Phone +1 661-259-7721 | Established 1950 | |
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Location Los Angeles County, California, USA Governing body California Department of Parks and Recreation Address Angeles National Forest - San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, 19152 Placerita Canyon Rd, Newhall, CA 91321, USA Hours Closed today MondayClosedTuesday9AM–5PMWednesday9AM–5PMThursday9AM–5PMFriday9AM–5PMSaturday9AM–5PMSunday9AM–5PMSuggest an edit Management California Department of Parks and Recreation Similar St Francis Dam, Vasquez Rocks, Henry Mayo Newhall, Rancho Camulos, Rio de Los Angeles State Park Profiles | ||
Placerita canyon state park
Placerita Canyon State Park is a California State Park in the San Gabriel Mountains, in an unincorporated rural area of Los Angeles County, north of Los Angeles near Santa Clarita, California.
Contents
Placerita canyon state park and nature center waterfall trail the waterfall
Cultural HistoryEdit
The area of Placerita Canyon was at one time occupied by the Tataviam Native American people and was included in the 1842 Mexican land grant issued for Rancho San Francisco. The park preserves the site of the first documented discovery of gold in California where in 1842, Francisco Lopez found gold flakes on wild onion roots under the "Oak of the Golden Dream".
The park is near several movie ranches, all historic and active, including the Monogram Movie Ranch—Melody Ranch and the Disney—Golden Oak Ranch.
Natural historyEdit
Located in the transition zone between the San Gabriel Mountains' California chaparral and woodlands Ecosystem, and the Mojave's Deserts and xeric shrublands Biome in the California Floristic Province, the Placerita Canyon Flora is complex. Placerita Canyon State Park is in the east-west trending Placerita Canyon on the Placerita Fault and contains sandstone and metamorphic formations, and seasonal streams. Chaparral, Riparian, and Coast Live Oak woodland plant communities are represented, including willows, cottonwoods and native California Sycamore trees.
The park is also notable for a seepage of 'white' oil - unknown anywhere else in the world. This late 19th century discovery of oil surprised the prospectors because it is naturally filtered so that it is not black but transparent. A small pool of it continues to be active by the trailside leading up from the nature center to the Walker Ranch.
The ParkEdit
Placerita Canyon State Park is located at 19152 Placerita Canyon Road, Santa Clarita, California. The Park contains a nature center and museum, the Walker Cabin (a restored and furnished cabin of the 1920s, lived in at times by the Walker family and their twelve children), and hiking and nature trails.
Placerita Canyon State Park is currently managed by the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation.