehicle), with some requiring payment by cash or check. They are available on a first-come, first-served basis unless otherwise noted; feature picnic tables and fire rings; have vault toilets; and allow dogs.
Appletree Campground: Open year-round, Appletree features eight first-come, first-served walk-in sites that are a short distance, less than 100 yards, from the parking area. Three sites are ADA accessible. A Big Pines pass from Mt. High is required to park. Each site has a grill on top of the usual amenities. The campground is only 10 minutes from Wrightwood, a cozy mountain town with restaurants and a local grocery store.
Buckhorn Campground: Arguably one of the most beautiful of Angeles National Forest’s campground offerings, Buckhorn is a popular 38-site campground shaded by California incense-cedar, white fir and tall sugar and Jeffrey pine trees. It sits at around 6,500-feet elevation and, as such, is open from spring to fall since it is often blanketed in snow come winter. Campers should be prepared to pack their food and scented items in the bear boxes supplied, as our ursine neighbors are around the area. Many campers walk the short distance to the Burkhart trailhead and visit Cooper Canyon Falls, a 40-foot cascade reachable by carefully scrambling down from the trail. Others simply lounge in hammocks and play in the seasonal spring that runs through the site.
Chilao Campground:Chilao has 84 campsites spread over two loops, Little Pines and Manzanita. Its landscape features large boulders, sweeping views and pine trees (especially the eponymous loop). Piped water is available, although it is at times turned off, so please check the campground website before heading out. The Chilao Visitor Center, open on the weekends, is nearby.
Coldbrook Campground:Coldbrook Campground sits on the north fork of the San Gabriel River, where visitors can splash around its cool waters. Its 22 campsites offer shade and a river soundscape.
Crystal Lake Campground:Crystal Lake is a 120-site campground north of Azusa. It sits at 5,539-feet elevation and features great views of nearby peaks, including Mt. Islip and Windy Gap. Visitors can fish in Crystal Lake when it’s deep enough and find a hot meal at Crystal Lake Cafe and General Store.
Los Alamos Campground: One of few campgrounds in Angeles National Forest requiring reservations, the Los Alamos Campground has 90 individual and three group camp sites. Visitors are a short drive from Pyramid Lake where they can swim at Vaquero Beach or fish and boat elsewhere. Call ahead to ensure that Pyramid Lake isn’t experiencing an algal bloom, which has been a common occurrence in recent years.
Monte Cristo Campground:Monte Cristo has 19 individual drive-in sites, including some with large shady sycamore trees. A small creek runs through the middle of the campground and has small pools to splash in. Drive 2½ miles south to the nearby Hidden Springs Picnic Area for more swimming.
Table Mountain Campground: Open spring through fall, Table Mountain has more than 100 campsites that can be reserved through Recreation.gov, although first-come first-served may, at times, be available. This large campground is operated by Mountain High Resort near Wrightwood and near the company’s North Lodge, where guests can play a round at the disc golf course with sweeping views of the desert below. A Big Pines pass from Mt. High is required to park.
Bonus spots
The forest and the surrounding area have far more to explore than hiking trails and campgrounds. Some of the spots listed here are outside the forest but are included because they’re worth visiting when nearby.
Visitors walks on a path through fields of California poppies in the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve in Lancaster.
(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
The Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve: Although not in Angeles National Forest, this state natural reserve is over 1,700 acres of open space that bursts, when conditions are right, with bright orange poppies from sometime between mid-February to May. Note: Do not leave the trail and trample the poppies to nab selfies or other images, regardless of whether you see others doing it.
A ruby-crowned kinglet after it was measured and banded at the Bear Divide banding station near Santa Clarita.
(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)
Bear Divide Banding Station: Volunteers operate this banding station seasonally from late March through mid-May. They place nets on the hillside to catch migratory birds that they add small metal bands to the legs of, collecting annual population data for further research.
Camp Williams: A privately operated RV and tent campground on the East Fork of the San Gabriel River; also has a cafe that’s open on weekends.
Cali Splash Park at Castaic Lake: If hiking near Castaic Lake, the Cali Splash Park offers what’s essentially a massive bounce house and obstacle course in the middle of a lake, a memorable experience and fun surprise after an early morning hike.
Jackson Lake in Angeles National Forest near Wrightwood.
(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)
Elizabeth Lake Day Use: A small picnic area about 30 minutes west of Lancaster where visitors can fish and kayak on a seasonal lake, or sag pond, formed by the San Andreas fault.
Jackson Lake: A small mountain lake near Wrightwood where Mountain High, a local ski resort, offers kayak, paddleboard and pedal boat rentals until the winter season. Guests can also fish, as the lake is stocked with rainbow trout several times a year, according to Mountain High.
Mt. Wilson Observatory: Visitors can look through large telescopes, enjoy Sunday afternoon concerts, take guided tours of the grounds and snag a bite to eat at the Cosmic Cafe, which is open seasonally.
Placerita Canyon Nature Center: Although not in Angeles National Forest, this charming facility near Santa Clarita is within a short hike from federal land. Swing by before a hike, and you can say hello to the animal ambassadors, which usually include red-tailed hawks and other native birds.
Stonyvale Picnic Site: A lesser-traveled picnic area with 11 tables and grills near Big Tujunga Creek, where families and friends can spend the day splashing in its cool waters, especially in the spring when it is flowing.
Vasquez Rocks Nature Center: This L.A. County park has been the site of several movies and television shows and is a fun side quest for those hiking on nearby federal forest trails.
Wildwood Picnic Area: A large picnic area near Sunland-Tujunga situated next to Big Tujunga Creek meanders where visitors can splash around the exposed rock bed of Stone Canyon.
(Ruby Fresson / For The Times)
Are you ready to expand your hiking excursions beyond your favorite L.A. trails? Have you been hiking up to Mt. Hollywood, wondering what those peaks are beyond the city? Well, buckle up, buttercup, because here you’ll find an assortment of day hikes and weekend camping ideas that will have you filing for vacation before you realize you’re typing an email to your boss.
These trails are varying levels of difficulty, but are listed as moderate because none of them should require you to have significant technical outdoors knowledge. Enjoy!
These campgrounds are considered “moderate” because they either do not offer water but still offer car camping or they require a short backpacking trip. They offer opportunity for memorable outdoor experiences in remote places without making you feel like you’re secretly being filmed for “Naked and Afraid.”
The campgrounds here range from free to $12 per night ($5 per additional vehicle); available on a first-come, first-served basis; feature picnic tables and fire rings; have vault toilets; and allow dogs.
Cooper Canyon Trail Camp: The Cooper Canyon Trail Camp is a backcountry campground shaded by towering old pine trees. It has five sites, and bear-proof boxes are available to store food and scented items. It can be reached a few different ways, including a 1½-mile one-way trip down a fire road starting at Cloudburst Summit. There is no piped water. Campers will need to either bring their own or filter water from the nearby river.
Gould Mesa Trail Camp: Gould Mesa is a five-site backpacking campground accessed by a two-mile hike via the Gabrielino Trail starting near Pasadena. It can also be accessed by hiking Gould Mesa Road from La Cañada Flintridge. The Arroyo Seco flows nearby and offers seasonal swimming holes for campers. No fee charged outside of Adventure Pass for your vehicle at the trailhead.
Glenn Camp Campground: Accessible via a seven-mile bike ride or hike, the Glenn Camp Campground is a 10-site forested haven next to the West Fork of the San Gabriel River. There is no piped water. Campers will need to either bring their own or filter water from the nearby river.
Horse Flat Campground:Horse Flat is a 26-site shaded campground offering corrals and hitching posts should you have an equine companion. It is close to the Silver Moccasin National Recreation Trail, which you can hike to nearby Mt. Hillyer for bouldering. No water available. Closes seasonally.
Oak Flat Campground: Oak Flat is a rustic 20-site campground near Castaic that will provide you with an easy night of car camping although you might, at times, hear Interstate 5. Shaded by oak trees, the campground is close to Whitaker Peak and Piru Creek at Frenchman’s Flat. There is no piped water, so campers will need to bring their own.
Bonus spots
Pyramid Lake near Castaic.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
Adams Pack Station: A last remaining pack station in Southern California, this rustic shop in Big Santa Anita Canyon sells hot meals, hiking gear and souvenirs. Its wooden deck is close to the donkeys, who are worth saying hello to.
Castaic Lake: A fishing and swimming spot to cool off after a hike in the western Angeles National Forest.
Cora and Kenny, two donkeys at Adams Pack Station in Big Santa Anita Canyon.
(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)
Chantry Flat picnic area: A large picnic area with grills offering a great spot to rest after a nice hike through nearby Big Santa Anita Canyon.
Green Valley SmokeHouse: Nestled in the gorgeous rural town of Green Valley, this is a family-owned local restaurant with a robust menu that features both meat by the pound and vegan options. It’s an easy stop if you’re hiking or camping in the western end of Angeles National Forest.
Sturtevant Camp: Founded in 1893, the camp has cabins to rent, but is also a fun day trip. It’s a four(ish)-mile hike from Chantry Flat to reach the camp. If you would prefer not to haul in your gear, you can hire a mule team from Adams Pack Station to carry it for you.
(Ruby Fresson / For The Times)
For the adventurer whose friends regularly call them ‘hardcore’ at parties (advanced)
The trails here are challenging but worthy adventures for experienced hikers to consider. What does “experienced” mean exactly? Unlike the trails categorized above as “easy” or “moderate,” the trails here require you to plan ahead, bringing plenty of water and other supplies, looking over topography maps and reading trail reports. With proper planning, though, you will find yourself on a great adventure that’s also close to home. Please note: Some of the trails below may be covered in snow in winter and require technical experience.
The Gabrielino Trail is a 26(ish)-mile National Recreation Trail that hikers traditionally start at Chantry Flats and hike north, west and finally south to its exit point near Pasadena.
The entire Silver Moccasin Trail, another National Recreation Trail in Angeles National Forest, is 53 miles — and you could buy yourself a vintage Scouting America “Silver Moccasins” badge on eBay afterward as a humble brag to friends.
An estimated 176 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail‘s 2,500 miles are through Angeles National Forest. Per the forest service, you can take the trail through Angeles high country, from near Mt. Gleason through Mill Creek Summit, Mt. Pacifico, Sulphur Springs, Cooper Canyon, Mt. Williamson, Little Jimmy, Mt. Baden-Powell and Blue Ridge and on to the Cajon Pass area.
Campgrounds
The campgrounds here are considered “advanced” because they require a level of planning and preparation that falls beyond your average car-camping trip. Several are backpacking sites and do not offer potable water. Some do not have streams to filter water. Despite the challenge to reach them, they are worth it for the sweeping views and solitude, the ability to nap under a hulking pine tree without interruption, outside of maybe a Steller’s jay curious about whether the weird animal (i.e. you) in its yard has any food to steal.
Unless otherwise noted, the campgrounds here range from free to $12 per night ($5 per additional vehicle); are available on a first-come, first-served basis; and allow dogs.
Big Rock Campground:Big Rock has eight free first-come, first-served sites, with picnic tables and campfire rings. It has vault toilets. Big Rock is on the “expert” list because the road to reach it is frequently closed. This means you’ll need to hike about one-eighth of a mile from a locked gate or take a 4×4 high-clearance vehicle from Vincent Gulch down Big Rock Creek Road (if open). You could also park at Vincent Gulch (displaying a Big Pines parking pass) and hike down the road to reach the campground. Either way, you’ll likely find solitude and hopefully seasonal springs to filter water from. Otherwise, you’ll need to pack in what you need.
Bear Camp: This trail camp, labeled “extremely primitive” by the Forest Service, has seven sites, each with a picnic table and campfire ring. It does not have toilets. Bear Camp is located on the far northwestern corner of the forest and is best reached by 4×4 or mountain bike, or by hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, which passes by it. It is, per the Forest Service, “extremely primitive” and lacks toilets or water. That said, each site features fire rings, bear-proof storage lockers and picnic tables.
Hoegees Trail Camp: A 14-site backcountry trail camp accessed by hiking by a 2½-mile, one-way hike up the Upper Winter Creek Trail in Big Santa Anita Canyon.
Little Jimmy Trail Camp: Little Jimmy is a 16-site campground positioned among tall trees at 7,500-feet elevation. It has a seasonal spring where campers can filter water when the spring is running. It is free. It has vault toilets. Each site has bear boxes, as it is an area of high bear activity, along with picnic tables and campfire rings. You can reach it via a 1½-mile hike from Islip Saddle.
Messenger Flats Campground: A backcountry campground reachable via a 10-mile hike from Mill Creek with vault toilets and picnic tables. Potable water is not available.
Mt. Pacifico Campground: A 10-tent-only campground with picnic tables and vault toilets but no potable water. Mt. Pacifico is reachable by high-clearance vehicles until the first winter storm of the season is expected, and the Forest Service then closes the road. Hikers can access the campground all season by taking the road or Pacific Crest Trail before turning east onto a spur that leads to the campground.
Sawmill Campground: Although you can drive to the eight-site Sawmill Campground, it is on the “hard” list because of the drive itself over a bumpy, steep, dirt road. Once there, you’ll be treated to expansive views of the Antelope Valley and beyond. Each site has a picnic table and campfire ring, and there is a vault toilet available. Potable water is not available.
Southfork Campground: A remote and rustic 21-site campground reachable with a high-clearance vehicle, as the road isn’t maintained. Campers often visit the South Fork of Big Rock Creek to splash around and observe fish swimming about.
Sulphur Springs Trail Camp: Sulphur Springs Trail Camp sits at 5,300 feet and features about six tent-camping sites. You can reach it by parking at Three Points and hiking about 3.6 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail to reach the camp. Its campsites are shaded by tall pine trees, ideal for hanging a hammock. It has vault toilets but no potable water or bear boxes.
The landmark Mt. Baldy Lodge, with quaint and cozy cabins in the village just as you enter town.
(Chris Erskine / Los Angeles Times)
Buckhorn Ski Lodge: A backcountry ski club with an off-grid cabin in a remote area of Angeles National Forest.
Mt. Baldy village: A small community near several popular trailheads where you can stop to eat at the Mt. Baldy Lodge and visit the Mt. Baldy visitor center, which is open generally midday on weekends. You can check the forest’s website for the visitor center’s latest hours.
Rowher Flats OHV: An off-roading site for motorcycles, ATVs and 4-wheel drive vehicles. Get your vroom-vroom on via several miles of trails.
A contemplative sign in Big Santa Anita Canyon in Angeles National Forest.
(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)
Respecting the land 🗻
L.A. is the second largest city in the U.S. and is often called the “entertainment capital of the world.”
But it offers residents and visitors alike the rare opportunity to spend the morning along bustling Hollywood Boulevard before finding total solitude in Angeles National Forest. With that opportunity comes a great responsibility to protect it so that Angeles National Forest is not loved to death but rather cherished for generations to come.
The passenger said she was flung out of her seat when the plane suddenly dropped – Ryanair has stated the plane was forced to make a U-turn due to air turbulence
03:49, 29 Dec 2025Updated 05:23, 29 Dec 2025
A Ryanair flight, which departed from Birmingham Airport on Sunday afternoon, was forced to return to the UK after issuing a general emergency code (file image)(Image: Getty Images)
A passenger aboard the Ryanair flight forced to return to the United Kingdom after a mid-flight emergency has said the experience ‘felt like something out of a horror movie’.
The Boeing was bound for Tenerife but was forced to return to the UK mid-flight.
“It felt like something you see on a horror movie,” said a 33-year-old passenger from Lichfield, who did not wish to be named.
“We were smooth cruising then out of nowhere all of a sudden the plane jerked to the left extremely quickly and then to the right, it felt like a loss of control, and then we plummeted down and we were flung out of our seats,” the passenger said.
Passengers informed The Aviation Herald that flight FR1121 experienced turbulence, resulting in injuries to several individuals while cabin service was underway. The flight then made a U-turn and descended to FL100 (flying at 10,000ft).
The aircraft safely touched down back at Birmingham around one hour and 32 minutes after take-off. According to AirLive, it was parked on a remote stand at the airport for paramedics to attend to passengers. The severity of the passengers’ injuries is yet to be determined.
“I came out physically unharmed but the mental toll this has taken it awful… this has really traumatised me,” the woman said.
“The cabin crew said within their 10 years as cabin crew they’ve never experienced anything like it.”
She said other passengers claimed to see a fighter jet pass the Boeing before the incident, but this has not been confirmed.
Ryanair said in a statement: “”FR1121 from Birmingham to Tenerife on 28th December returned to Birmingham Airport shortly after take-off due to air turbulence.
“The aircraft landed normally before passengers disembarked and returned to the terminal, where a small number of passengers were provided with medical assistance. This flight continued to Tenerife at 21:06 local.”
The Mirror has reached out to the airline for further comment.
Dec. 24 (UPI) — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into Tesla Model 3 sedans, which might have a deadly flaw in the emergency door release mechanism.
The NHTSA investigation covers about 180,000 Model 3 sedans and is in reaction to recent media reports and a defect petition that suggest the occupants of the Tesla sedans and first responders had trouble using the emergency door release mechanisms after a crash, Electrek reported.
The NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation’s probe into the matter applies to the 2022 model year Tesla Model 3 sedans and their electronic door handles.
“The petition cites that the mechanical door release is hidden, unlabeled and not intuitive to locate during an emergency,” the ODI said.
The problem might have contributed to several deaths in fatal crashes, according to media reports.
The front manual emergency door release latch is located ahead of the window switches, which many passengers accidentally pull instead of using the door-opening button, which could damage the door window.
The rear doors are more complicated to open, which makes it important for Model 3 owners to learn how to use the emergency door mechanisms and to explain how to their passengers.
Instructions are included in the owner’s manual. A Tesla dealership can show owners how to use the mechanisms and afterward show their passengers how to use them in an emergency and to prevent damaging windows via accidental deployments.
Those who are unsure of whether their Tesla Model 3 sedan is subject to the investigation can do a search on the NHTSA recall page by entering their respective state and license plate number or the vehicle identification number or year, make and model.
The results will reveal if the vehicle is subject to a recall in this matter or any other.
Former President Joe Biden presents the Presidential Citizens Medal to Liz Cheney during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, on January 2, 2025. The Presidential Citizens Medal is bestowed to individuals who have performed exemplary deeds or services. Photo by Will Oliver/UPI | License Photo
A coalition of Eaton fire survivors and community groups called on Southern California Edison on Tuesday to provide immediate housing assistance to the thousands of people who lost their homes in the Jan. 7 wildfire.
The coalition says an increasing number of Altadena residents are running out of insurance coverage that had been paying for their housing since they were displaced by the fire. Thousands of other residents had no insurance.
“When a company’s fire destroys or contaminates homes, that company has a responsibility to keep families housed until they can get back home,” said Joy Chen, executive director of the Eaton Fire Survivors Network, one of the coalition members asking Edison for emergency assistance of up to $200,000 for each family.
At the coalition’s press conference, Altadena residents spoke of trying to find a place to live after the Jan. 7 fire that killed at least 19 people and destroyed more than 9,000 homes, apartments and other structures. Thousands of other homes were damaged by smoke and ash.
Gabriel Gonzalez, center, an Eaton Fire survivor, shown with Joy Chen, Executive Director of the Eaton Fire Survivors Network (EFSN), left, and other survivors at a press conference in Altadena. They urged Southern California Edison to provide urgent housing relief to keep Eaton Fire families housed this winter.
(Gary Coronado/For The Times)
Gabriel Gonzalez said he had been living in his car for most of the last year.
Before the fire, Gonzalez had a successful plumbing company with six employees, he said. He had moved into an apartment in Altadena just a month before the fire and lost $80,000 worth of tools when the building was destroyed.
His insurance did not cover the loss, Gonzalez said, and he lost his business.
Edison is now offering to directly pay fire victims for their losses if they give up their right to file a lawsuit against the utility.
But members of the coalition say Edison’s program is forcing victims who are most desperate for financial support to give up their legal right to fair compensation.
Andrew Wessels, Strategy Director for the Eaton Fire Survivors Network, speaks about Edison’s Wildfire Recovery Compensation Plan (WRCP).
(Gary Coronado/For The Times)
“If families are pushed to give up what they are owed just to survive, the recovery will never have the funds required to rebuild homes, restore livelihoods or stabilize the community,” said Andrew Wessels. He said he and his family had lived in 12 different places since the fire left ash contaminated with lead on and in their home.
In an interview Tuesday, Pedro Pizarro, chief executive of Edison International, the utility’s parent company, said the company would not provide money to victims without them agreeing to drop any litigation against the company for the fire.
“I can’t even pretend to understand the challenges victims are going through,” Pizarro said.
He said the company created its Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program to get money to victims much faster than if they filed a lawsuit and waited for a settlement.
“We want to help the community rebuild as quickly as possible,” he said.
Pizarro said Edison made its first payment to a victim within 45 days of the compensation program launching on Oct. 29. So far, he said, the company has received more than 1,500 claims.
The company has said a leading theory is that its century-old transmission line in Eaton Canyon, which it last used in 1971, briefly became energized from the live lines running parallel to it, sparking the fire.
The program offers to reimburse victims for their losses and provides additional sums for pain and suffering. It also gives victims a bonus for agreeing to settle their claim outside of court.
Pizarro said the program is voluntary and if victims don’t like the offer they receive from Edison, they can continue their claims in court.
Edison has told its investors that it believes it will be reimbursed for all of its payments to victims and lawsuit settlements by $1 billion in customer-paid insurance and a $21 billion state wildfire fund.
Zaire Calvin, of Altadena, a survivor who has lost his home and other properties, speaks.
(Gary Coronado/For The Times)
Gov. Gavin Newsom and lawmakers created the wildfire fund in 2019 to protect utilities from bankruptcy if their electric wires cause a disastrous wildfire.
State officials say the fund could be wiped out by Eaton fire damages. While the first $21 billion was contributed half by customers of the state’s three biggest for-profit utilities and half by the companies’ shareholders, any additional damage claims from the Jan. 7 fire will be paid by Edison customers, according to legislation passed in September.
Some Altadena residents say Edison’s compensation program doesn’t pay them fully for their losses.
Damon Blount said that he and his wife had just renovated their home before it was destroyed in the fire. They don’t believe Edison’s offer would be enough to cover that work.
Blount said he “felt betrayed” by the utility.
“They literally took everything away from us,” Blount said. “Do the right thing, Edison. We want to be home.”
At the press conference, fire victims pointed out that Edison reported nearly $1.3 billion in profits last year, up from $1.2 billion in 2023.
Last week, Edison International said it was increasing the dividend it pays to its shareholders by 6% because of its strong financial performance.
“Their stock is rising,” said Zaire Calvin, one of the Altadena residents calling on Edison for emergency relief. Calvin lost his home and his sister died in the fire. “They will not pay a penny when this is over.”
