Owl Trail

The Owl Trail is probably my favorite in Cherry Canyon. It is sheltered by mature Oak trees for at least half the way to the top. The trail starts on the left when you enter the main entrance to Cherry Canyon on Hampstead Rd.
It is a nice cardio workout because it goes uphill the whole way and gets really steep in some parts. The erosion of a few parts of the trail makes it a little slippery, so make sure you wear some shoes with tread on them. My son was wearing his Vans and I was amazed he didn’t slip or fall going up. There is also a section with a lot of loose rocks, so watch your step. I much prefer going up this trail than going down. I have gone down it once and that was enough. To get to the top of the trail it is .68 miles and about 332 feet in elevation gains. You heart rate should increase quite a bit if you don’t stop or are talking to a friend.
When you get to the top of the trail you will intersect the Ridge Motorway. You can either turn left and extend your hike up to the Lookout Station, take a little trail called The Ultimate Destination Trail on the left or just head toward Glendale. If you chose to take the Ridge Motorway to Glendale then you can take a detour to the Catalina Verdugo Trail by the Glendale Sports Complex.
If you turn right on Ridge Motorway when you get to the top of the Owl Trail you can do a loop to get you back down to the bottom. When you see the paved road on the left there will be large signs for Descanso Motorway and Cherry Canyon Motorway. To get back to you car take Cherry Canyon Motorway. If you want to take the Descanso Motorway you can add a few miles to you hike. I would suggest that you park another car down by Descanso Gardens or you’ll just have to walk back along Descanso Drive to Chevy Chase and then Hampstead Road.
Miscellaneous Information:
The La Canada Trails Council indicates that the Owl Trail is .53 miles, but I measured it on Map My Hike and it is .68 miles from the bottom to the Ridge Motorway.
There are waste bins and bags at the bottom of the trail, so if you forget your doggie waste bags then grab a couple. Please pick up after your dog.