The GeekHiker

In the heyday of the Twenties and Thirties, the mountains above Los Angeles were littered with resorts and private getaways. The natural combination of destructive forces in Southern California, earthquakes, fires and floods, eventually ended the life of most all of them, leaving little but ruins in their wake.

Ben Overturff came into the mountains in the early part of the century, building a popular lodge where Twin Springs Canyon enters Sawpit Canyon in a location near Deer Park. He ultimately abandoned the lodge in 1945 due to his declining health. The Forest Service dynamited the lodge in the 1970 to end unauthorized use, but a few remains can still be found in the forest.

Starting from the Entrance Station parking lot, proceed north up the road. Turn right at the first junction, crossing a bridge onto Sawpit Fire Road. The road will ascend steeply at first, then more gradually along the south canyon wall. Be sure to watch out for cars from the Boy Scout inholdings coming down the road.

You will soon reach the top of Sawpit Dam, now decommissioned. An information sign here describes the history of the dam; other signs can be found along the trail and road.

Sawpit Dam

After one and a quarter miles, you’ll reach the junction with the Ben Overturff trail. Taking a left turn here will take you down into the canyon to a beautiful riparian area. Past this point I didn’t explore on this trip, having been advised at the entrance station that the trail hadn’t been cut back for the season, so the rest of this description will follow the road, now dirt, to the final destination.

Along the dirt section of the road

Continue up the road, past the police firing range (the trail may be closed when the range is in use). The road swings in and out of small side canyons, notably Vassar Canyon, which may have a trickle of water, for another two and a half miles, uphill all the way.

Looking down Sawpit Canyon

After about two miles, you’ll reach the Twin Springs Trailhead, where a short spur will take you to Twin Springs and a junction with the Ben Overturff Trail. The springs, with cool clear water and old piping still visible, is a perfect stopover point on the hike.

Twin Springs

Finally, 3.5 miles from your starting point, you’ll reach the Deer Park trailhead, marked with a sign and with a restroom available. A short hike north on the trail from this point will take you to the ruins of the resort, now little more than some crumbling walls, old rusty pipes, and old fences.

Remnants of a wall of the old lodge

Old riveted pipe at the ruins

Pause and wonder at what the area may have been like in its heyday before returning by the same route.

Butterfly near the ruins