Taking advantage of the beautiful Santa Clarita Valley nature reserves and parks is what can make the valley such a special place and one of the oldest in the area is the Placerita Canyon Nature Center which is a network of self-guiding nature, history and hiking trails radiates out into the park from the Center, with longer hikes leading to a seasonal waterfall and to the top of the Santa Clarita Divide. Picnicking is available near the Nature Center. Full of history and beauty the Placerita Canyon reserve is a great way to spend any day outdoors in the Santa Clarita Valley.
Nature Reserve Santa Clarita
One of the most amazing and unique sites in the Santa Clarita Valley is the “Oak of the Golden Dream” the site where gold was for the first time ever officially discovered in California. In 1842 while herding cattle in the Placerita area a man by the name of Francisco Lopez took a short nap under a tree, dreamed he was floating in a river of gold, then awoke went to dig for some wild onions and discovered gold. What makes this finding unique is afterwards when Lopez petitioned the then Mexican government for permission to mine on the site created the first ever documented discovered of gold in California and twenty years later the great gold rush would occur changing the state forever. The Placerita Canyon Nature Center works to preserve and protect this tree of legend today.
A great place to spend the day outdoors Placerita Canyon has seven different hiking trails that cover twelve miles with beginner and advanced difficulty trails. The Placerita Canyon Nature Center can provide you with maps and directions on how to safely complete the trails in the park as well as offer environmental education programs to help keep you informed on what you will be coming into contact with on the trail as well as hosting family nature walks.
Santa Clarita Hiking
Placerita is an east-west running canyon featuring cool, shaded oak groves, a willow and sycamore-lined seasonal stream and numerous other interesting plant and animal communities.
Contact Placerita Canyon Nature Center:
19152 Placerita Canyon Rd,
Newhall, CA, 91321
Call: (661) 259-7721
Visit Their Website: Click Here
