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OasisSpring2.jpg
Oasis Spring pump house 
Features: Desert views, a spring, cistern and old pumphouse, Big Leaf Maple.

Length: 2 miles (round trip).

Elevation gain/loss: -292'.

Hiking time: 1 hour.

Difficulty: Easy.

Best time of year: Any time except during storms.

Potable water: None.

Access points: Sunrise Highway.

Description: This is a hidden treat of a trail. Below the 26.5 mile marker parking area, join the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) just to the east. Proceed North as the PCT dips into a shallow ravine and, after several hundred yards, joins the road to Oasis Spring. Follow the road through a chaparral forest of mainly mountain mahogany. To the east is a stunning view of Storm Canyon and the desert below. The road soon deteriorates into a path descending in tight switchbacks through dense live oak and bay laurel, ending at an old pumphouse. This was the original water supply for several Laguna camps and cabins, as well as the Forest Service Fire Station. Note the bigleaf maple and grape vines, not usually found here, which were probably planted near the pumphouse caretaker's residence. Note: this trail is not managed as a Forest Service trail. It is not marked or maintained.