Robinson Canyon Road branches off right (south) from Carmel Valley Road at 6.9 miles inland from Highway 1, just past the Mid-Valley Shopping Center. It first goes through suburbs but then narrows, crosses a narrow bridge, and is thereafter divided into three Hotspots: Robinson Canyon (from milepost 8.5 to about milepost 5 at a summit), middle (San Francisquito Valley and Reservoir between milepost 5 to milepost 2), and then upper (redwood and higher elevation to White Rock gate).

This Hotspot is 3 miles of Robinson Canyon Road that runs through the Rancho San Carlos development. As in all the Hotspots, access is only for roadside birding as both sides are privately-owned. The habitat in this "hanging valley" is oak savanna with willow riparian thickets at along creeks. There are ponds on private land that sometimes host breeding Tricolored Blackbird, and sometimes foraging adults can be seen in the roadside grasslands. As you drop down from the summit into the valley, San Fransiquito Reservoir will appear on your right, and you'll cross a one-way bridge over Las Garzas Creek, whch is the outflow from the reservoir.

Since all the Hotspot that is typically available to the public is just Robinson Canyon Road, its borders are the watershed summit (about mile-post 5, near gated Penon Peak Trail paved road), at the west end, and milepost 2, where gated and paved San Clemente Trail (road) goes off to the left, at the east end.

In winter and migration, San Fransiquito Reservoir may have a variety of ducks and waterfowl, and has had an occasional vagrant loon or other rarity. Summer breeders in the oak savanna include Western Bluebird, Acorn and Nuttall's Woodpecker, Oak Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, and sometimes Lark Sparrow [years ago there were Yellow-billed Magpies in this valley, but that population is now extirpated]. In some years, Grasshopper Sparrow breeds near roadside in short-grass fields. Willow thickets may have breeding Warbling Vireo, Wilson's Warbler, and (rarely) MacGillivray's Warbler. Watch for raptors.

Robinson Canyon Road is mile-posted from top (at private White Rock development) to the bottom (at Carmel Valley Road). Birders will generally be birding "up the road" so the mile-posts will be counting backwards as one ascends paved Robinson Canyon Road. After one crosses the watershed summit (at about mile-post 5, where paved but gated "Penon Peak Trail" goes north), one drops down into a wide "hanging valley," most of which is private-owned Rancho San Carlos. All the access roads into Rancho San Carlos will be paved but gated. Birders must remain on the public Robinson Canyon Road. Robinson Canyon Road is rather narrow, and residents sometimes drive it too fast, so be cautious, and pull off the roadway if you wish to walk through the roadside habitat.