The logical solution to me is to have everyone who actually wants to use the roads for biking, physical exercise and enjoying nature should have to register and pay to have a key made. That way there would be a list of people with keys who regularly use the area and the area wouldn't be available for canyon parties and vandals. Solves both issues.

There are people who hunt illegally (outside the 6 week hunting season, near recreation areas, and without permits), who use the trails in that area. I have seen them with their crossbows and dead deer too, so locked gates should be placed at other access points, such as Midwick/Roosevelt and Altadena Dr., to ensure that they cannot escape unnoticed after dark with their dead animals.

There's drinking and carousing even during the day by the waterfall, something's got to be done. Recently, a group got so drunk they called 911 to help them walk out (which brought numerous firemen, police and even a helicopter to their aid). Why can't we have the same rules as the Chaney trail gate to Millard Canyon? Locked at 8 pm by the sheriff no matter what time of year.

Doesn't anyone remember the October 1993 Altadena fire -- started by a mentally ill homeless man, who started a bonfire to stay warm in the pre-dawn hours. The Santa Ana winds came up, and the conflagration burned down the nature center, Gerrish, and numerous homes from Altadena to La Canada. There is a reason why public access is restricted to daylight hours only.

What I remember is that a pair of hikers are the ones who alerted fire and police and put the fire out, so the antics of one deranged man (you cannot control for every eventuality, such as insanity) did not become a catastrophe. In the history of our local mountains, hikers and cabin owners have been true stewards of our forest, yet nearby homeowners often have quite out of proportion fears about them.

Vicki- Sorry you are totally wrong historically access has been limited to daylight through various versions these gates since at least 1949 that I know of. This reason is illogical on its face anyway. A looney could access the trails at say noon, stay in the forest, camp for days and accidentally light the whole forest on fire at 2 am.

Criminals, amorous young people, and young people looking for excitement have always and will always circumvent these various gates. Only those middle aged and older, and the law abiding and safe, do not violate these gates, and they are the very groups one wants in the forest acting as a natural brake against bad behavior. The answer is in more police, more law enforcement of some other kind, campground hosts, the answer is in more responsible level headed people having access and being welcomed in the forest.

Steve is exactly right. The Angeles Forest is not "closed" at night. Parks and open spaces often (more like always) have problems with misuse, especially when adjacent to urban areas. There are continuing problems at the Cobb Estate (top of Lake) and to a lesser degree at the Midwick access and inside the Eaton Canyon Natural Area, and I bet at Hahamongna. More locks and barbed wire are not the solution. I have come upon people trapped behind the gate who did not know how to get out. The most recent time, it was a couple with a dog. The man was trying to climb over the 10 foot razor wired gate. As a minimum, there should be a out only gate, although several people I know feel there is no legal basis for any continuing restriction when the Forest is open.

It’s a shame that a small few are allowed to ruin it for the rest of us. Like others have pointed out, it’s not like it is a crime to check out the sunset from the mountains, or go for walk after dark. Although, I can’t tell you how many times I have been stopped by Altadena Sheriff for doing just that. I’ve even had them tell me the forest was closed. There are no 9-5 hours for the Angles National forest, only times when gates close. There has to be some sort of middle ground here. I’d say keeping the gates open to 10pm is start but, I often hiked passed then during the summer.

I got on the front page of the Star-News about that gate a few years ago, in the hope that someone would introduce a way for people trapped inside after the gate was locked to get out (in the instance I complained about it was locked at exactly 6 pm in summer by a house owner living nearby). I knew about the Altadena Drive gate, but a couple who had never been there before were trapped inside. The man climbed over the razor wire, but the woman was too scared, so we led her across the river bed to the next gate - she'd never ever have found a way out by herself. The Pinecrest gate should not be locked at all, but if that's not possible, a gate that lets people out but not in, like they have at Mt. Wilson, would work, wouldn't it?

It's disturbing that trail users of ACTRWG & CORBA mt bikers get no response to our letters from the Mayor, but Pasadena officials will talk to Dan A. for The Patch. Concerned trail users have repeatedly been assured by Pasadena & County that the land slide on the fire road was the only reason the gate was locked 24/7 for so long, tho neighbors still had special keys. After the road was repaired, a local resident began opening & closing the gate. Again, no public hearing nor official notice was forthcoming.

Pasadena now mentions gangs & teenagers partying years ago (before the rock slide) as justification for shutting the gate at night? There are problem visitors in Millard Cyn campground & city parks, too. Criminals & crazy people do not obey signs and locked gates...they're still out there. Only law-abiding trail users are now kept out evenings. If local problems with rowdies & vandalism reappear, that's a law enforcement issue, as it is on any street, public park or parking lot at night. Locking the access point for everyone with penitentiary razor wire & padlocks controlled by local neighbors inconsistently during the day is not acceptable.

Angeles Forest right beyond the gate is never closed evenings. Amateur astronomers, birders (looking for owls, etc), dog walkers, moonlight riders & others enjoy local trails @ night. Other trailheads, including above Chaney Trail Gate, remain open to bikes, horses & foot traffic at night. Pinecrest Gate should be no different.

Is it really true that homeowners in the area have keys and control the access? If so, they may be trying to control the extra people and vehicle traffic after dark so that may be the reason that they lock the gate. However, assuming that it is true that homeowners really do have the keys, it is not correct for these private individuals to control public access to public lands from a public street.

I don't like the hunters and would like to see their activities restricted by locked gates, but I admit that is impractical and has a negative impact on everyone else's enjoyment of the trail. However, this business of private homeowners controlling access to public lands is really not correct.

If there is a nuisance issue involving criminal activity in the area, then the appropriate government agency, with citizen input, should determine the operating hours of the gate that should definately not be enforced by local residents, but by government--either Pasadena or L.A.County or the USFS. And the gate should should have the ability to be opened for exiting so no one gets locked in--and that unfortunately includes the hunters.

Street parking on Pincrest near the gate is pretty limited. I don't recall exactly, but I don't believe there's any parking allowed on wkends (or, only 1 or 2 hr). There may be some parking allowed during the week.
I understand the desire to not want the neighborhood overrun with parked cars (think Altadena drive near the main Eaton Canyon entrance) as that can also lead to car break ins (think at Cobb mansion a few years ago).
I'm sure some "happy" middle ground can be struck. Sooner or later, a neighbor w/ a key will post the "rules" that have been told to them and we'll go from there.