Vasquez Rocks: Where Nature and Hollywood Collide on the Hiking Trails

May 19

Vasquez Rocks is a hidden gem located just outside Los Angeles with distinctive rock formations and scenic landscapes. Over the years it’s been a versatile filming location, featured in iconic productions such as Star Trek, The Flintstones, Blazing Saddles, and Westworld, adding unique and visually captivating settings to these movies and TV shows. In this blog post, I’ll give you the info you need to hike the Vasquez Rocks 2.7 mile loop trail.

If you’re looking for some good books for hiking or nature in Los Angeles, try Wild LA: Explore the Amazing Nature in and Around Los Angeles (Amazon) or Best Hikes Los Angeles: The Greatest Trails in the LA Mountains, Beaches, and Canyons (Amazon).

Hiking Info: Vasquez Rocks Trail

Trailhead location: 10700 Escondido Canyon Rd, Santa Clarita, CA 91390
2.7 Mile Loop Trail
Rated: Moderate
Elevation change: 311 ft
Admission: Free
Parking: Free parking lot
Bathrooms: There are bathrooms at the trailhead and a visitor center
Leashed dogs are allowed

The Trail

As you embark on the Vasquez Rocks Trail, prepare to be awe-struck by the incredible sandstone formations. These iconic rocks, towering above the landscape, were formed millions of years ago through intense tectonic activity.

One of the highlights of hiking Vasquez Rocks is the unparalleled panoramic views that greet you along the way. Keep your camera handy, as you'll encounter several picture-perfect spots to capture the rugged beauty of the rock formations against the backdrop of rolling hills.

There are so many interesting rock formations in this area like the one below.

The Pacific Crest Trail runs through this region, and you can a short detour from the loop trail to walk along it. This will add another half mile to your hike.

There’s a small creek that flows through this part of the trail with lots of tadpoles.

When you get to the tunnel that goes under the 14 freeway, you can turn back around to head back to the loop trail.

Towards the end of the loop you’ll see the rocks formations that are in Star Trek, Austin Powers and more Hollywood films and TV shows.

About 25 million years ago, these cool rock formations were created when things got all jumbled up due to super fast erosion during some serious uplift action. And then, to make things even more interesting, along came the San Andreas Fault, lifting these formations up and exposing them for us to admire.