Chantry Flats is a very popular trailhead for hikers-much more so than bikers. It's open to bikes, though, but you might want to plan your trip when there aren't many people out and about.
The Upper Winter Creek and Lower Winter Creek singletrack trails are where the real riding is at. Some sections are super tech and probably will force you to dismount, but for the most part it is awesome benchcut singletrack! I definitely went the wrong way around the singletrack loop: try going clockwise (Upper Winter Creek first). This will require a steep (but short) paved climb at the end after you finish Lower Winter Creek, but you'll do most of the descending on singletrack this way.
The nearby gravel road is a great spin up above the clouds! It heads up past the beginning of the Upper Winter Creek trail, past the helipad, and up to some radio towers. The grade of the road climbs constantly, but it is a reasonable angle allowing you to sit back and enjoy the climb!
There's a singletrack shortcut from the upper portion of the road that drops straight down to the helipad, but it is severely washed out and overgrown!
 | Heli Pad Shortcut |   | 1 mi |
| Lower Winter Creek | | 3 mi |
 | Upper Santa Anita Canyon Road | | 4 mi |
 | Upper Winter Creek | | 3 mi |
Ok riding but way too packed especially on a weekend.
| ThankWe knew in advance the two most important things about riding Chantry Flats on a Saturday - parking would be very hard to come by, it was (I grabbed the last space at the trail head, a late arriving friend had to park down on the road) and secondly, it would be swarming with hikers. Again, it was, ranging from single hikers, to fairly large groups (at least a dozen in one case). Not only that dogs are also allowed (so long as they're on a leash). Generally though, everybody was friendly and appreciated us stopping to allow them to pass. As for the trail(s), mostly single track, there is quite a lot of tree cover, which made it nice even though the temperature was 92˚F when we got back to the cars. There is also quite a bit of exposure in some areas, which could lead to a world of hurt if you were to fall (as an aside I have AT&T and there is no cell phone reception in the area). While sections of the trail are quite smooth, other areas can get VERY rocky, you'll need all your skills to clear all of the obstacles, otherwise its hike-a-bike time. I wouldn't mind trying this again during the week when its quieter, but as there are other trails to ride that I haven't ridden before, a return visit is not really a priority...
| ThankGreat trail. Beware of hikers around corners and arrive early to find parking. Had to dismount a few times at technical sections but very fun to fine tune skills.
| ThankToo much time dodging hikers, wouldn't go back for this reason. nothig against the trail, but just be aware.
| ThankPretty good for a gravel road ride!
| ThankDo not ride this trail. Pretty much horrible... I think descending the gravel road would have been more fun.
| ThankI liked this trail much more than Lower Winter Creek, but it could have had something to do with the fact that I had to climb all the way up the lower trail.
| ThankVery rocky in spots, smooth in others. Lots of hikers in this area.
| ThankDecent little trail system with some decent singletrack, but all in all in doesn't rank very high on the list of trails I've ridden. Super crowded with hikers too... definitely gets annoying after a while, but be sure to greet everyone with a smile!* Review edited 7/6/2012
| ThankAwsome trail, early ride is better to avoid trekkers, or during the weekdays
| ThankHave not found a better trail around LA yet. It is crowded on weekends, has some technical parts steep cliffs, not recommended if you are begginer
| ThankNice trail to get away from the city. I went on the Upper Winter Creek trail, down to the Hoegee Campground, then made a side trip to the Sturtevant Falls. All in all, it was about 7.5 miles. Some technical rock sections, some pretty steep drop-offs to the side of the trail (watch for washouts). Not too much high speed or anything to get you in the air, but its nice if you like to get out in the woods. Might want to avoid weekends, it was busy on a the Wed morning I rode it. Rec Pass required, or $5 parking fee. There's a .5 mile climb at the end of the loop I did, that kinda sucks, but its totally worth it.
-Oh, and this is the best trail I've ridden in SoCal, so far, for sure. I'll be back soon.* Review edited 10/13/2010
| Thankfor someone thats novice or out of shape (like me) its tough. i had to hike a lot of the uphill, but once it levels out and heads down you'll completely forget how tired you are. way sweet ride.
| Thank