About Placerita Canyon Natural Area
Operating Hours Update
Starting March 3, Placerita Canyon Natural Area & Nature Center will have updated operating hours — and we want to make sure you can plan your visit accordingly:
Closed on Mondays — the park entrance will be locked and unavailable to visitors.
Tuesday through Sunday we’ll be open 8:00 AM – 7:30 PM, giving you plenty of daylight to explore everything the canyon has to offer! Our park office will also be available until 7:30 PM if you need any assistance.
Friendly reminder: There is NO parking on Placerita Canyon Rd. Parking enforcement will be actively monitoring the area, so please plan accordingly.
For more information call the park office at 661-259-7721 or send an email to info@placerita.org
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.
The historic “Oak of the Golden Dream” is the site of California’s original gold discovery in 1842.
Another landmark is the Walker Cabin, built by Frank Walker in 1920 for his family.
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.
The park encompasses oak woodland, chaparral, and riparian plant communties on the north side of the San Gabriel Mountains southeast of the City of Santa Clarita. The park not only serves to conserve a slice of the wild environment but also endeavors to educate the public on the value of undisturbed flora and fauna through wild animal presentations, nature hikes, and self-guided educational trails.
Placerita Canyon Natural Area is located at 19152 Placerita Canyon Rd, Newhall, CA, 91321. Click here for a map and directions.
Placerita Canyon Nature Center has accessible parking, restrooms, trails and exhibit areas.
This website is provided by the Placerita Canyon Nature Center Associates, a California Non-Profit Corporation, which is solely responsible for its content, operation and maintenance.
