Deer Spring Canyon

Starts as a flat sandy canyon with progressively longer down-climbs and smooth granite that gets narrow and eventually gives way to a precipitous descent into Big Tujunga Creek. A unique and mostly brush-free route in the Big Tujunga drainage.

Park the exit vehicle at the Fall Creek Fireroad/Forest Service road 3N27 gate 34.2973077, -118.1698279 and then drive to the Hidden Springs Picnic Area/Trailhead at: 34.3156, -118.1362. It is just after the tunnel on the left hand side. Walk North on the Angeles Forrest Highway. The highway crosses Mill Creek and bends sharp to the right. Enter the drainage on the North side of the highway around 34.3177, -118.1349 (Mill Creek). Head up this drainage staying on the left/West side and make your way up the ridge. Try and find the old trail as it climbs up the ridge (West). This area was burned by the 2009 Station Fire but the trail gets more defined on the ridge. GPS is helpful here. Follow this trail over a few more ridges/drainages until you reach a kind of basin where 2 drainages join together and form Deer Spring Canyon. Drop-in at 34.3160133, -118.1466555 or anywhere in the area here that looks easy. It's a steep slope to a sandy creek bottom (likely dry most of the year).

The canyon is fairly sandy and easy going with not too much brush eventually giving way to more and more smooth granite bedrock. There are a few downclimbs that some may want to rappel as the canyon begins to narrow. Rappel 1: 55 feet. Anchored to a bush DCR. This appears to be the first mandatory rappel. Followed by two 30-40' downclimbs through a crack. Some may want a meat anchor for the last section of the first stage. The other option here is to rappel the entire length of the crack. There is a good bush RDC you can use for an anchor. Rappel 2: 300 feet. Anchored from 2 bolts LDC. This anchor was originally off a bush DCL but appears to have been wiped out in the last flash flood. Somehow this canyon seems to have gotten a fair amount of water in the last storm, so be prepared to re-build all anchors. You should be comfortable building and rappelling on cairn anchors for this canyon. Nice views down into Big Tujunga Creek from the ledge (Eagle's Perch) DCL near the edge.