Deer Creek (Santa Clara County, California) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Deer Creek
Deer Creek at La Barranca Road, Los Altos Hills
Other name(s)	Purisima Creek on some maps
Country	United States
State	California
Region	Santa Clara County
Physical characteristics
Main source	Foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains Los Altos Hills, California 128 ft (39 m) 37°21′46″N 122°08′59″W / 37.36278°N 122.14972°W / 37.36278; -122.14972
River mouth	Matadero Creek Palo Alto, California 0 ft (0 m) 37°24′16″N 122°09′08″W / 37.40444°N 122.15222°W / 37.40444; -122.15222

Deer Creek is a small stream, a right tributary of Matadero Creek, originating in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains in Santa Clara County, California, United States. From its source in Los Altos Hills, the creek flows in a northerly direction for 2.5 miles (4 km)to join Matadero Creek in Palo Alto.

Deer Creek begins at elevation 680 feet just north of Altamount Road and west of Taafe Road in Los Altos Hills, then flows northerly passing under Interstate 280 at the La Barranca Road underpass, where it turns west and parallels Purissima Road, crosses Arastradero Road and Deer Creek Road, before joining the Matadero Creek mainstem just south of Foothill Expressway and east of Page Mill Road. Deer Creek has also been labelled as Purisima Creek on some maps.

Deer Creek bridge crossing on the main stem (according to where GNIS shows the source)

Deer Creek approaching its confluence with Matadero Creek near Foothill Expressway in Palo Alto

Deer Creek just east of Arastradero Road runs in a concrete trapezoidal channel along I280

A bridge across a branch of Deer Creek near its source in Los Altos Hills. Here the pathway down from Taafe Road, which crosses the other branch behind here, crosses to the Broken House Path.