Directions

Our Events Calendar will feature many of the locations below along with events taking place there, and there are some precise Google Maps for directions.

Sepulveda Basin — First-Sunday Bird Walk, Nature Walks and Haskell Creek Cleanups:

Attention: Detour in place until further notice. Please click here for alternative directions.

GOOGLE MAP Exit the San Diego Freeway (I-405) on Burbank Blvd. Go west about one-half mile to Woodley Avenue and turn right (north). Travel about one-half mile to the second possible right turn (at sign for the Water Reclamation Plant and Japanese Garden). Turn right and go east about one-half mile to Wildlife Area parking at the end of the road. Meet across the road from the parking lot at the low buildings. This venue is our most accessible outing: smooth-packed dirt road the whole way to the L.A. River.

Caballero Canyon. From the Ventura Freeway exit at Reseda and go south for approximately 2.5 miles. Park by the trailhead on the east side of Reseda Blvd. just before the entrance to the Braemar Country Club.

Castaic Lake Bird Walk: Take closest freeway to I-5 North and exit at Parker Road. Turn right and proceed to stop sign (Castaic Road), proceed to next stop sign (Lake Hughes Road), proceed to next stop sign (Castaic Lake Drive) and turn right. Entrance to the park is on the right. Parking is in Lot 4, so make a right turn after the kiosk, then an immediate left turn into the lot, parking to the left. Leader: Roger McClure. For information, contact the staff at (661) 257-4050.

Chatsworth Nature Preserve/Reservoir pending DWP approval. Bring snack, drink, scope if available. Plan on staying until 12:30 p.m. as gate will be locked behind us. No smoking or pets, please. Facilities limited and primitive. Rain cancels. Leaders: Art Langton and/or Stuart Wells. For meeting location and additional information, phone 818-887-0973.

Christmas Bird Count. Usually third Saturday of December. This annual event replaces the Monthly Field Trip for the month of December and takes place at several locations. See Calendar for directions and meeting times.

El Dorado Park in Long Beach: GOOGLE MAP Take the 405 Freeway to the Studebaker Road exit in Long Beach. Go north on Studebaker to Spring Street, then turn east (right) on Spring to the park entrance. The parking fee is $7. Meet in the Nature Center parking lot.

Franklin CanyonGOOGLE MAP From the San Fernando Valley, take the Ventura Freeway (101) or Ventura Boulevard to Coldwater Canyon Boulevard. Head south to the intersection of Coldwater Canyon and Mulholland Drive. Make a 90-degree right turn onto Franklin Canyon Drive. (This means crossing Mulholland) Road signs read “Road Closed 800 Feet” “Sunset to Sunrise”; this is the park entrance. Meet in the parking lot on the left. Allow some extra time, as Coldwater Canyon can be a slow road.

Hansen Dam. GOOGLE MAP Use the address 10965 Dronfield Ave., Pacoima, CA. Dronfield Ave. intersects Osborne St. approximately ½ mile south of Foothill Blvd. Turn into the park on Dronfield, and meet near the ranger station.

Malibu Creek State Park. GOOGLE MAP Meet at the second (lower) day-use parking lot. Entrance to the park is on the west side of Las Virgenes Road, just south of Mulholland Hwy. Entrance fee is $12 per car.

Morongo Valley: GOOGLE MAP Allow 2 1/2 hours drive from San Fernando Valley. Take Interstate 10 east to Route 62, which is past the Palm Springs turnoff. Go north to the tiny town of Morongo Valley and turn right on East Drive to the Big Morongo Preserve.

Mt. Pinos: From the San Fernando Valley, take I-5 north to Frazier Park exit. Go west through Frazier Park and continue for about 20 miles up Mount Pinos Road to the end (and parking lot). Your vehicle must exhibit a National Forest “Adventure Pass” or Golden Age Passport in order for you to park and bird in this area.

O’Melveny Park: GOOGLE MAP From the 118/Ronald Reagan Freeway and exit at Balboa Blvd. Turn north, driving two miles to Sesnon Ave., turn left going west 0.6 miles, turn right at park entrance. Meet in the parking lot.

Placerita Canyon Nature Center: GOOGLE MAP Take the 405 or 5 Freeway north to the 14 Freeway. Exit the 14 at Placerita Canyon. Turn right at the end of the off ramp and continue about 1.5 miles to the park entrance. Turn right and park at the Nature Center. For more information, call the Nature Center at (661) 259-7721.

Rancho Sierra Vista Preserve in Ventura County: Take the Ventura Freeway (101) to the Lynn Road exit in Thousand Oaks. Go south on Lynn Road and proceed 5.3 miles to Via Goleta. Turn left at Via Goleta to the preserve entrance. The main gate officially opens at 8:00 but a ranger usually opens it much earlier. We’ll meet at the gate, ready to drive down to the parking lot and get an early start. We will bird until about 11:30. Leader will be Dick Barth 310-276-0342.

Santa Monica Mts. Conservancy at Towsley Canyon: Go north on I-5 through Santa Clarita, exit Calgrove and turn west (left) under the freeway and then left again on the Old Road. Watch for the sign, “Ed Davis Park at Towsley Canyon.” Turn right and park in the back lot.

Solstice Canyon Park. From the SF Valley, take the 101 north to Las Virgenes/Malibu Canyon Road. Turn left and travel south to Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). Turn right and go west on PCH about two miles to Corral Canyon (just before a “76” gas station). Turn right. About a block later turn left into Solstice Canyon Park, watching for speeding oncoming traffic. Follow the road 0.5 miles to the main parking lot.

Stough Canyon Directions: From I-5, exit Olive Ave. in Glendale and go east (toward the mountains). Turn left at Sunset Canyon and right at Walnut. Continue to the end of Walnut. Leader is Mike McHorney. For further info, call Mike at 818-842-5717 or the Nature Center at 818-238-5440.

Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space. Directions: Exit the Ventura Freeway (U.S. 101) at Las Virgenes Canyon Road and proceed north to the trailhead parking area at the end of the road. Please bring plenty of water and wear proper shoes. No toilets are available on site.

Field Trip to Upper Newport Bay and San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary. Allow about 1 1/2 hours driving time from the San Fernando Valley. Directions: Take the 405 Fwy south into Orange County, exit Jamboree Road in the city of Irvine. Turn right (south) on Jamboree Road and proceed about four miles to San Joaquin Hills Road, turn right and drive down to the bay. Park on San Joaquin Hills Road just before the dead end.

Field Trip to Ventura County Game Preserve: From the 101 Freeway take the Las Posas Road exit south (left), then Hueneme Road west (right) to Casper Road. Turn south (left) on Casper Road and continue to the end of the pavement, then through an open gate where the road turns left and leads to a group of farm buildings.

Veterans’ Park in Sylmar. To get there from the northbound 210 Freeway exit at Hubbard St. Go right on Hubbard then left at the first street, Gladstone. Turn right at the third street, Sayre. Continue on Sayre until it ends at the entrance of the park. Turn right after the entrance and circle up the hill to the parking area in front the restrooms.

Field Trip to Walker Ranch/Placerita Canyon. Exit the 14 at Placerita Canyon Road. Turn right at the end of the off ramp and proceed for about two miles. Notice but do not stop at the signed entrance to Placerita Canyon Park. Continue for about 1.5 miles to the dirt parking area for Walker Ranch.

Wildwood Canyon: From the I-5/Golden State Fwy. N: Take Exit 146A toward Olive Ave. merge onto E. Angeleno Ave. and turn left onto S. 1st Street, then take the first right onto E. Olive Ave. From I-5/Golden State Fwy. S: Take EXIT 146A toward Verdugo Ave. Turn left onto S. Front Street, which will become E. Verdugo Ave. Turn left at the first light onto S. 1st Street then take the 3rd right on to E. Olive Ave. Continue 1.3 miles on E. Olive through downtown Burbank and up the hill. Turn left onto N. Sunset Canyon Dr. Go 0.5 miles and turn right onto E. Harvard. Drive 0.4 miles skirting the golf course and meet at the entry kiosk area.