Placerita Canyon Nature Center Associates
Placerita Canyon
Welcome to Placerita Canyon Natural Area

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Supervisor Michael Antonovich Cuts Ribbon on June 19, 2009

 

We're Open for Business!

Construction is finally finished on our nature center refurbishment project and our building is now open to the public. Pardon our dust as we settle into our new surroundings.

Parts of the building have been outfitted with temporary displays (museum and classroom) as we begin the process of designing and installing state of the art interpretive center exhibits. It is anticipated that this process will take approximately three years to complete.

During this time we will need to raise a significant amount of funding to accomplish our goals. If you would like to donate to this project, contact This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it for more information.

Use the Following to Check Out What's Happening at Placerita

To get a trail map click here.

To get detailed information about our programs check out the brochures by clicking here.   

To view a slide show of what's blooming around the park click here.

To view a slide show of the animals we present every Saturday click here. 

To view slide shows of Placerita's wild animals click here  or here.

To view our entire collection of Placerita Canyon photos on Flickr click here .  

Like all the mountain areas of Southern California, nature has its risks--rattlesnakes are active March through October, Poison Oak is common, and ticks that cause Lyme Disease are present (click here for more information regarding Lyme Disease. )  So, watch where you are going and please stay on the trails.

All About Placerita Canyon (in 3 paragraphs)

Placerita is a unique 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 in Placerita is our Walker Cabin , built by Frank Walker in 1920 for his family. The Nature Center museum contains exhibits on the natural history of southern California, and there is a small collection of live animals.

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 and chaparral 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 shows, nature hikes and educational trails.

Please feel free to contact the Nature Center at (661) 259-7721, between 9 am and 5 pm, Tuesday through Sunday (the office is closed on Mondays.) Or contact us by email at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it . Placerita Canyon Natural Area is located at 19152 Placerita Canyon Rd, Newhall, CA, 91321. Click here for a map and directions.

 

The Placerita Canyon Nature Center and Natural Area Park are located within the unincorporated area of Los Angeles County in the Supervisorial District of Michael D. Antonovich. The Natural Area is owned by the State of California and operated by the County of Los Angeles, Department of Parks and Recreation, in partnership with the Placerita Canyon Nature Center Associates.

Pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the County of Los Angeles, Department of Parks and Recreation, has designated an ADA Coordinator to carry out this Department’s compliance with the non-discriminatory provisions of the ADA.. For more information you may contact the ADA Coordinator’s Office at TEL 213-738-2970 TDY 213-427-6118 FAX 213-487-0380; Upon 3-day request notice, sign language interpreters and related materials in alternative formats (Braille-transcript, large print, audio-record, video-captioning, live-description) or any other reasonable accommodations are available to the public for County-sponsored activities and events.

 
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Family Nature Walk
July 4, 2009 (11:00 am - 12:00 pm)
An easy, 1-hour walk exploring the area’s natural and cultural history. Every Saturday from 11 to noon.

Animal Presentation
July 4, 2009 (1:00 pm - 2:00 pm)
See, learn and ask questions about live native animals of the area. Every Saturday from 1 to 2 pm.

Nature Center Building Closed
July 6, 2009 ()
The Nature Center Building is closed every Monday.

Family Nature Walk
July 11, 2009 (11:00 am - 12:00 pm)
An easy, 1-hour walk exploring the area’s natural and cultural history. Every Saturday from 11 to noon.

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Newhall, CA
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