Near Palmdale, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Chilao Visitor Center

Photographed by Tom Bosse, September 9, 2026

1. Chilao Visitor Center Marker

Inscription. High in the San Gabriels at 5,280 feet, Chilao Visitor Center invites you to explore the sights, sounds, and stories of the forest. Inside, discover exhibits on forest ecology, geology, fire, wildlife, and cultural history. Step outside for a short interpretive trail that reveals the forest close up. Look (and listen!) for white-headed woodpeckers, mountain chickadees, and lively Steller’s jays in the trees.

Find a shady spot and stay awhile. Nearby, a picnic area beneath Jeffrey pines and black oaks offers cool summer shade – and, in winter, a blanket of snow. (Closed November through April.)

Behind the building stands the West Fork Ranger Station Cabin, built in 1900 – the first ranger station in the San Gabriel Mountains and the second in the nation. Once located where Shortcut Canyon meets the West Fork, it was moved and restored here in the 1980s.

Adventure continues just down the road. Chilao Campground lies a mile southwest, and the rugged Devil’s Canyon Trail begins nearby, following a willow-lined creek through a winding canyon carved by water and time. Two famous trails – the Pacific Crest Trail and the

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Silver Moccasin Trail – meet two miles northeast at Three Points, linking Chilao to hikers from across California and beyond.

Erected by U.S. Forest Service - Department of Agriculture.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Horticulture & Forestry • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1900.

Location. 34° 19.611′ N, 118° 0.304′ W. Marker is near Palmdale in , California. It can be reached from Angeles Crest Highway (California Route 2), on the left when traveling north. Marker is located near the Chilao Visitor Center. Touch for map. Touch for directions.

Regionally, it is in North America,

the Pacific Rim,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: West Fork Ranger Station (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); D.A.R. Society’s Fiftieth Anniversary (approx. 1.9 miles away); Vetter Mountain Fire Lookout (approx. 2½ miles away);

Photographed by Tom Bosse, September 9, 2026

2. Chilao Visitor Center Marker

Cogswell Dam (approx. 6.2 miles away); The Mount Wilson 100 Inch Telescope (approx. 7.6 miles away); The 100-Inch Hooker Telescope (approx. 7.6 miles away); Michelson Pier on Mount Wilson (approx. 7.8 miles away); Harvard’s Mount Wilson Station (approx. 7.8 miles away).

Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker.

West Fork Ranger Station image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tom Bosse, September 9, 2026

3. West Fork Ranger Station

Photographed by Tom Bosse, September 9, 2026

4. West Fork Ranger Station

Credits. This page was last revised on September 12, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 12, 2026, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 5 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 12, 2026, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.