Directions - From I-5 in Newhall, take Lyons Avenue exit and go west. If you were going north on I-5, west is a left turn. Lyons Avenue turns into Pico Canyon Road on the west side of I-5. Go to the end of Pico Canyon, or approximately 2.5 miles. The last section is a rough, narrow road that ends at Mentryville, open sunrise to sunset, or thereabouts. Distance - Round trip, Mentryville to End of Trail is 7 miles. The elevation of Mentryville is 1608 feet. The elevation at End of Trail is 2741. Towsley Peak, which is about ¼ mile from End of Trail, is 2872 feet. Difficulty - The first 1.5 miles in back of Mentryville is a modest uphill. At the end of the Canyon, you will see a significant left turn in the road, through an opened, heavily rusted –out gate. That road to Towsley Peak is a difficult, but entirely run-able uphill for two miles to the summit. Notes - The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy MRCA manages Pico Canyon, of which Mentryville is part.
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Don McLean -
Mentryville is a restored pioneer oil town, now under the control of the Santa Monica Conservancy and an on-site ranger. Pico and the surrounding canyons were rich in oil, and Mentryville was the company town, later acquired by Chevron. Until it was capped in 1990, Pico had the longest continuously operated oil well in the world, Pico No. 4, tapped to a depth of 617 feet by one Alex Mentry in 1876.
The canyon behind Mentryville is shaded by oaks. The trail is all asphalt, mostly poor to significantly eroded. No motor vehicles of any sort are allowed. Along the way, you will pass Johnson Park, where Mentryville folks went to picnic, barbeque, and play cards. In its time, it even had a dance floor. You will also pass by various historic wells and other abandoned oil works of interest.
On the climb up the mountain, you will notice scant evidence of the oil past. In the spring, the mountain is lush with lupines, poppies, and other native flora. If bound for the top, watch for a hard left off the broken asphalt road. You will need to go up that (mostly) dirt road to the top and to the End of Trail sign. Actually, that trail continues through very rough brush over to Towsley, but it is off limits, and otherwise not a smart or pleasant way to traverse.
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