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Forest Status

Smokey’s Birthday Party – planned for August 13th, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. – has been canceled.  Unfortunately we are not being allowed to hold the gathering, but our building, as usual, will be open on the weekends and staffed by volunteers inviting the public to enjoy the displays and get help with hiking, camping, and other forest activities.

Bathrooms in Big Pines Area:  Off Hwy 2: Big Pines Visitor Center – flushers across the street, Inspiration Point – vault toilets, Grassy Hollow Picnic area – vault toilets, and Vincent Gap – vault toilets; Off N-4: Arch Picnic Area – vault toilets, Peavine Campground – vault toilets,  Apple Tree Campground – vault toilets, and Jackson Lake – vault toilets.

Camping:  Blue Ridge and Guffy Campgrounds are first come, first served and require the Adventure Pass or an Interagency Federal Pass. Table Mountain, Mountain Oak, Lake, and Jackson Flat Group Campgrounds are now taking reservations (recreation.gov). A fee is charged.  Peavine and Appletree Campgrounds are first come, first served and have a $10 fee.

Trash – when there are no trash cans or they are full, please take your trash home with you!  

Road conditions and status: contact CalTrans at 800-427-7623. (Check State Routes 2 and N-4.)

Thank you for protecting our forest.

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BIG PINES VISITOR CENTER

Located in a historical stonework building, the visitor center is located at the intersection of Hwy 2 and N-4, four miles west of the town of Wrightwood.

Staffing the visitor center on Saturdays, Sundays, and some holidays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., VANF members are here to help with hiking, camping, and other suggestions; Adventure Passes are for sale.

Couched within this 1920’s facility, are a selection of great interpretive items – including a taxidermied mountain lion and bear.

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SCHOOL PROGRAM

School Field Trips are on hold until Fall of 2022 or Spring of 2023. (Why: The Volunteers of the Angeles National Forest, having provided fieldtrip opportunities at the Grassy Hollow Visitor Center for over a decade, were requested to move 2 miles east to the historical Big Pines Information Center.  We have moved our displays and are open to serve the public on Saturdays and Sundays from 10-4 pm. We will be rebuilding our membership and adapting our fieldtrip program to the Big Pines setting as soon as possible.)

To see what is included in a school visit

To schedule a school field trip contact us through our general email

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COME, JOIN US, BE A PART OF THE VOLUNTEERS OF THE ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST

The Volunteers of the Angeles National Forest are staffing the Big Pines Visitor Center – located 4 miles west of Wrightwood – on Saturdays, Sundays, and some holidays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

While answering questions about hiking and camping, and selling Adventure Passes, they invite visitors to enjoy their historic building including displays of local animals and birds, maps, and pictures of the area.  In addition, VANF members run a school/youth group fieldtrip program and a summer interpretive program.

As a volunteer, you may choose to work with the school program, staff the center, or do both!  When working at the center, you are committing to one weekend day a month.  If you choose to work with the schools program, you can determine your work schedule.

Initial training is provided and ongoing training occurs at the monthly membership meeting at 7pm on the 4th Tuesday of each month in Wrightwood.

We welcome volunteers 18 years and older.

If you would like to join our team or would like more information, please email vanf.big.pines@gmail.com .