Placerita Canyon State Park
Encyclopedia
Placerita Canyon State Park is a California State Park
in the San Gabriel Mountains
, in an unincorporated rural area of Los Angeles County, north of Los Angeles
near Santa Clarita, California
.
Native American
people and was part included in the 1842 Mexican land grant
was issued for Rancho San Francisco
. The park preserves the site of the first documented discovery of gold in California, in 1842, in wild onion roots pulled from under the "Oak of the Golden Dream".
The canyon is home to several movie ranch
es, all historic and active now: the Monogram Movie Ranch—Melody Ranch and the Disney—Golden Oak Ranch
.
' California chaparral and woodlands
Ecosystem
, and the Mojave
's Deserts and xeric shrublands
Biome
in the California Floristic Province
, the Placerita Canyon Flora is complex. Placerita Canyon State Park is in the east-west trending Placerita Canyon, containing sandstone formations, seasonal streams and riparian
Coast live oak woodlands
, along with willow
s, cottonwoods and native California sycamore trees.
Placerita Canyon State Park is currently managed by the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation.
California Department of Parks and Recreation
The California Department of Parks and Recreation, also known as California State Parks, manages the California state parks system. The system administers 278 parks and 1.4 million acres , with over of coastline; of lake and river frontage; nearly 15,000 campsites; and of hiking, biking, and...
in the San Gabriel Mountains
San Gabriel Mountains
The San Gabriel Mountains Range is located in northern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California, United States. The mountain range lies between the Los Angeles Basin and the Mojave Desert, with Interstate 5 to the west and Interstate 15 to the east...
, in an unincorporated rural area of Los Angeles County, north of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
near Santa Clarita, California
Santa Clarita, California
Santa Clarita is the fourth largest city in Los Angeles County, California, United States and the twenty-fourth largest city in the state of California. The 2010 US Census reported the city's population grew 16.7% from the year 2000 to 176,320 residents. It is located about northwest of downtown...
.
Cultural History
Placerita Canyon was occupied by the TataviamTataviam
The Tataviam , were called the Alliklik by their neighbors the Chumash , are a Native American group in southern California...
Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
people and was part included in the 1842 Mexican land grant
Rancho
Rancho may refer to:*Alta California land grants in the 19th century; see Ranchos of California*Rancho High School, a North Las Vegas high school*Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center**Rancho Los Amigos Scale...
was issued for Rancho San Francisco
Rancho San Francisco
Rancho San Francisco was a land grant in present day northwestern Los Angeles County and eastern Ventura County, California. It was of by Governor Juan B. Alvarado to Antonio del Valle, a Spanish army officer, in recognition for his service to the state of Alta California...
. The park preserves the site of the first documented discovery of gold in California, in 1842, in wild onion roots pulled from under the "Oak of the Golden Dream".
The canyon is home to several movie ranch
Movie ranch
A movie ranch is a ranch that is at least partially dedicated to being used as a site for the creation and production of motion pictures, and television productions...
es, all historic and active now: the Monogram Movie Ranch—Melody Ranch and the Disney—Golden Oak Ranch
Golden Oak Ranch
The Walt Disney Company’s Golden Oak Ranch is a movie ranch that serves as an interior and exterior filming location. The ranch is off of Placerita Canyon Road in Canyon Country, California, less than an hour north of Los Angeles; its entrance is about from Placerita Canyon Road's intersection...
.
- The "Oak of the Golden Dream" is California Historical LandmarkCalifornia Historical LandmarkCalifornia Historical Landmarks are buildings, structures, sites, or places in the state of California that have been determined to have statewide historical significance by meeting at least one of the criteria listed below:...
#168.
Natural history
Located in the transition zone between the San Gabriel MountainsSan Gabriel Mountains
The San Gabriel Mountains Range is located in northern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California, United States. The mountain range lies between the Los Angeles Basin and the Mojave Desert, with Interstate 5 to the west and Interstate 15 to the east...
' California chaparral and woodlands
California chaparral and woodlands
The California chaparral and woodlands is a terrestrial ecoregion of lower northern, central, and southern California and northwestern Baja California , located on the west coast of North America...
Ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
, and the Mojave
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
's Deserts and xeric shrublands
Deserts and xeric shrublands
Deserts and xeric shrublands is a biome characterized by, relating to, or requiring only a small amount of moisture.-Definition and occurrence:...
Biome
Biome
Biomes are climatically and geographically defined as similar climatic conditions on the Earth, such as communities of plants, animals, and soil organisms, and are often referred to as ecosystems. Some parts of the earth have more or less the same kind of abiotic and biotic factors spread over a...
in the California Floristic Province
California Floristic Province
The California Floristic Province is a floristic province with a Mediterranean climate located on the Pacific Coast of North America with a distinctive flora that bears similarities to floras found in other regions experiencing a winter rainfall, summer drought climate like the Mediterranean...
, the Placerita Canyon Flora is complex. Placerita Canyon State Park is in the east-west trending Placerita Canyon, containing sandstone formations, seasonal streams and riparian
Riparian zone
A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the fifteen terrestrial biomes of the earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks are called riparian vegetation, characterized by...
Coast live oak woodlands
California oak woodland
California oak woodland is a plant community found throughout the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion of California in the United States and northwestern Baja California in Mexico...
, along with willow
Willow
Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
s, cottonwoods and native California sycamore trees.
The Park
Placerita Canyon State Park is located at 19152 Placerita Canyon Road, Santa Clarita, California. The Park contains a Nature Center, the Walker Cabin (a restored and furnished cabin of the 1920s), and hiking and nature trails.Placerita Canyon State Park is currently managed by the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation.
See also
- Rancho San FranciscoRancho San FranciscoRancho San Francisco was a land grant in present day northwestern Los Angeles County and eastern Ventura County, California. It was of by Governor Juan B. Alvarado to Antonio del Valle, a Spanish army officer, in recognition for his service to the state of Alta California...
- Disney—Golden Oak RanchGolden Oak RanchThe Walt Disney Company’s Golden Oak Ranch is a movie ranch that serves as an interior and exterior filming location. The ranch is off of Placerita Canyon Road in Canyon Country, California, less than an hour north of Los Angeles; its entrance is about from Placerita Canyon Road's intersection...
- Monogram Movie Ranch—Melody Ranch
- California Floristic ProvinceCalifornia Floristic ProvinceThe California Floristic Province is a floristic province with a Mediterranean climate located on the Pacific Coast of North America with a distinctive flora that bears similarities to floras found in other regions experiencing a winter rainfall, summer drought climate like the Mediterranean...
- Native American history of California