Besides the established trails in and out of Lost Valley, there are innumerable other hiking opportunities in the area. A few of the best areas to explore are described below. There are no trails, and none of these areas should ever be explored alone. But for a group with Staff or Scoutmaster leadership, these areas offer all sorts of interesting opportunities.

The Desert

“The Desert” is the nickname given by the Hiking staff in the early 1980s to the open area east of camp between the Indian Road and the Cat Road. There are endless possibilities for hiking back here. The southern end of the Desert (easily entered by going over the hill from the amphitheatre) is mostly rolling sandy hills. Various Indian sites can be found in this area, along with sandy bowls that make nice, close-in overnight camping spots. To the north, east of Bear Hollow, the Desert is cut by several small narrow canyons running back into the hills east of camp.

Agua Caliente Canyon

Agua Caliente Canyon can be easily followed down to Highway 79 at Warner Hot Springs (approximately nine miles). Most of the time there is good water in the creek year ‘round. As late as 1980 beaver still lived in the canyon--the last survivors of a small herd introduced into the Lost Valley area by the U.S. Forest Service in the late 1940s. No sign of them was visible by the end of the decade. There is no established trail below Agua Caliente Falls, but the route simply follows the creek downstream. In some places the canyon is quite narrow. Further down, it is possible to pick up the Pacific Crest Trail, which drops into the canyon on your right (west), but it will add about a mile to the trip (and is out in the open sunlight). You’ll want to make arrangements to be picked up at the highway . . . or its all uphill back to camp.

The Water Caves

About a quarter of a mile above Agua Caliente Falls is the beginning of the “Water Caves” which stretch along the creek for several hundred yards. The name was applied by Scouts more than 30 years ago. The Water Caves are not actually caves at all, just a jumble of large granite boulders with the creek winding through gaps and passageways. The Water Caves are a dangerous area, and should only be explored with an experienced Staff guide.

Flame-Around-the-Ankles Mountain

This famous camp landmark can be reached by hearty hikers, though there is no trail much of the way. Take the Birkenstock cut-off from the Lost Valley Trail, but before it climbs into the rocks, start around the back (west) side of the peak and aim for the rock face. There is some rough terrain between the peaks, but except for a few places the brush is not too heavy. The rock face loses none of its impact when standing at its base. A small grove of pine trees offers a little shade there. The surface of the rock is rough and loose, with lots of plants, duff, and gravel which make free climbing difficult. There are some possible technical climbing routes on the face, but none of them appear to rate more than about F4.

Anza Canyon

Anza Canyon was named around 1981 when old Camp Anza was renamed Camp Grace. It offers a short-cut down to Indian Kitchens and several nice overnight camping spots along the way. There is no established trail, but the brush is not thick, and the creek leads all the way down to the Tarabal Trail. The head of the canyon is located just north of the Cat Road gate at its junction with the Lost Valley Road. Heading out the Cat Road, pass the gate and turn immediately to the right (a large log alongside the gate points your way). The natural lay of the land will lead you down into the creekbed that winds through the canyon.

Skull Creek

Skull Creek was explored and named by the Hiking staff in the mid-1980’s. It is quite narrow and twisting in spots. The creek crosses the Lost Valley Road just .2 miles out from the entrance gate, leading up into the hills to the north of the valley. One of the unusual sights is one of the few fir trees in Lost Valley, near the mouth of the canyon.

Oak Canyon

One of the most unexplored areas around Lost Valley is Oak Canyon, which climbs up from the northern end of the valley towards Radio Point near the new gate on the Lost Valley Road. Most of this rugged, brushy canyon is actually on camp property. The mouth of the canyon can be found at the creek crossing near the Cat Road gate, .2 miles towards the camp entrance along the Lost Valley Road. A nice stand of oak trees there gives the canyon its name. The bottom of the canyon is wide and fairly open, and there is a game trail along the creek. But as the canyon turns up and to the left, the brush closes in and the canyon gets rockier, making for rough going.