| This is a little canyon in the Santa Susana Mountains northwest of Los Angeles. It is noted for its interesting vegetation, which is more charactaristic of points farther north, and for its natural oil seeps - nearby was one of the first oil wells of the nation. The canyon is surrounded by a preserve and offers nice hiking and biking for so near Los Angeles. There are several canyons, and a trail traversing the hill, open to hikers. I always found the place to have a strongly spiritual feel, it truly feels like an island as the areas to the north become more and more infested with fungal pink condos. We were there once after a storm, standing on a knoll with an old oak. The sun burst through on us after everything was still dark, then moved off and lit up each little ridge one by one. It seemed like a cheesy movie. It's a very special place, being so close to LA. And it will always be there, since it's in a preserve.
The canyon is right off the 5 at the Gavin Canyon exit, south of Valencia, near the In N Out. | 
