Los Angeles County has secured 111 acres in the Tujunga Canyon that conservationists say will provide more recreational access for the public. 

"This is where Big Tujunga Canyon road enters the Angeles National Forest," says Paul Edelman, Chief of Natural Resources at the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority. "You would be amazed when you see this property, it's like another world!" 

The land was purchased for $4.4 million, with over $3 million coming from the state assembly fund. The deal was announced last Friday.

Initially, real estate developers were interested in building housing on the land. However, that move was not cost-efficient. "Extending the utility and especially the sewer was going to be too expensive," Edelman says. "There was also opposition, so it's not the most friendly place to develop." 

The park could be ready for the public to visit by this summer, once the clean-up is underway. "My optimistic goal for partial use is two-months," says Edelman. "The key is to get one trail open first so people will have access to Rim of the Valley trail."