Trail Tree on the Mt. Wilson Trail in Southern California - Native American Trail Trees on Waymarking.com

I never expected to find an example of a Native American Trail Tree in Southern California, but this may qualify.

This native oak tree is located along the Mt. Wilson Trail in the Angeles National Forest above Sierra Madre, California. The Mt. Wilson Trail was constructed in 1864 and was built upon a Native American footpath into the San Gabriel Mountains.

As I approached this tree on the trail, I said to myself, "Looks like a trail tree." But was it?

We know that trail trees were used to mark water or access to water (among other things). About 15 feet past the tree, heading off in the exact direction the tree was pointing to, there was a faint but distinct use trail. This trail lead down to a stream. In fact, I could hear water flowing from this point along the main trail. I couldn't hear the stream from much below or much above this point on the main trail as it heads up into the mountains. This must have been a marker for easy water access at this point on the trail!

This native live oak is about 50 feet long. The bend is now about 10 feet off the ground. The 40 feet or so of the tree growing horizontally points toward the stream.

While it is questionable that actual Native Americans were involved in creating this trail tree, it is likely that someone involved in the trail contruction (or its later use) knew about trail trees and recreated one here. In the mid to late-1800's, most Americans in Southern California were from the east coast, where trail trees were well known.