Lyon Canyon Photos

The main road into Lyon Canyon is very easy to hike. The altitude increases very gradually as you hike deeper into the canyon. The vistas are wide open, totally unlike the other canyons. There are no narrow openings or steep mountains framing the road. The creek bed tends to meander a lot.

This is the mouth area looking toward the Old Road in the distance. (Photo taken on 3/1/2009)

Still in the mouth area looking south. (3/1/2009)

Fences in the mouth area. (3/1/2009)

More fences looking toward the Old Road. (3/1/2009)

This side canyon had some trash. Overall, I would say that the canyon is pretty trash-free. (3/1/2009)

Starting up the canyon. (3/1/2009)

The canyon is pretty wide-open. (3/1/2009)

(3/1/2009)

Interesting bridge used in the 1991 movie "Nothing But Trouble" starring Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, and Demi Moore. (3/1/2009)

Wrought iron sides. (3/1/2009)

From the road you can see this almost hidden structure. (3/1/2009)

It's a small dam about 35 feet wide at the top and about 20 feet high. It is completely filled in with dirt. The 1933 USGS Quad map (surveyed in 1925-29) shows this dam, so it was probably constructed in the 1920's. (3/1/2009)

There is a pipe coming out of the bottom with a valve at the end. There is rebar exposed at the top. (3/1/2009)

Closer view of valve. Why this small canyon would have a dam is unknown. It would seem that at one time water was stored there for some reason. The dam seems too large to have been used just to check the flow of water - the purpose of a check dam. (3/1/2009)

Deeper down the canyon is this bridge. (3/16/2009)

On the road above the previous bridge I had an encounter with this bobcat. After we both sat down, he tolerated me for about five minutes before he turned and walked away into the brush. (3/16/2009)

View from further up the canyon. (3/1/2009)

The open area in the right center distance was the location of the Macpet oil well of 1970. (3/1/2009)

(3/1/2009)

This is a view towards the south. The canyon makes a wide, circular turn from the west to the south to the right of the photo. (3/1/2009)

Down in the creek. (3/1/2009)

Fallen oak blocking the creek bed. There are a lot of impressive oaks in the canyon. (3/1/2009)

This small rock square was obviously built by humans. It is located on a flat area where structures probably existed. (3/1/2009)

This is a view east down the north fork of Lyon Canyon. It is in the Saugus Formation which here consists almost entirely of conglomerate. It is completely different than the south, main fork where all the other pictures were taken. The soil is different. The plant life is different. The creek bottom is rocky and dry. (3/1/2009)