The Shocking Beauty That Hides in Placerita Canyon

Nestled deep inside the Santa Clarita Valley lies a magical place I'm embarrassed to admit I've just discovered. A pioneer trail, where cowboys once rode. A place called Placerita Canyon. After a recent family tragedy, I found myself stranded in (what Angelenos may call the boones) Valencia with nowhere to go and nothing to do so I dragged my parents off their comfy couch to wander the mountains with me.

What I found there was breathtaking. Lush greenery, rolling streams and trees that nearly kissed the sky. Who knew such a snooze of a town could hold such untouched beauty. We hiked the 3.5 miles to the waterfall, which was unfortunately a bit of a bust, but the hours spent admiring our surroundings in their purest form with the parentals was nothing short of a majestic day.

For those of you looking to dust off those cowboy boots and explore a new (or rather old) frontier, try this hike:

Placerita Canyon Waterfall Hike

To get to the trailhead: Drive up the 5 Freeway to Newhall Pass and take exit 162 for Route 14. Drive 2.6 miles north on Route 14 and take exit 3 for Placerita Canyon Road. Turn right at the bottom of the ramp and drive 1.5 miles to the entrance of Placerita Canyon Natural Area, which will be on your right. Pull into the park and make your way to the trailhead next to the nature center.

Trailhead address: 19152 Placerita Canyon Road, Newhall, CA 91321 Trailhead coordinates: 34.377866, -118.467618 (34° 22′ 40.31″N 118° 28′ 03.42″W)