Castaic Creek

View of Castaic Lake from the Trailhead

Had a couple hours to kill this morning so I headed out to Castaic Creek. I have been wanting for some time to explore Cienega Canyon. While I did not get to go near as far as I would have liked to (Due to my hiking buddy being chased out by angry bees), too his credit he is allergic to them so I forgave him and the extremely hot temperatures we have been experiencing lately did not help. I did at least get a chance to a scope out the general terrain and now I have a good Idea of the areas I will be focusing on next time I head out there. For the 2 miles I got in there was no water, which is to be expected this time of year. My agenda was mainly to find certain waterfalls that I would go back and visit during the spring. A bonus would be to find any evidence of ancient Indian activity in the area. It's said these hills were once inhabited by the Allikliks a branch of the Shoshonean tribe. There is also a  lot of lore surrounding this place that includes talk of Indian burial grounds, gold mines, spanish gold, and even ghosts. What more could you want. Castaic Creek drains southerly down Cienega Canyon from Liebre mountain along the Sierra Pelona Ridge into lake Castaic. Located right next door is the even more popular Fish Canyon. After the rains this creek flows the better part of the year and has some nice spots for wading and relaxing creekside.

Park Here along the road

To get to the trailhead Exit the 5 Freeway at Templin Hwy and head East or turn right if your travelling North from Santa Clarita. Follow the road until it dead ends at the gate shown in the picture above. PARK HERE. Make sure you display your adventure pass in the car window. If you do not have one you can purchase one at Big 5. Walk through the gate and head downhill on the old Paved road. Shortly you will cross a footbridge. Immediately after crossing the bridge turn left this is your trail up Cienega Canyon.

Turn left after crossing the bridge

The trail is not spectacular but it is followable. A map and compass or GPS is recommended as the trail vanishes at times, especially after creek crossing. It would be very hard to get lost as your heading up a narrow canyon however it does help knowing what side of the creek the trail should be on. There is definitely going to be a degree of bushwhacking and route finding. I found it much easier to at times just head straight up the middle of the creek bed. 

Although the trip was cut short it was still nice to get out. On the plus side I was able to find one of the waterfalls that I came too see. 

A look down the falls

My Next trip out here will warrant further investigation deeper in the canyon. with possible even a stop at the the now old abandoned Knapp Ranch. This ranch is steeped in history, and the previous owner Frank Knapp was one heck of an interesting character. The signal wrote a very descriptive article in 1983 about it's history that you can read HERE. I have also included its location on the map below.

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Rice Canyon

Rice Canyon Meadow

As most of you know I have spent that last month and half cooped up in doors nursing a broken fibula. Facing the prospect of spending another weekend on the couch is out of the question. Too say I'm going a little stir crazy is an understatement. While my leg is definitely not ready for prime time I feel like its good enough to do a little local hike. So with that being said Haylee, Dan, lacy dog and myself are going to do a little exploring in Rice Canyon. This spot is literally ten minutes away from my house and has been on my radar for a long time. Not usually wanting to spend my weekends to close to home is probably why I have not gotten around to hiking it yet, so now is the perfect time to give it a go. Plus I want to test out a few new products, one being the new Ruff wear dog pack I got for Lacy, my new Outdoor Research Gaiters, and a bamboo performance technology shirt made by Tasc clothing company, that I hope to be a good long sleeve summer hiker.

You start this Hike from the East Canyon TrailHead Located at 23801 The Old Rd Newhall Ca 91321

Just south of the more popular Towsley Canyon Trail. East Canyon is part of a major wildlife corridor in Santa Clarita. It's a service road which is still used by Park Rangers, fire trucks and service vehicles. Parking here is on MRCA property and has a 5 dollar fee. Make sure you pay the iron ranger to avoid a nasty ticket. I did notice quite a few cars parked along the old Road which might be the way around paying any parking fees. Dogs are welcomed but must be leashed.

Follow East Canyon Trail for about a half  mile, at the junction stay to the right and merge onto Rice Canyon Trail.

Rice Canyon becomes a single track, hiking only trail. The first mile is a gentle slope through the Canyon with multiple stream crossing's. However this late in July the streams were dried up. This would be a much prettier hike in early spring when water is flowing and the scenery is greener. 

One really nice feature of this hike is the amount of shade the Canyon provides. Definitely a plus in this Brutal summer heat. We left the Trailhead around 7:45am  and by the time we were leaving an hour and a half later it was already 90 degrees outside. 

At just past the 1 mile mark the trail starts to climb. The rest of the Hike is up hill. (not very difficult) Leading you through the grasses and chaparral filled Canyon walls. Here you get some really nice expansive views of the the surrounding Santa Susana mountain range.

This is an out and back the way you came route. So once you reach the ending point at a large Valley Oak  that's your cue to head back. The trail does some branching off at times up toward the top so you might find yourself exploring through little spur trails. Poison Oak was present along the main stem of the trail but easily avoidable if you stay on track and don't venture off trail. The ticks were out in full force, I pulled about 6 of them off Lacy. Wear proper clothing and use repellents. It was really nice to finally get back out there after all my time off. All the gear we tested performed really well so I'm extra happy about that. Our total mileage for the day was 3. I will definitely revisit the area next spring when the creek is flowing. As an alternate you can also Hike for many miles along East Canyon Trail which would have required a left at the junction instead of the right we made. With options to visit O'melveny Park and Weldon Canyon.

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Only a few hundred feet not near as steep as it looks

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Fish Canyon (Castaic)

Spring 2018 lots of water in the creek

Often times when I have nothing to do, instead of watching TV I will randomly open up maps looking for new places to explore. I pay particular attention to less traveled canyon drainages that may have or at one time had water. You would be surprised at the amount of secret hidden places and rich historical sites that these drainages can provide. Finding Fish Canyon trail was one of these times. Granted this is not a very secret place but it is much less crowded than the more popular well know Internet sites, its close to home (basically our backyard) and  has become my wife's favorite local trail. Water here is seasonal but as you can see from the photo above we had plenty of it. Spring and the the cooler months of fall will be the best time to visit. Dogs are welcome as long as they are leashed. 

View of Castaic Lake

To get to the Trailhead from Santa Clarita take the the 5 Freeway North and exit Templin Hwy just above Castaic Lake. Make a right and follow Templin Hwy until the Road Ends and Park Here. Pass the gate and head downhill on the old Paved road. Shortly you will cross a footbridge and around 0.75 miles in you come to a junction. Here you turn left follow the old dirt road and stay left again at the next Y junction leading you into Fish Canyon. 

First Creek crossing near the junction

From here on you follow a well established trail for the next few miles along the Creek through fish Canyon in the Sierra Pelona Mountain Range. Oaks and sycamores provide shade in certain spots and the hiking is very mellow and easy going. The Narrow canyon is very scenic with interesting geology and there are lots of spots off the main trail to access the creek and do a little boulder hopping, exploring and or lounging in the cool clear water. As you can see from the pictures below long ago this was a road which has since been washed out and closed to any automotive traffic.

At around 3 miles in you reach The Abandoned Cienega Car Camp. Closed sometime I believe in the early 80's. While not much is left of this place besides the unmaintained pit toilets the Camp does make a great rest spot or turnaround point for the Day. Cienega is also used as a backpacking location from longer multi day trips. From here round trip back to the car is about 6.4 miles which makes it a good family friendly Hike. If  you're feeling adventurous just a couple miles further north up Fish Canyon you Can Explore the Old Piano Box prospect mine. (I marked it on the map for you below). Named for the Piano that was said to be brought up there by the miners. Also this mine is basically near the entrance to the Amazingly scenic and beautiful Fish Canyon Narrows. With walls towering over a hundred feet its a site to behold. Get out there and go check it out, you won't be disappointed.

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