Cascade Canyon
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| | Difficulty:3A I (v3a1 I) Raps:3, max ↨140ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:None | |||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 24 Feb 2026
"Given that we spent ~3 hours hacking our way through the forest of impenetrable extra thorny blackberry vines, once we got to enjoy the icy cold snow |
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34.2119, -117.6613
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Introduction[edit]
Cascade Canyon shares its upper trail head with Stoddard Canyon. It's an excellent canyon for advanced beginners looking for a short canyon with long, low-angle drops. Were it not for the hard landing most of these rappels would be fun sierra slides.
Approach[edit]
Trail head[edit]
CA-210 to Mountain, turn north toward Mount Baldy
You'll pass through two tunnels. Pass "Hog back" on the right hand side, drive down a steep hill and turn right at the bottom onto Barrett Stoddard Truck Trail.
Park one car here. Don't leave anything valuable in the car, consider leaving your car unlocked or the windows down.
Hike[edit]
The optional shuttle is not allowed anymore as there is no public parking beyond the 2 rows where you turn off the pavement.
Hike toward Stoddard Peak, take a left at the fork in the road.
Continue on foot, past the gate, to the where the canyon creek bed crosses the road at: 34.21208, -117.66132 Do NOT follow the KML file off the road through the whitethorn bushes!
Descent[edit]
Follow the watercourse of the creek bed, because both sides are lined thick with thorny blackberry vines. Some sort of vine trimming tools are HIGHLY recommended given the density of the vines. A "tunnel" was cut through the vines on 24FEB2026, but it can still use some TLC. If the path in the creek bed looks thick (uncut), check either side of the creek for easier passage. Also, watch out for poison oak bushes and vines!
R1
60' - Canyon center, big log or various small trees.
34.2140, -117.6669
It appears that local hikers have a way to avoid this drop. I couldn't see how.
R2
~100' (70',30' multistage rap) - medium size tree with 3 main trunks, canyon center.
Roughly 34.2141, -117.6673
R3
~120' (30' slope, 70' slide, 20' drop)
34.2147, -117.6681
There are two bolts at the rappel.
Exit[edit]
You'll finish off the canyon near a small abandoned dam. There's some optional SRT if you climb up to the door at the top of the concrete structure. I'd rig low to the three railings and pad the drop nicely. If the water is low, you could attempt the duck under in the river. I haven't attempted any of this yet however, no clue what's in there.
To exit the canyon, head toward the road / hillside you saw on the way down the canyon. You should find an old paved road. Turn right and follow it up the hill to your car. When you're nearing the car, there's a waterfall in the river down below, observe the chalk marks and natural colored anchors on wall across from the falls. Summer sport climbing fun.
Red tape[edit]
Beta sites[edit]
This is the only beta known to the editors for Cascade Canyon