Little Santa Anita Canyon lies in the southern San Gabriel Mountains of California within Angeles National Forest, extending south from Mount Wilson to the town of Sierra Madre. Little Santa Anita Creek runs through the canyon and is held back by Sierra Madre Dam. On the canyon’s western side, the Mount Wilson Trail rises toward the summit of Mount Wilson, beginning in Sierra Madre. The canyon is significant as a mountain corridor linking Mount Wilson, Sierra Madre, the creek, dam, and a well-known trail route.