Orange Trail P2P v Wash - 6/3/25

Mummy Mountain from Lower Transition Life Zone

Entering the Upper Sonoran Life Zone

Hiking down through the Canyon

Cool in the Sun

There are a network of trails below the Deer Creek Road on the north end. Many of them are frequented by horse riders. All of them are travelled by wildlife such as burros, deer, elk and lizards! Most of them end or pass by a spring and/or the very large section of this area's major drainage called Deer Creek Canyon. One of these trails is the old Deer Creek Loop. If you hiked this area a few years ago, you might would have seen small old wooden signs indicating "Deer Creek Loop" if you could decipher the words. These signs have all but disappeared. However, the trails remain in good condition. The old Deer Creek Loop can now be referred to as the Orange Trail. You will see stick trail signs with an orange sticker on them. Today, we chose two if these connecting trails that allow hikers to start on Deer Creek Road and end on Lee Canyon Road.

Woodland Trail in the Transition Life Zone

Old Junipers and Shade

Beautiful Woodlands

Exiting the Woodlands (Clouds at 9:18am)

We left one car at the trailhead on Lee Canyon Road across from the Blue Tree road then drove up to the Orange Trail trailhead on Deer Creek Road across from 7 Mile Canyon Road. Dropping down the left side of the loop, we entered a luscious wooded trail in the Transition life zone that follows this canyon wash down. As the canyon narrowed, the trail was easy to descend. About halfway down to the ridges' foothills, the trail jogs up to the left. This takes hikers over the neighboring ridge and down into the next wash. Following that, the trail continues downward in this wash until it comes within sight of the original canyon and enters the Upper Sonoran life zone.

Orange Trail Junction with Middle Deer Creek Canyon Trail

Surprise!

Jackrabbit Junction (an unusually rounded hill)

Down toward SR 95 and the Las Vegas Wash

We took a break under one of the last large shade-giving trees and soon after, we came to the junction of our side of the Orange Trail and the Orange Trail that runs across the foothills in a northwest / southeast direction. Heading to the northwest, we "turned" left and started hiking with Jackrabbit Junction in our view. This is an unusually rounded large hill near where I saw several jackrabbits around the first time I explored this area. We passed a trail on the right which is a shortcut over to the same trail further than where we came from. Continuing straight, our trail took us down, up, down, up, etc. over the small ridges of the Spring Mountains foothills. The last couple of undulations were the most challenging.

The Orange Trail or Middle Deer Creek Canyon Trail

One of a few hills to climb Over

Up and down on the Middle Deer Creek Canyon Trail

Photos showing how rapid rainclouds develop.

Finally, we came to the king of undulations! It was Lee Canyon! So, we descended to its wash and climbed steeply up the other side to our car. It was a wonderful morning while we watched the storm clouds gathering rapidly over the higher elevations.

Stats: 6.5 miles; +500' gain; -2100' loss; 3.5 hours

Finally reaching our descent into Lee Canyon

... And, our ascent out!

See! I told you we wouldn't get rained on! ... Not this time!