It's lovely to walk through Deer Canyon this time of year. It's quiet, lovely, and so green!

My family and I call Deer Canyon Park Preserve "Terabithia". LOCATION is nestle between homes, but with its large trees and abundance of vegetation, one feels far away from the city. Wonderful place for a run! Or a place for nature perfection photos! PLEASE be alert when visiting my "'Terabithia" as with any nature preserve locations there are snakes, coyotes tarantulas and many other creatures that require distance and respect. read more

Deer Canyon Park Preserve - 5k run - Parks Near Me - Anaheim, California

Easy access entry: Enter & park 7512 E. Park Hollow rd. It was our first time, so we entered the fairmont route and ended up parking in a cul-de-sac across the fairmont road. The way we entered, is beyond the canyon rim entrance, and took us little under 1/4 of a mile into the canyon to see the goats and Pyrenees guard dog. Sage Environmental was there tending to the dog and goats. From fairmont drive, you're starting at the top of the trail, up and down hill walk with uneven surfaces, then it goes down hill and then paved trail. If you take a left, you'll run into the bathrooms which used to be the main entrance to the park, that road will take you all the way down to Santa Ana canyon rd. Right leads to more flat trail head. Nice hike, with succulents, cactus, picnic benches, and wild flowers. The electric wires are pretty loud above. We also got to see a coyote in daylight. Not very crowded hike on a Saturday at 12pm. Dogs are welcome as well! read more

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3.5 stars for this walking/hiking trail. It's located in the middle of a residential area. There are markers at the entrances. The day I went, we didn't see a single soul on the trails. The trails themselves are very well worn, mostly dry. The vegetation was dry the time I went (June). I'm sure it's much more lush and green during early spring. There are very few trail markers and my friend said that's been unable to find a hiking trail map. The park and trails are surrounded by homes. There are SO many inclines, which I loved. There's some shade but a lot of the trail was open. We passed by the Picnic Area That Time Forgot (seriously, it looks abandoned). There's a water fountain but I didn't check it. We saw one little hare (bunny), other than that no animals were visible. We did see a ton of scat. So why the 3.5 stars? I guess because if you want an aesthetically pleasing hiking trail this isn't it and I wouldn't drive out just to hike this trail. My friend lives nearby so it's a great workout for her. I would definitely be there all the time if I lived in the area. There's power lines overhead, the backyards of homes are visible while hiking the trail (I feel bad for their privacy if this park ever gets busy), you can even see the 91 freeway at one point. It's a great trail for jogging or hiking. It's a great place for locals! read more

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It's an alright hike, but it is fairly big. Its more like a long walk. Lot's of doo-doo on the walk, from dogs and other small animals and probably coyotes. I wish there were restrooms cause about halfway into the walk, realized I made a mistake and didn't use the restroom before coming. Ended up walking to the other end and Ubering back to my car so that I could drive somewhere to poo. I'd definitely come back though, after making sure my bowels are empty. Attached are some pics to give you a good idea of some sites you might find. read more

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The entrance to this place (the one I found) is tucked inside a neighborhood. I believe there are several access points. I'm not quite sure how I came to learn about this place but I'm glad I did. Perfect for a short hike with the dogs/kids. How to get here: From West Anaheim, head east on the 91, exit Weir Canyon to the right. Few lights down, turn right on Serrano Avenue and an immediate right onto Canyon Creek Roan. Down a ways, you turn left onto Sunset Ridge Road and right onto Hollow Oak Road. Park on the street near the private gate (dead ends here). Entrance to Deer Canyon Park Reserve is on the left. Pros: -Lots of hilly trails, many of them along a little creek. Not sure how long / far they go... but seems to be lots to choose from. I read somewhere its 103 acres of "wilderness". -Dog friendly. Bags at the trailhead and several trash cans along the way. -Street parking (so its free!) -We went on a day with drizzle as it had been raining the last few days. The dirt trails were muddy but there is also a paved trail that seems to cut straight through the preserve -- smooth enough for a stroller. -Along one of the dirt trails, we found a tree swing that hangs over a tiny creek. Kinda cool. -Sure it was drizzly when we went, but we only saw two people while we were there. -Picnic tables throughout Cons: -Sad, the tiny creek was littered with trash in some parts. -Despite the bags and the trash cans, some people still don't pick up after their pets. For people with kids: -This is not a place with playgrounds (from what I could tell) but still a great place to take the kids on a nature walk. -I saw no bathrooms You can read more or see more pics on my blog post: http://tothenextadventure.wordpress.com/2012/12/17/a-muddy-walk-through-deer-canyon-park-reserve/ We went on a wet day, had our dogs, and my toddler. We only did about two miles but it seems that the trails go out quite a bit. Couldn't find a map of the trails any where! Definitely will be coming back to check out the rest of it. read more

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Dog friendly as long as your dog is on a leash! To get there: I basically just plugged the intersection of E Hollow Creek Road and Creekview Ln on the GPS and was able to get there easily. Went on a Sunday morning, parking is residential but there was plenty of it. Once you park, head over to the left side of the cul-de-sac and you'll find the entrance with a big sign, can't miss it. (There's more trails on the right side of the street too if you want more to do.) This place has odd trails that don't loop back into each other, they all seem to dead end at residential areas. I wish there were more loops in this preserve so you didn't have to back track all the time. Zulu and I started off not taking the paved routes, and followed one of the "Anaheim Hills" trail, which was just an out and back trail eventually ending in residential. Actually, all the trails in the preserve are called "Anaheim Hills Trail" even if they don't connect, which gets confusing. Kinda boring. We went back to a fork in the road and took the way down, into some trees, and this was a nicer path, but eventually it too ends in residential. Like others have said before, it's a bit of a short, confusing area sandwiched between planned housing but otherwise if you love hiking and adventuring I would try this place out at least once. If I were a local, I would definitely be here more often. Exercise wise there are some hills in there, nothing strenuous but I would consider them "moderate". Overall, Zulu and I may only be back one more time to take another trail we missed (I am such a completionist) otherwise its a bit too far of a drive and not exciting enough for it to be worth it. But come at least once to say you did! read more

Deer Canyon Park Preserve - This path ended up being prettier, and having more shade. (Head towards the trees!) - Parks Near Me - Anaheim, California

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Very interesting place. I would suggest to follow Tracy N's directions because if you're coming from West to East (the place) the GPS will try to take you through the hike because there is a road. This road is blocked. If not, just drive pass it and your GPS will re-route itself to the other side of the park. The sign Deer Canyon Park Reserve is kind of hidden Once you come, there is a Four Corners Trail on the right and the park on the left (facing North). We decided "Oh we're here for a hike let's take the trail!" then we bailed out in 10 minutes because it was way too sunny, no shade, wind or anything! So we went to the "park" I honestly don't think it should be called a park it really throws people off. We decided to take the trail on the right that goes on the road and we took the road all the way to the restrooms and took that trail on the right. I believe once you hit the dirt trails it all is very up and down. View was nice once we hit the electricity towers tops! Also very scary considering you're always next to the electricity towers too.. it makes a lot of noises and fooled us in thinking it was a river nearby! Would definitely come back to check the other trail out! read more

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This is a really small trail so that's why I gave it so little stars. I thought it was longer because that's what google said. There are mini pumpkins up there and a cool view of the houses and chino hills, so that was a bonus!! I recommend taking your dog or going for a run on this hike. read more

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The trail itself isn't that terrible. The main issue i had with this park was the incessant buzzing noise from the power lines overhead. It's hard to enjoy the sounds of nature when you can't even hear them. The entrance is also really obscure. I was driving around for at least 30 minutes trying to find the trailhead. If you find yourself in the same predicament, don't bother continuing to search. Save yourself from disappointment and go to a another nearby park, like oak canyon or yorba regional. read more

As a local homeowner that apparently doesn't deserve the house my wife and I bought, (see Father T's review) I strapped on my running shoes and headed out for another run through Deer Canyon. Since our house is nearby, I've run hundreds of times through Deer Canyon while living here over the past thirteen years. While I ran down to the entry to Deer Canyon I pondered all the things my wife and I have done to get to the point where we can own a house we don't deserve. My father was a WWII vet that fought in the Italian campaign, came home and raised a family of five on a highway patrolman's salary. I didn't mind I had to put myself through college with a variety of part time jobs. After graduation I went West and met my wife in Reno, where we lived in a small single wide trailer while we put her through college and raised our kids. We started small, struggled for many years, but worked hard and finally reached some level of success and after 30 years of saving and budgeting we were finally able to afford this house we don't deserve. As I get to the gate, I look for homeowners guarding the gate, these "hillers" that should be keeping out the, I guess, the "flatters". I call out, "hey hillers!" but no reply. In fact, as usual, the park is pretty quiet and rarely used. Maybe it is a secret park! Good thing they don't list it anywhere, like on ANAHEIM.NET under PARKS with the other thirteen secret parks. http://www.anaheim.net/comm_svc/parks/ This is a nice little park. I've seen Deer, Bobcat, Coyote and snakes while visiting. If you come in the main entrance, there is always adequate free parking. The park has three main routes. To the right is a paved road that runs under the power lines and is unimpressive, unless you need to use the restrooms which are located there. Use the route to the left that goes up to the creek. It splits near the top. The left leg dead-ends but the right leg heads up a steep ravine and ends at the Walnut Creek Reservoir. (Once you cross Canyon Rim Road) From there you can even hike into the Oak Canyon Nature Center, but it's a bit of a tricky route. read more

One of the nicest parks in Orange County. Some of the best hiking and biking trails around. This place is one of the best kept secrets in the OC, one the residents here DONT want you to know about. This is a PUBLIC park. You DO have the right to park here and use this park. Do NOT let any " Hillers " tell you otherwise. Most of " them " do not deserve the near million dollar house they shouldn't own anyway. Come and have fun ! Check out my pics for directions to this great park. read more

Deer Canyon Park Preserve - Google map these street corners to get to this great park. You won't be disappointed ! - Parks Near Me - Anaheim, California

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I love this trail so much! It's a real hidden gem & I'm so blessed that it is right out of our front door. read more

Deer Canyon Park Preserve - I'm blessed that this trail is right out of our front door - Parks Near Me - Anaheim, California

Unique, dry, and rustic. We parked at hollow oak & creekview, took the path to the right that headed North. Skinny dirt paths at first with mostly brown plants and grass until you are deeper, you see more green. Due to avoiding the next steep trail (pregnant), we took the asphalt road on the right. Once we passed a black gate, we saw it become more and more unkept, shrubs and weeds were sprouted out off the road, it was a neat looking abandoned area. We saw a big coyote. There were a lot of animal droppings on the asphalt which is funny because they are probably avoiding soiling their wooded homes. read more

I LOVE THIS LITTLE PARK! It has a remote feel and bit of wildlife to make it a great spot for a 3-mile roundtrip hike. Bring your dog. Take your wife for a walk. It's fortunate to have this little haven nearby. read more

I've lived in the area for twenty years and I've been through this park... twice. Pros: it's usually deserted, it does have somewhat of a wilderness feel despite being right inside a high density housing area, and it's very close to my house. Cons: you can hear classic rock, pool parties, dogs barking etc, at various points and the entrance/exits are kind of oddball. There's a lot of odd amenities, benches no one sits in, picnic areas no one picnics in, trails no one hikes on - a bit like the Park That Time Forgot. But that's more a plus. There is a water fountain right in the middle of it that you would swear would not work... but... it does! There is a far more used path adjacent to the park, Walnut Canyon Reservoir, that I've been around probably over 1000 times and that connects to Oak Canyon Nature Center - so you can turn it into a substantial hiking adventure if so inclined. I'd give it five stars if the landscape and views were more interesting, but its main attraction is a quiet walk in the (sort of) woods. read more

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no maps to indicate designated trails to take.. i guess it makes sense since there's only 1 trail: "Anaheim hills." we kept going in circles and trying new routes but in the end we ended short of 4 miles. we took every possible hiking route. while it's always lovely to be out in nature this park isn't great if you're looking to get a lot of mileage and scenery in. there are tons of power lines and you can hear them buzzing as well.. kinda scary! read more

Easy hike and good for kids. If you are looking for a quick beginners hike that's local, this is a good place to start. It's short but pretty. read more

Too many power lines! The trails are very short. We hiked every single trail and total was close to 4 miles. I don't think we are coming back. read more