Sycamore Canyon Preserve
Sycamore Canyon is a 10-acre block of land in the San Rafael Hills, just west of East Chevy Chase Drive, a major street bisecting the San Rafael Hills with almost continuous residential development on both sides. Chevy Chase obstructs wildlife passage through the San Rafaels, and consequently must be surmounted to realize the Hahamongna to Tujunga Wildlife Corridor, the 20 mile network of wildlife corridors connecting islands of open space including the San Rafael Hills, Verdugo Mountains and Griffith Park both to and from the San Gabriel Mountains.
After 10 years of researching and campaigning for Sycamore Canyon, AFC officially acquired the property in June 2024. A few months later we purchased another small parcel just across Chevy Chase, which we call Sycamore East. We’ve gone on to protect a total of four parcels in Sycamore East. Together, these properties in Sycamore Canyon serve as critical wildlife corridors. Animals can now travel unimpeded from the Arroyo Seco to the 2 freeway by way of Cottonwood and Sycamore Canyon.
SYCAMORE CANYON EAST
The Sycamore Canyon Corridor is one of only four apparent wildlife crossings along Chevy Chase. We started our work along Chevy Chase Drive at Sycamore Canyon since it has the best passage, buying our 10-acre Sycamore Canyon Preserve in 2024. Then we purchased small parcels on the other side of Chevy Chase Drive, one in late 2024, two in June 2025, and one in March 2026.
This corridor is a vital travel route for wildlife moving through the San Rafael Hills. Chevy Chase Drive is a major impediment to their movement, but these small parcels connect to our larger Preserve and protect one of the few areas of passage across Chevy Chase. By stitching together these small parcels to our larger 10-acre Preserve, we can recreate connected paths of habitat for wildlife to pass through. Purchasing them ensures homes that would become an obstacle to wildlife movement cannot be built.
To further bolster this CWPA, we’re in active negotiations with six other property owners. We are not only acquiring these properties to secure existing passage: to do our best for wildlife we need to work with the city to make Chevy Chase safer to cross. We will work with neighbors to replace chain link with wildlife-friendly fencing, curtail flood lighting, and restore more habitat.
Habitat & wildlife
Sycamore Canyon is an excellent showcase of the diversity of southern California plant communities. Upon arriving at the preserve, visitors are greeted by a stream bed that emerges from a section of riparian and coast live oak woodland habitat, which sits along the northeast edge of the preserve. Further into the preserve and up the hill, chaparral and coastal sage scrub communities dominate.
Thanks to the efforts of AFC volunteers at BioBlitz events that have been held at Sycamore Canyon, we have observed a variety of animal species living on the preserve. Bird species spotted on the preserve include the red-tailed hawk, Cooper’s hawk, California towhee, hooded oriole, oak titmouse, Anna’s hummingbird, and Western screech-owl, among many others. Reptiles such as the ring-necked snake, Southern alligator lizard, and the San Diego alligator lizard have been observed at Sycamore Canyon. Mammals such as desert cottontail rabbits, bobcats, mule deer, California ground squirrels, and coyotes call the preserve home. AFC staff and volunteers have even observed coyotes exhibiting denning behavior at Sycamore Canyon, with young coyotes captured on the remote wildlife cameras set up on the preserve!
Friends of Sycamore Canyon
Sycamore Canyon is our most recent Preserve – the Friends Group is just getting started! Volunteers meet the 2nd Sunday of each month to remove invasive species, plant native ones, and make the corridor more enticing to wildlife. So far, they’ve helped remove invasive species from the stream and canyon and have improved fire clearance access.
Want to become a Friend of Sycamore? Learn more about our Friends Groups here and reach out to our Program Director Kyle Cavazos to get involved!