2-25-22
It was a frosty morning in Orange County, and I was ready to go hiking, to make the most. of the perfect hiking weather.
A Late Frost
Rarely do we get frost here, and I thought it was pretty neat at first. My seedlings in my veggie garden had different ideas. It simply meant, it was going to take them a bit longer to get started.
Time for a Hike
The temperatures were going to climb later in the day, and early morning is always the perfect time for a hike. So I started searching alltrails, for a place to hike.
I decided it was time to check out a new trail, and came across Deer Canyon Preserve, located in Anaheim Hills.
The visible power lines across the map, had made me skip over this one many times. Today I was feeling ready to brave the power lines, and just give it a try.
Deer Canyon Preserve
Deer Canyon Preserve is located within a 103 acre wilderness area in the Anaheim Hills which provides numerous trails for both hiking and horse riding.
This is a lightly trafficked trail, and a great place to find solitude, in Orange County. Most of the trail is paved, and great for running, or cycling.
Parts of the trail are unpaved single tracks, so there are several options for exploring this canyon. I expected to possibly see some deer, given the name of the preserve.
Where to Park
There is no dedicated parking area, so visitors must park in street parking, at a nearby shopping center, or at adjoining Sycamore Park. Be sure to read posted signs, before you park.
The trail I chose to hike in to the preserve began at Sycamore Park, which has a parking area, and restrooms. There is no designated parking area for Deer Canyon Preserve, but there is a trail leading from Sycamore into Deer Canyon, so that is the option we went with.
At first the trail takes you along a lush green hillside, and climbs higher.
Then it begins to descend once again, and passes under power lines. The high tension power lines, are one reason I had always skipped this one. But today, having hiked just about everywhere in Anaheim Hills, I decided it was time to give Deer Canyon Preserve a try.
I began to enter a more brushy, forested part of the trail, and found some wildflowers. There were native plants such as mugwort, amongst the oaks, and sycamores.
Then there were more power lines to pass under yet again.
Eventually we reached a sign for the park, and there were some restrooms here too.
We climbed another ridge, and looked down into Deer Canyon. The trail would head downward where it would be more shaded. It was starting to get warm, so that sounded like a good idea.
The canyon was lined with majestic California Oak Trees.
The trail is surrounded by homes, but they are not that visible, so at this point, you started to feel like you are getting away from it all.
We continued hiking down Deer Canyon, towards where the trail exits, at East Canyon Rim Rd.
We turned around just shy of meeting up with the road, to head back the way we came.
The hike is shaded most of the way through the canyon. I only saw a handful of people on the trail.
The oak grove here is well established, and some of the trees were 50 to 100 years old.
I was not sure how I would like Deer Canyon Preserve, but after strolling through the most southern part, I decided I would definitely return.
There were some picnic tables here, and it would be a great spot to just come to have lunch, under the trees. I expected to possibly see some deer, though not this time. But I saw plenty of butterflies, and heard lots of birds chirping.
There are several trails leading into one canyon, so how you decide to hike Deer Canyon is up to you. Hike all the trails, and it is just over 6 miles. But today, we would hike just 4 miles.
Deer Canyon Park Preserve
7502 E Hollow Oak Road
Anaheim, CA 92808
Contact
Phone: 714-765-5155
I hope you enjoyed reading this, and it is helpful in knowing what to expect, should you decide to visit here.
About me
I’m Serafina! I’m a writer and California girl who loves to go exploring. Hope you will get outside today, breathe some fresh air, and be happy!
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