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| Surfing in Piru Gorge
Photo by Rick Norman |
Piru Creek, located just a few miles up the road from Six Flags Magic Mountain, is an enjoyable day trip for those who don't mind a few trees. The creek winds for 15 scenic miles, between Pyramid and Piru lakes. Enroute it passes through a thousand foot deep, waterfall-festooned canyon, before entering a wonderful vertical walled gorge. This is a much less committing run than nearby Sespe Creek but should still be taken seriously - several parties have hiked out or needed rescue.
Piru Creek is also home to the endangered Arroyo Southwestern Toad, and is a candidate for Wild and Scenic status. Please treat this special place with all due respect, packing out any trash you discover when scouting.
To get to the takeout, take Highway 126 to the small town of Piru. Head north on Piru Canyon Road to Lake Piru. Note the location of the boat ramp, within the fee area - it is mandatory for paddlers navigating Lake Piru to stay within 100 feet of the west shoreline, and take out at the Reasoner Launch ramp. Failure to do so may result in a citation, and even worse might jeopardize other boaters' access to the run. Please obey this simple rule!
To reach the put in, drive back down through Piru, then east to I-5. Head north on I-5, passing Castaic, then take the Templin Highway exit. Templin Highway leads north to a parking area at Frenchmans Flat.
| Middle Piru Creek
Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, California |
|
|---|---|
| Difficulty | III-IV/V |
| Flow(cfs)
Optimum |
400-1100
1100 |
| Miles | 15, plus 3 on Lake Piru |
| Paddling Time | 6 to 9 hours |
| Portages | 4 or more, depending on trees |
| Put In | Frenchman's Flat Campground (2040') |
| Take Out | Lake Piru (1055') |
| Shuttle | 34 miles, 1 hour |
| Average Gradient | 66 fpm |
| Mile/Mile Gradient | 100, 60, 70, 60, 130, 50, 70, 90, 20, 90, 40, 70, 50, 40, 45 |
| Gage | The USGS provides the inflow to Lake Piru. Unfortunately they don't tell you how much of this flow comes from releases from Pyramid Lake. I have not done this run when Pyramid was spilling. |
| Season | Runnable for a few days each year immediately after heavy winter storms |
| Source | Runoff from side creeks, spill from Pyramid Lake |
| Topo Maps | Cobblestone Mtn., Whitaker Peak 7.5 min quads |
| Geology | Amazing diversity. Rocks include 540+ million-year old metamorphic pre-Cambrian gneiss and slates, Mesozoic granites, and a rich variety of Tertiary sedimentary rocks ranging in age from about 54 to 2 million years old. |
This document was last updated on Tuesday, March 06, 2001
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