Barley Flats Truck Trail #2N46

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This is not a great trail run. Expect your legs to pay the price north of the Strawberry Peak Trail junction.

This road serves as the access route for the popular Strawberry Peak Trail. From the Red Box parking lot, carefully cross Angeles Crest Highway and go east about 100' to the road on your left that is surrounded by non-native Spanish Broom. Proceed up the road as it parallels the highway heading in a northeast direction. There are some nice shady oaks and a seasonal spring along the way. After about 0.8 miles, a singletrack trail makes a sharp turn and heads southwest. This is the official start of the Strawberry Peak Trail #12W05, but most references to this trail include the segment along Barley Flats Truck Trail. Continue straight to reach the ridge and Barley Flats.

For those who want to use this route to reach Barley Flats, you'll find that it becomes very brushy after the junction. Thorny ceanothus, yucca, chamise, and scrub oak will tear at your flesh. It improves significantly once it reaches the ridge and joins another road, but the going remains fairly strenuous for its length.

Barley Flats was used as an anti-aircraft facility from 1954 to 1961. It was subsequently used for other purposes until the site burned down in the Station Fire (2009). A much easier way to reach Barley Flats is by running up the paved road from the east.

Ceanothus, chamise, oak, yucca, and yerba santa all grow here.