Hiking at Vasquez Rocks
Table of Contents
You’ve already been to Vasquez Rocks. You just don’t know it yet.
Vasquez Rocks is not one, but many places. It can be the Old West, or an Alien Planet. Sometimes, it is a car commercial.
Discounting the Grand Canyon, perhaps no other collection of rocks is quite as well known as those at Vasquez. It has been filmed and photographed countless times. Images of it’s distinctly tilted sandstone formations have been broadcast to millions of people.
But Vasquez is more than just a movie set. Situated in the mountains north of Los Angeles, Vasquez Rocks is a beautiful place to visit. Geology, history, and wildlife mix to form a unique spot in Southern California, hosting some of the best hiking near Santa Clarita.
Related: The 9 Best Hiking Trails in Santa Clarita
Stats
Trails?: A few miles worth, both foot and horse. Vasquez is also bisected by a small section of the Pacific Crest Trail.
Distance: 2-3 Miles, depending on which trails you choose.
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Entrance Fee?: Nope! The park is free to enter.
Dogs Allowed?: Yes! Keep em’ on a leash.
Bathrooms?: There are Porta Potties at the main parking lot.
Water?: Drinking water is available for refilling water bottles in the Visitor’s center.
Extraterrestrials?: No. Just actors wearing rubber suits.
The Trails
Hiking Trails run throughout Vasquez Rocks. A short hiking loop, a horse trail, and a geology walk are available for exploring. A small section of the Pacific Crest Trail runs through the park, regularly marked by signage.
In my opinion, The Pacific Crest Trail is the best hiking path at Vasquez. From the visitors center, you can hike all the way to where the trail passes under Highway 14.
You’ll pass by the famous rock formations, and down into a canyon ruled by a Riparian Habitat. If it’s been a ‘Wet Year’ for California, there might be a stream flow in the canyon.
The main loop trail takes visitors from the central formation south towards Highway 14. You pass through some drainages before turning up a hill, and back north towards the visitors center. It’s a nice little hike with some good views.
Free maps are available at the interpretive center, where you can learn more about hiking, wildlife, geology, and history.
Though, the real fun comes from scrambling all over the rocks, of course.
Rock Scrambling
No visit to Vasquez Rocks would be complete without an adventurous scramble up the main formations.
Over the years, I’ve visited Vasquez Rocks many times. We’d often stop by after grabbing breakfast at the nearby Halfway House Cafe. Bellyful of pancakes, I’d make the scramble up ‘Pride Rock’.
As a toddler, I remember the rocks being a lot larger. Nevertheless, I was able to make it up. For any parents with small children that may be reading this, Vasquez Rocks is indeed family friendly. Just keep a close eye on your tykes around cliffs.
There’s so many fun nooks and crannies to explore. Put on some sturdy shoes, and start climbing!
Vasquez Rocks- History
What do Bandits, Miners, California indigenous groups, and William Shatner all have in common? For one, Vasquez Rocks! Throughout the centuries, the rocks have served many different groups of people in many different ways.
Prehistory, and the Tataviam
The earliest inhabitants of Southern California made good use of Vasquez Rocks. Nourished by a nearby spring, the land here could support Indigenous people on a more permanent basis. Think less nomadic hunting and gathering, and more homemaking.
Numerous Indigenous tools have been recovered from archaeological sites within Vasquez Rocks. Metates, axe heads, blades, and grinding stones, on display at the Visitor’s center, can give researchers many clues about early Native American life in the Southwest. Obsidian tools, for example, suggest trade with other groups living out in the Mojave.
Human activity in Vasquez rocks dates back 4300 years-roughly the same time that the Egyptian Pyramids were being constructed. People lived in the shelter created by the tilted rocks, where ancient pictographs can still be found.
Starting sometime around 450 CE, the Tataviam moved into the Santa Clarita Valley. The Tataviam lived in various villages, including one at Vasquez Rocks. Known to the Tataviam as ‘Mapipinga’, they sustained themselves off of Yucca, Juniper, and Sage.
Presently, members of the ‘Tataviam Band of Mission Indians’ still reside in Santa Clarita, and the San Fernando Valley. You can read more about the Tataviam at their Tribal Website.
Tiburcio Vasquez-Bloodthirsty Banditry
Vasquez Rocks derives it name from Tiburcio Vasquez-a Thief, Murderer, and Bank Robber, who with his gang, terrorized old California. Throughout his 20 year reign, Tiburcio used Vasquez Rocks as an intermittent hideout.
Tiburcio Vasquez was, purportedly, was one of the real life inspirations for the character of Zorro. Crooked campaigns were launched from these rock formations, then a remote mountain refuge far out of the reach of law enforcement.
The story of Vasquez and his gang are the makings of classic western adventure stories. Appropriately, many westerns have been filmed at Vasquez Rocks over the years, some perhaps inspired by Tiburcio’s exploits.
Hollywood Backdrop
Countless Hollywood productions have been filmed at Vasquez rocks. Film history here stretches back decades to the earliest days of Hollywood. So many film, television, music videos, and commercials have been created at Vasquez Rocks, that I doubt that even the IMDB List can account for them all.
Filming occurs nearly every day at Vasquez Rocks. When I visited in early October, a production had set up shop near the main formation-catering and all.
Vasquez Rocks is basically a film studio. It has transcended itself-from hiking area, to film set. According to legend, ‘Pride Rock’ from the Lion King was inspired by the rock formations here.
So many classic, silver screen moments have been made possible by Vasquez Rocks. Who can forget Captain Kirk vs. The Gorn? What about The Flintstones: Viva Rock Vegas? Hiking at Vasquez Rocks is like talking a nature walk back into movie history.
Geology
The Geology of Vasquez Rocks details a small, but crucial part of the narrative of Californian Deep Time.
To keep it short: This is Sedimentary Rock, formed by the natural weathering of the nearby Sierra Pelona, and San Gabriel Mountain Ranges. Water and wind caused rock chunks, ranging in size from boulders to fine sand grains, to collect in a basin.
These sediment accumulations began more than 30 million years ago. As time went on, the sheer weight of itself caused these sediment to be pressed down into solid sandstone.
All things being equal, these sandstone beds might have remained flat and boring. But, this is California, and in California, the earth is bending and tearing itself along seismic faults.
Vasquez hosts one such fault, and its slow, but constant movement caused to sandstone to be uplifted to it’s present, pointy shape. They now tilt to the northwest, pointing to somewhere near Las Vegas.
This physical action persists to this day, albeit very slowly. Give it enough time, and the Vasquez formations may one day stand dead vertical.
But thankfully, the present form of Vasquez allows us to scramble, hike, and film car commercials to our hearts desire.
To learn more about Vasquez’s unique geology, grab a brochure from the interpretive center. Walking along the trail, marked signs corresponding to the items in the brochure will give you up close examples of geological phenomenon.
Climbing
With such prominent rock formations, you’d think that Vasquez would host good rock climbing. At present, though, the climbing is scant. Plenty of fun scrambling can be had, but 5th class, technical routes are few and far between.
Evidently, the park prohibits the use of any fixed gear on the rocks- bolts, pitons or otherwise, but that didn’t stop some people from driving in anchors. Rusted out metal placements can be found near the top of the main formation. Looking closer, you might some tattered webbing here and there.
Bouldering opportunities were not in short supply, fortunately. A fun dyno problem sits right at the southern edge of the main parking lot. Looking around, all of the solution pockets start to become really appealing. Throughout the park, numerous pockets, cracks, and caves might hold future potential.
My advice: Don’t come to Vasquez Rocks for the Climbing. Roped climbing here is discouraged by the park, and the rock is pretty chossy anyways.
For better, but equally chossy climbing, head to Texas Canyon, located just ten minutes away. At Texas Canyon, you’ll find some decent sport climbs spanning the whole grade spectrum, and there won’t be a film production to get in your way!
TL;DR-Why You Should Visit Vasquez Rocks
Here are some good reasons to visit Vasquez Rocks:
- The Beauty: The high desert environment, unique rock formations, and biodiversity combine to make Vasquez incredibly picturesque.
- The History: The cultural history of Vasquez Rocks spans thousands of years. Come here to experience early Indigenous culture, outlaw exploits of Alta California, and classic Hollywood cinema scenery.
- The Scrambling: Vasquez Rocks has the best rock scrambling in LA county. You can scoot up to the top of big rocks, squeeze into chasms, and hop around on boulders. It’s ton of fun.
- You’re Thru-Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail: You have no choice, thru-hikers. Might as well stop here before reaching Hiker Heaven. You might end up as an extra in a movie shoot.
Get The Best Gear
Need Gear? I know just what you need. Check out my list of curated, trail tested hiking gear. This is the good stuff, designed to keep you happy, safe, and looking good out on the trail.
- The Best Campsites Around Big Bear California - February 26, 2021
- Hiking to the Hollywood Sign Via the Brush Canyon Trail - July 13, 2020
- Dirt Cheap Hiking and Backpacking Gear: The Most Affordable Gear on the Internet - July 4, 2020