News release
Visitors to Vasquez Rocks Natural Area are now able to better navigate their hikes and learn more about the park’s cultural, natural, indigenous and historic features with the debut of a new signage program that includes improvements to trail maps and signs, brochures, and virtual elements, according to a news release from L.A. County.
The Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation Department has been developing an extensive new branding and signage program for its natural areas, and Vasquez Rocks, near Agua Dulce, is the first park to debut this project. Two other parks – Eaton Canyon and San Dimas Canyon Natural Areas – will soon unveil their new signage.
“We are thrilled that this improved system of trail signs, kiosks, brochures and online QR code links will greatly enhance the natural area experience for all our visitors both for safety and education,” Norma E. García-González, director of the county Parks and Recreation Department, said in the release. “The new wayfinding system of welcome kiosks, trailhead kiosks and trail intersection maps give people more tools to navigate this large park. And the interpretative signs open a window of knowledge about animal and plant species, local Native American culture, geology, history and much more.”
“These natural areas are some of Los Angeles County’s most treasured and visited destinations, so I wholeheartedly support these beautifully designed signage projects that will elevate our parks to a new standard of excellence,” L.A. County 5th District Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the Santa Clarita Valley, said in the release. “Our natural areas and nature centers attract millions of local and international visitors yearly. We want to make sure they safely travel along trails and can access more in-depth digital content about our indigenous tribes, historic figures and the beautiful flora and fauna. These signs will go a long way in making that happen.”
Another user-friendly feature in the signage are translations – in Spanish, Chinese and Korean – for some of the interpretative trail signs, said García-González. Visitors who wish to access those written language translations will scan a brochure QR code with their cell phones that will link them to the translated pages.
The brochure QR codes will also link visitors to English language interpretative information. All of these pages – reaching visitors in their preferred language – provide a richer Natural Area experience with information on trail signs, in the brochure, and digitally via QR code to webpages, the release said, adding that many of the pages also include stunning nature photography and imaginative illustrations and graphics.