It's not easy being green. Actually, yellowish or reddish in this case.
That's why the U.S. Forest Service extended a temporary closure limiting access to roughly 1,000 acres of the Angeles National Forest until the end of next year to protect critical habitat of the endangered mountain yellow-legged frog.
Hikers will have to use a detour. A portion of the Pacific Crest Trail, which lies within the closed off area, allows hikers to go around the area by departing the trail northbound at Eagles Roost and taking the highway to Cloudburst Summit, according to the Forest Service.
The Williamson Rock closure, which limits access to an area north of the Angeles Crest Highway in the vicinity of Cooper Canyon, has been in place since December 2005. The new order extending the closure until Dec. 31, 2010, comes into effect on Friday, Jan. 1, forest service officials said.
