Just outside Santa Clarita city limits and a short drive from Old Town Newhall, visitors can experience the beauty of nature and appreciate the biodiversity just minutes away from the city.
The Placerita Canyon State Park and Nature Center offers scenic views, a chance to witness hummingbirds and other wildlife in their natural habitat, and a way for visitors to learn more about the outdoors.
Located on the northwestern side of the San Gabriel Mountains and surrounded by Angeles National Forest, the Placerita Canyon State Park has a total of seven hiking trails and 330 acres of terrain all around.
Surrounded by trees, wildflowers, and the Placerita Canyon Creek, visitors will forget they’re just a couple of minutes away from the city and they can find fun in almost anything the park has to offer.
Those who visit the Placerita Canyon Nature Center can learn about birds, snakes, and other animals in the museum, operated in partnership with California State Parks.
When walking through the main entrance of the nature center, visitors will see aviaries and inside them will be different species of birds.
These birds along with the other animals have been determined to be non-releasable due to their inability to care for themselves and low chances of survival in the wild. The nature center gives the animals a second chance to live out their lives while also being animal “ambassadors” to educate the public.
Admission is free to the park and nature center, and hiking trails are available for all family members, including furry ones, but they must remain on a leash. Some hiking trails have different levels of intensity but even if visitors cannot hike the tougher trails, they will still be able to find something unique.
If visitors are quiet and patient, they can witness hummingbirds flying around and quenching their thirst in the hummingbird garden. People can learn about the historical significance of the land, have a picnic near the amphitheater and indulge in the earthy scent of the oakwood trees.
The park’s volunteers, also known as docents, proudly teach visitors about nature and wildlife, and dedicate their time to further improving the experience.
Regional Park Superintendent Russell Kimura is a retired California state park ranger and now focuses on managing operations and maintenance, and has 41 years of experience in upper management for parks.
With a long career of working at various state parks across Southern California, he said the dedication of volunteers he’s witnessed at Placerita Canyon is like no other.
“This is the very best nonprofit that I have ever worked with. It’s a total reflection of the community,” said Kimura. A lot of the center’s volunteers are made up of retired professionals, most of them retired teachers. “They have time on their hands, and they have a love of working with the public, giving out information, so this is a perfect place for them.”
Docents can teach park visitors about the three biomes, or habitats, found in the park. The biomes of the part are the riparian area along Placerita Creek, the hillside chaparral, and the oak woodland found in the picnic area, said Kimura.
The best seasons to visit are during the spring and fall seasons. The best hiking trail, according to Kimura, is the Canyon Trail due to how leveled it is and the fact that it is easy enough for children and seniors — the park’s No. 1 hiker population. The hiking trail also follows Placerita Creek, which adds to the scenic views, and most of the 2-mile hike is almost fully shaded, said Kimura.
However, after recent rainfall, the trail is closed indefinitely. “L.A. Conservation Corps, they’ve been out here for months working on the Canyon Trail, trying to restore it back so it’s public-safe,” said Kimura. With the rainfall, the creek begins to overflow, and the trail becomes flooded. Once the trail dries up, park rangers witness a lot of erosion that becomes unsafe.
The Canyon Trail is the only one open to hikers, mountain bike riders and equestrians, therefore Placerita Canyon staff is working hard with other agencies to safely reopen it, said Kimura.
The Placerita Canyon State Park and Nature Center also offers school tour programs that include a live bird presentation, museum visits and guided park tours by docents.
“We do more school tours than any other park in L.A. County Parks,” said Kimura. “Kids are like glued to the windows because they can’t believe they see a hawk or an owl, out in the open and no fencing or anything, it’s just on the guy’s gloves. They learn a little bit about the food chain … and all the animal life.”
To learn more about Placerita Canyon Park and Nature Center, visit parks.lacounty.gov/placerita-canyon-state-park.
