The price to access the great outdoors<\/p>\n
Parking has always been one of the biggest headaches for Southern California hikers. At the trailheads to some of my favorite hikes \u2014 the Bridge to Nowhere in Azusa Canyon, Chantry Flats in the Angeles National Forest, the Sam Merrill Trail in the San Gabriel Mountains \u2014 parking is nearly impossible unless you show up at the crack of dawn. <\/p>\n
Parking fees can alleviate the crowds. The funding they provide is also important. Public agencies need funds to maintain and build hiking trails, and the cost has been rising along with labor and fuel prices, not to mention increased damages from climate change. Meanwhile, both state and federal parks have faced funding cuts. <\/p>\n
Sadly, parking fees \u2014 and charges to enter state and federal parks \u2014 are often not enough to cover the gap.<\/p>\n
Across the country, park agencies struggling with these dire conditions are responding by putting off maintenance for trails and forests to save money, said Ray. <\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe maintenance that is done once a year is pushed back to once every two years,\u201d he said. \u201cIt means the quality of the access would be diminished.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Hikers](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1784123469_280_.jpeg\")
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Hikers and community members enjoy the outdoors at Fryman Canyon.<\/p>\n
(Naohmi Monroe \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n
The U.S. Department of the Interior<\/a> reported last year that deferred maintenance and repairs on federal lands has reached more than $35 billion, with California having the longest list of deferred projects.<\/p>\n The backstory to Fryman Canyon\u2019s parking debate<\/p>\n While the funding is important, paid lots can create a cascading effect on nearby communities. <\/p>\n The paved lot was built at the base of Fryman Canyon in 1998 to alleviate crowding and littering for wealthy Studio City neighbors whose streets were packed with cars. <\/p>\n Shortly after, the Mountain Recreation and Conservation Authority imposed a $3 parking fee, payable only in cash, to fund park maintenance. That pushed hikers back to nearby residential streets, creating more frustration with neighbors.<\/p>\n In 2014, then-L.A. Councilmember Paul Krekorian, who represented Studio City, convinced county officials to subsidize the maintenance costs at the park, eliminating the need for the fee. \u201cThis is a victory for our community and a big help for hikers looking for parking,\u201d he announced in a news release at the time.<\/p>\n But county funding dried up this year, forcing the conservation authority to reintroduce the parking fee.<\/p>\n A spokesperson for the conservation authority said that only 16 of the 68 parks managed by the group charge for parking.<\/p>\n \u201cMRCA has installed amenities such as restrooms and kiosks at many of the trail heads,\u201d authority spokesperson Dash Stolarz said in an email.<\/p>\n Fryman Canyon is popular for many reasons. Within a mile of bustling Ventura Boulevard, the trail offers soaring views of the San Fernando Valley, cool shade under towering oak, black walnut and eucalyptus trees and well-placed benches where hikers can catch their breath. Parking may now be $7, but the scenery, the serenity, the chance to bond with nature: Those are priceless.<\/p>\n Today\u2019s top stories Flames engulf trees in the Summit fire in Llano, Calif., on Friday.<\/p>\n (Ethan Swope\/AP Photo\/Ethan Swope)<\/p>\n Extreme heat raises wildfire fearsThe National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat warning<\/a> for Southern California that is expected to last until Thursday evening before temperatures begin to drop Friday.The heat and dry vegetation are elevating wildfire danger,<\/a> with forecasters warning that any spark could spread quickly.A rise in diarrhea-causing cyclosporiasis sparks fears of fruit, vegetablesCyclosporiasis cases are on the rise across the nation, heightening people\u2019s concerns over how to safely eat fresh produce<\/a>, one of the primary sources of the parasitic illness.California has reported 41 cases of the illness, however, none have been linked to the multistate outbreak that officials in Michigan say could be linked to leafy greens.Giant skeletons are staying up year-round across L.A.Across Los Angeles, 12-foot Home Depot skeletons have jumped from Halloween gimmick to year-round yard fixtures<\/a>, dressed for every holiday and sparking delight, irritation and HOA battles.Fans say the towering props channel L.A.\u2019s creative, maximalist streak, but they also reflect a housing market where storage space is scarce and giant decor simply can\u2019t be tucked away.What else is going onCommentary and opinionsThis morning\u2019s must-readOther must-readsFor your downtime (Andrew Jorgensen \/ Oakland Museum of California)<\/p>\n Going outTravel: People who know the real Oakland will tell you there\u2019s so much more to \u201cThe Town\u201d than it gets credit for. Here\u2019s a local\u2019s guide<\/a> to vibrant, soulful, often-misunderstood city.Theater: \u201cMexodus,\u201d a live-looping, hip-hop musical history lesson<\/a> coming to Pasadena Playhouse, reenergizes the American musical.Staying inA question for you: What\u2019s the craziest beach setup that you\u2019ve seen?<\/p>\n Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com<\/a>, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.<\/p>\n And finally … your photo of the day As weather heats ups children cool down during Camp Anderson at the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center in Pasadena.<\/p>\n (Genaro Molina\/Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n Today\u2019s great photo is from Times photographer Genaro Molina at the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center in Pasadena.<\/p>\n Have a great day, from the Essential California team<\/p>\n Hailey Branson-Potts, staff writer How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com<\/a>. Check our top stories<\/a>, topics<\/a> and the latest articles<\/a> on latimes.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Usually, on warm Sunday afternoons, I would circle the jam-packed parking lot at the base of Fryman Canyon…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":399346,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[7,9,8,2299,1085,891,2300,2297,340,2303,63,2302,1086,1459,2301,2298,74,225,315,688],"class_list":["post-399345","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-california","tag-california","tag-california-headlines","tag-california-news","tag-civic-revolt","tag-covid","tag-covid-19","tag-days","tag-essential-california","tag-israel","tag-l-a","tag-los-angeles-times","tag-may","tag-pandemic","tag-part","tag-president-biden","tag-red-county","tag-san-diego","tag-state","tag-time","tag-years"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/399345","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=399345"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/399345\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/399346"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=399345"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=399345"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=399345"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1784123470_446_.jpeg\")
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Hugo Mart\u00edn, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters<\/p>\n