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Hiking Chino Hills: Desert Animals LbNA #52551

Owner:Kelsung
Plant date:Mar 20, 2010
Location: Chino Hills State Park
City:Chino Hills
County:San Bernardino
State:California
Boxes:14
Found by: Lee & Nancy (13)
Last found:Apr 3, 2010
Status:FFFa
Last edited:Jun 14, 2021
Click link for map.

UPDATE: I visited CHSP on 7/21/20 and a lot has changed. There's a new road in, so the old road referenced in these clues is now one of the trails that parallels it. I still want to properly check up on and maintain these boxes some day, but it's a big project. Still, the hike(s) will be worth it even if all of them are gone.

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Enter Chino Hills State Park off Soquel Canyon Parkway, drive in about 1.1 miles on Bane Canyon Road to the kiosk and pay the $8 fee, then continue 1.7 miles over a bridge to where the pavement begins. There are two picnic tables here on the right and the trailheads for Slaughter Canyon and McClean Overlook on the left. Continue past this a short way to a single picnic table where all the clues begin. Just past this are three more picnic tables on the left and the trailheads for Aliso Canyon and the Equestrian Staging Area, which leads to Bane Canyon Ridge. Park in any on these three areas.

These are four loops that go clockwise from the same starting point, so the end of each loop is also the beginning of the next loop in the other direction. These can be combined into a couple longer loops, or one big one that is around 5.8 miles, but this would require skipping a couple of the overlapping boxes. To get every box in one trip would require some backtracking and several hours.

Most of these boxes are hidden a little off the trail beneath what experienced boxers call a Suspicious Pile Of Rocks. When boxing in a group, it's a good idea to have just one person step off the trail to retrieve and replace the box. This will minimize the damage to plants and not create an obvious social trail.

Loop One (red): Slaughter Canyon / East Fence Line / McClean Overlook
3 miles - 4 boxes


NOTE: This is a generally easy loop, but the East Fence Line trail, although not as sketchy in this hike as mentioned below in Loop Four, is still just an overgrown single footpath. Don't hike alone and watch for snakes.

Big Horn Sheep by Ponder: From the single picnic table, backtrack across the bridge to the Slaughter Canyon trailhead. Proceed up to the first sharp curve to the left. At this point you will see two faint animal paths on the right side of the trail. Take the right one about twenty steps to a SPOR.

Coyote by Crow Woman: Continue along Slaughter Canyon until just before it ends at a fence. You will cross the East Fence Line trail, so turn right and head down this narrow footpath. Follow this until it starts to round a deep ravine on the right. When you reach a burnt tree just off the path to the left, backtrack twelve steps and look uphill for a small rock outcropping. Climb the slope and look for a SPOR under the edge of the jutting flat rock.

Cow Skull by Kelsung: When the East Fence Line trail ends, go left on the McClean Overlook trail until it ends at some stairs up to a picnic table and an awesome view. Go back down the steps and count the fence posts on the left. Look behind post thirty-three for a SPOR.

Continue back down McClean Overlook until the junction with the Corral trail. From here, you can continue down the McClean Overlook trail, or skip the Mountain Lion and instead turn left down the Corral trail and follow the clues in Loop Two.

Mountain Lion by TAKee: Proceed down McClean Overlook. As you descend you will pass under some power lines. From directly underneath, count thirty steps back uphill, then step left off the trail ten steps to a SPOR.

Continue down McClean Overlook to the end and go left to the single picnic table.

Loop Two (blue): McClean Overlook / Corral / Bane Canyon
2 miles - 4 boxes


NOTE: This is the shortest of the loops, but with a good incline at the beginning and a fast decline towards the end.

Mountain Lion by TAKee: From the single picnic table, backtrack across the bridge to the McClean Overlook trailhead. As you climb around the hill, you will pass under some power lines. From directly underneath, count thirty steps uphill, then step left off the trail ten steps to a SPOR.

Cow Skull by Kelsung: Continue up McClean Overlook until it ends at some stairs up to a picnic table and an awesome view. Go back down the steps and count the fence posts on the left. Look behind post thirty-three for a SPOR.

Butterfly by TAKee: Continue back down McClean Overlook and turn left at the junction with the Corral trail. As you round the first turn you will approach a small ravine cut into the hill. Just before it, look for two rocks on the right side of the trail. Step off the trail between them and count fifteen steps to a SPOR.

Butterfly Meadow by TAKee: Continue on the Corral Trail down the sharp incline until you are right next to a power line tower. Look where the support cable reaches the ground for a SPOR.

Continue down Corral to the junction with Lower Aliso Canyon. From here, you can turn right to the three picnic tables, or instead turn left down the Lower Aliso Canyon trail and do the Desert Plants series. From the three picnic tables, you can turn right and continue to the single picnic table, or instead cross over to the Equestrian Staging Area and follow the clues in Loop Three.

Loop Three (green): Equestrian Staging Area / Bane Ridge / Bane Canyon
2.8 miles - 5 boxes


NOTE: This is the hottest of the loops, as you are exposed completely along the ridge with no shade. Wear sunblock and bring plenty of water.

Lizard Tongue by Deniserows: From the single picnic table, continue down Bane Canyon road to the trailhead up to the Equestrian Staging Area. At the top, turn right and cross the area past a storage container and go left at the fork at the Bane Ridge trailhead. When you reach a sharp curve to the right around a field of cacti, top the next hill, where you will see an even higher point a little further past it. Step left off the trail towards this high point, but before you reach the top and are in view of the ranch below, turn around and find a SPOR behind a bush.

Escher Lizards by Deniserows: Continue along the Bane Ridge trail until you reach three power line towers. Stop at the first tower leg right next to the trail and look just over the edge on the other side of the trail for a SPOR.

Lizard Laying by Deniserows: At the junction just past the towers, go right and downhill back towards Bane Canyon road. Pass some trees on your left, round a curve, pass a burnt tree on your right and another curve. Just past this when you reach a cluster of small trees uphill to the left, go off the trail to the right as the shoulder curves and look for a SPOR on the left. UPDATE 5/1/10: I went to check on this, but the area is so overgrown (thistles 4-6 feet high!) that I couldn't find the box. I'm not saying it's missing, I'm saying I couldn't find it. Try during the fall or winter when the plants aren't as high and you may yet be first finder.

Continue down to Bane Canyon road. From here, you can go right, or skip the Great Horned Owl and Kangaroo Rat and instead turn left to reach the Pomona trailhead and follow the clues in Loop Four.

Great Horned Owl by Romes Fist: Proceed down Bane Canyon road. When you reach a drain pipe under the road, count one-hundred sixty-five steps. Go just off the left side of the road to a four-trunk tree and look in the center under leaves and bark.

Kangaroo Rat by DezertRatty: Continue down Bane Canyon road. Just past the 1 1/2 mile marker will be another drain pipe under the road. Continue past a second and third drain, then stop at the fourth. On the left side of the road look under rocks on the right side of the drain.

Continue down Bane Canyon to the single picnic table.

Loop Four (yellow): Bane Canyon / Pomona / East Fence Line / Slaughter Canyon
4.1 miles - 6 boxes


NOTE: This is the most difficult of the loops. There's a few good inclines at the beginning of the Pomona trail, and the East Fence Line is an overgrown single footpath with some sketchy areas. Don't hike alone, watch for snakes and I wouldn't recommend bringing children.

Kangaroo Rat by DezertRatty: From the single picnic table, backtrack across the bridge and continue up Bane Canyon road. Just past the 1 mile marker will be two drain pipes under the road. Continue past a third drain, then stop at the fourth. On the right side of the road look under rocks on the right side of the drain.

Great Horned Owl by Romes Fist: Continue up Bane Canyon road. When you reach a yellow pipe sticking up on the right side of the road, count one-hundred sixty-five steps. Go just off the right side of the road to a four-trunk tree and look in the center under leaves and bark.

Red Tailed Hawk by Tdyans: Continue up Bane Canyon road to the Pomona trailhead. Follow this uphill and around a sharp turn at three power line towers. Just past this find a drain on the right and continue forty-five steps. Go off the trail to the left fifteen steps up the hill and back a little to a SPOR.

California Condor by Tdyans: Continue along the Pomona trail, enjoy the beautiful ridge view and pass three more towers. As the trail descends, look for a windmill in the distance. Carefully step off the trail at the last tree on the left before the windmill and look in the hollow trunk.

Peregrine Falcon by Tdyans: Just before the windmill you will reach the junction with the East Fence Line trail. Take this narrow footpath to the right and follow it around a couple turns and some great views. You'll soon reach a burnt footbridge and broken tree, but trust me, if you carefully go up and around the trail picks right back up. You'll soon reach the fence and walk along it for a while. When the trail curves back away from it again, look down the hill for a sandy spot and two patches of cacti. Carefully step off the trail and look for a SPOR behind the right patch.

Continue along the Fence Line until the junction with the Slaughter Canyon trail. From here, you can turn right down Slaughter Canyon, or skip the Big Horn Sheep and instead continue down the East Fence Line trail and follow the clues in Loop One.

Big Horn Sheep by Ponder: Proceed down Slaughter Canyon. You will curve left, then reach a sharp curve to the right. At this point you will see two faint animal paths on the left side of the trail. Take the right one about twenty steps to a SPOR.

Continue down Slaughter Canyon to the end and go left to the single picnic table.