The hike can be anywhere from around 3 miles to nearly 4 miles round trip depending on where you park your car (see directions below). Once you're at the Chantry Flat Fire Road gate, you walk downhill along a hot, exposed-to-the-sun, paved road leading right down to creek level in the depths of Big Santa Anita Canyon. Notice I said downhill, which means this trail is kind of an upside-down hike, and therefore, you're going to have to climb back up this paved stretch at the end of your hike.

Once at the base, the pavement gives way to a well-established, forest-shaded dirt trail flanked by cabins built before the area was designated Forest Service land. Many of these cabins looked like they're still in use (even actively inhabited) and have been renovated or have been well kept. Along the creek, you'll find several manmade dams, which I suspect are either for small scale hydroelectricity for the cabins, flood control, or some kind of water diversion. I'm not sure.

After three fairly straight-forward stream crossings, you'll be at the base of the attractive (especially by Southern California standards) Sturtevant Falls. If you like, you can cross the creek one last time to get to a direct look at it. Expect to share this falls with at least twenty to thirty people at a time on weekends. I'm sure on weekdays, it's much quieter. Still, it's somewhat hard to believe that such a getaway could be so close to the city. It's definitely a great way to get good exercise, scenery, and a revitalization of mind and body.