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Vasquez Rocks

February 16, 2024

Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park is a 932-acre (377-hectare) park located in the Sierra Pelona in northern Los Angeles County, California. It is known for its rock formations, the result of sedimentary layering and later seismic uplift. It is located near the town of Agua Dulce, between the cities of Santa Clarita and Palmdale. The area is visible from the Antelope Valley Freeway (State Route 14). Its location approximately 25 miles (40 km) from downtown Los Angeles places it within Hollywood's "studio zone" and makes it a popular filming location for films and television programs.

Vasquez Rocks
Vasquez Rocks
Location10700 Escondido Canyon Road
Agua Dulce, California 91390
NRHP reference No.72000228
Added to NRHPJune 22, 1972

History edit

These rock formations were formed by rapid erosion during uplift about 25 million years ago, and then later exposed by uplift activity along the San Andreas Fault.[1][2]

The Tataviam people were living here when the Spanish arrived and still live in the region, with a modern tribal government. The village of Mapipinga was located here.[3] Their language was most likely a Takic Uto-Aztecan language. They lived in grass huts within villages. With the coming of the Spanish missions, some of these people were forced to work there. They eventually began speaking Spanish and inter-marrying with other tribes.

In 1874, Tiburcio Vásquez, one of California's most notorious Mexican bandidos, used these rocks to elude capture by law enforcement. His name has since been associated with this geologic feature.[4]

The land and rock formations were acquired gradually by Los Angeles County, beginning with a donation of 40 acres in 1971, with more parcels being added through 2001.[5] The Pacific Crest Trail crosses through the park.

Vasquez Rocks was added to the National Register of Historic Places (site #72000228) in 1972 because of its significance as a prehistoric site for the Shoshone and Tataviam peoples.[6]

Formation edit

Literature reviews have dated the earliest sedimentation of the Vasquez Formation occurring between the later portion of the Oligocene Epoch to the lower Miocene Epoch, each respectively 33.9-23 million years ago and 23.03-5.3 million years ago.[7][8][9]

The Vasquez Formation is located just east of the city of Santa Clarita, Los Angeles County, California, USA. It resides within the Soledad Basin, an orthogonal rift between the Sierra Pelona Mountains to the northwest and the San Gabriel Mountains to the east, which are both within the province of the Transverse Mountain Range of Southern California.[9] The San Andreas Fault runs parallel behind the Sierra Pelona Mountains and separates the formation from the North American Plate.

The Vasquez Formation consists of alluvial sediments that eroded from the Sierra Pelona and San Gabriel Mountains and were deposited in alluvial fans on both sides of the Soledad Basin.[10] Erosion of the sediment included processes like rain, floods, wind, and earthquakes.[10] Over the course of millions of years, the sediment was laid down under alternating lacustrine and fluviatile conditions.[11] Once laid flat across the basin floor, immense pressure converted the layers into sandstone, which became covered with younger sediment deposits. The sediment beds reside in a sharply folded syncline.[11]

Due to its proximity to the San Andreas Fault, tectonic activity has been an important factor in the reshaping, uplift, and exposure of the buried sandstone. The Elkhorn Fault, an offshoot of the San Andreas Fault, runs through the Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park.[10] Other faults, such as the Pelona, Vasquez Canyon, Soledad, and San Gabriel Faults, are all within proximity of the formation. The most exposed portion of the Vasquez Formation is the oldest tertiary formation within the east portion of the Ventura Basin.[11]

The Vasquez Rocks consist mainly of coarse-grained conglomerate and breccia sediments, which were deposited adjacent to active faults during rapid uplift and consequent erosion of the San Gabriel Mountains. Approximately 25 million years ago (late Oligocene time), the collision of the North American and Pacific tectonic plates uplifted the area along the Elkhorn Fault.[12] Energetic erosion of the highland along with uplift and volcanism caused debris flow sediments to be distributed in alluvial fans into a rapidly subsiding rift known as the Soledad Basin.[9] These sediments were buried and lithified through the Miocene and became exposed more recently via activity along the San Andreas fault system.[13] The strata are now highly tilted and disconnected from their source area. The strata were deformed and offset by the later fault activity. The distinctive hogback ridges of steeply inclined strata serve to graphically demonstrate the significant fault activity in the area. It is possible to see the extreme variance in grain size between layers of sediment where the strata are exposed. These sedimentary rocks, named the Mint Canyon Formation, were laid down about 8-15 million years ago. In the upper layers, many animal fossils have been found, including camels, horses and rodents.[14]

Soil surveyors mapped much of the park as Rock Land with no soil cover; where soil exists the dominant series is Gaviota gravelly loam which ranges from 6 to 20 inches thick.[15]

Ecology edit

 
Shaded strands of scrub oak, California juniper, California sagebrush, and short grasses within Vasquez Rocks

The ecology of the park is characteristic of the California montane chaparral and woodlands ecoregion. The park is primarily covered in short grasses, scrub oak trees, California junipers, yucca, and other chaparral shrubs such as California sagebrush and California buckwheat.

Role in entertainment edit

 
A prominent rock formation featured in numerous films and television productions.
Further information: List of productions using the Vasquez Rocks as a filming location

The park's visually interesting terrain and proximity to Hollywood have made it a frequently used filming location since the 1930s. As it was within the studio zone, union actors and crew could be asked to work there without producers needing to pay extra.[16] Producer Stanley Bergerman chose it to represent Tibet in the film Werewolf of London (1935).[17] It became popular as a setting in westerns in the 1940s and 1950s, followed by numerous television series.[17]

The prominent rock formation was featured as fictional alien settings in four episodes of the original late 1960s Star Trek series,[16] from which it gained the nickname "Kirk's Rock".[18][19] The location was subsequently used the same way in the films Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) and Star Trek (2009), and episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek Voyager, and Star Trek: Enterprise. Star Trek: Picard features scenes set and filmed at Vasquez Rocks, making it the first time the rocks were seen as themselves in the series.[19] Futurama gave a nod to this in the Star Trek spoof episode Where No Fan Has Gone Before, in which most of the original series actors and broadcast tapes had been transported to an alien planet whose landscape prominently featured rocks modelled after those at Vasquez.

Other feature films shot at Vasquez Rocks include Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, Amazon Women on the Moon; Dante's Peak; The Muppet Movie; Hot Shots! Part Deux; Rustlers' Rhapsody; The Flintstones; Short Circuit; Blazing Saddles; Paul; Hail, Caesar!; and Hearts of the West. Other television series include Power Rangers (seasons 1-5), Zorro, The Fugitive, F Troop, Kung Fu, The A-Team, MacGyver, Roswell,The Big Bang Theory, and GLOW. Commercials for Taco Bell, Bank of America, Pacific Bell, Pepsi, and Nike have been filmed at the rocks. Musicians Radiohead, Michael Jackson, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Greta Van Fleet, 311, Eddie Money, Sammy Kershaw, Restless Heart, Lee Tae-min, and BTS have made music videos there.[20]

Activities edit

 
A Pacific Crest Trail sign at Vasquez Rocks

Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park is open from sunrise to sunset for outdoor activities.[4] The park has equestrian areas, picnic areas, hiking trails, and rock climbing. The Pacific Crest Trail passes through Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park and can be used for short as well as lengthy hikes.[21] Special events can also be hosted there, such as Star Parties and weddings.[22]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Frizzell, VA, Jr & Weigand, PW (1993). Whole-rock K-Ar ages and geochemical data from middle Cenozoic volcanic rocks, southern California: A test of correlations across the San Andreas fault in: The San Andreas fault system: displacement, palinspastic reconstruction, and geologic evolution (Matti, Jonathan C.; Powell, R. F.; Weldon, R. J., eds). Boulder, Colo: Geological Society of America. ISBN 0-8137-1178-9.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ "A History of Vasquez Rocks and Vicinity". Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society. from the original on July 2, 2016. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
  3. ^ "Mapipinga". Fernandeno Tataviam Band of Mission Indians. from the original on January 7, 2023. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  4. ^ a b . parks.lacounty.gov. County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  5. ^ "Touring Vasquez Rocks, A History of its 20th-century Occupation". from the original on September 7, 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
  6. ^ "CALIFORNIA - Los Angeles County". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. from the original on January 12, 2008. Retrieved January 7, 2008.
  7. ^ "The Oligocene Epoch". ucmp.berkeley.edu. from the original on April 25, 2015. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  8. ^ "The Miocene Epoch". ucmp.berkeley.edu. from the original on May 4, 2015. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  9. ^ a b c Hendrix; Ingersoll (1987). "Tectonics and alluvial sedimentation of the upper Oligocene/lower Miocene Vasquez Formation, Soledad basin, southern California". Geological Society of America Bulletin. 98 (6): 647–663. Bibcode:1987GSAB...98..647H. doi:10.1130/0016-7606(1987)98<647:taasot>2.0.co;2.
  10. ^ a b c Brewer, Sarah (2016). "Geology of Vasquez Rocks". SCVHistory.com. from the original on May 9, 2018. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  11. ^ a b c Irwin, William P. . Archived from the original on April 28, 2018. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
  12. ^ "Southern California Regional Rocks and Roads - Geology of Agua Dulce". January 23, 2009. from the original on May 21, 2023. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  13. ^ . CSU Long Beach Geology. Archived from the original on February 3, 2013. Retrieved October 28, 2012.
  14. ^ "Geology Trail," handout of County of Los Angeles Department of Parks & Recreation, Vasquez Rocks Natural Area.
  15. ^ https://casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/gmap/ 2021-11-19 at the Wayback Machine SoilWeb: An Online Soil Survey Browser | California Soil Resource Lab
  16. ^ a b Lewis, Randy (September 8, 2016). "How Vasquez Rocks, L.A.'s onetime outlaw hideout, became 'Star Trek's' favorite alien landscape". Los Angeles Times. from the original on July 25, 2020. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  17. ^ a b . FilmmakerIQ.com. June 21, 2012. Archived from the original on August 3, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  18. ^ "Kirk's Rock : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost". www.summitpost.org. from the original on November 11, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  19. ^ a b "Star Trek: Picard S1E2 "Maps and Legends"". 25YL. February 2, 2020. from the original on November 11, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  20. ^ Cook, Tari, "Filming in Agua Dulce," The 1997 Agua Dulce Chamber of Commerce Business & Community Guide.
  21. ^ "Pacific Crest Trail and Foot Trail Loop in Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park". hikespeak.com. from the original on January 10, 2017. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  22. ^ . santaclaritaguide.com. Archived from the original on December 13, 2017. Retrieved May 31, 2018.

Bibliography edit

  • Robert P. Sharp, "Southern California", revised edition, K/H Geology Field Guide Series, Kendall/Hunt Publishing, Dubuque, Iowa, 1975. Cover.
  • Vasquez Rocks (television use in Bonanza and Star Trek) - (also see its following page)
  • Los Angeles Orienteering Club - Orienteering Events

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park.

34°28′48″N 118°19′00″W / 34.479887°N 118.31657°W / 34.479887; -118.31657

February 16, 2024
vasquez, rocks, natural, area, park, acre, hectare, park, located, sierra, pelona, northern, angeles, county, california, known, rock, formations, result, sedimentary, layering, later, seismic, uplift, located, near, town, agua, dulce, between, cities, santa, . Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park is a 932 acre 377 hectare park located in the Sierra Pelona in northern Los Angeles County California It is known for its rock formations the result of sedimentary layering and later seismic uplift It is located near the town of Agua Dulce between the cities of Santa Clarita and Palmdale The area is visible from the Antelope Valley Freeway State Route 14 Its location approximately 25 miles 40 km from downtown Los Angeles places it within Hollywood s studio zone and makes it a popular filming location for films and television programs Vasquez RocksU S National Register of Historic PlacesU S Historic districtVasquez RocksShow map of the Los Angeles metropolitan areaShow map of CaliforniaShow map of the United StatesLocation10700 Escondido Canyon RoadAgua Dulce California 91390NRHP reference No 72000228Added to NRHPJune 22 1972 Contents 1 History 2 Formation 3 Ecology 4 Role in entertainment 5 Activities 6 See also 7 References 7 1 Bibliography 8 External linksHistory editThese rock formations were formed by rapid erosion during uplift about 25 million years ago and then later exposed by uplift activity along the San Andreas Fault 1 2 The Tataviam people were living here when the Spanish arrived and still live in the region with a modern tribal government The village of Mapipinga was located here 3 Their language was most likely a Takic Uto Aztecan language They lived in grass huts within villages With the coming of the Spanish missions some of these people were forced to work there They eventually began speaking Spanish and inter marrying with other tribes In 1874 Tiburcio Vasquez one of California s most notorious Mexican bandidos used these rocks to elude capture by law enforcement His name has since been associated with this geologic feature 4 The land and rock formations were acquired gradually by Los Angeles County beginning with a donation of 40 acres in 1971 with more parcels being added through 2001 5 The Pacific Crest Trail crosses through the park Vasquez Rocks was added to the National Register of Historic Places site 72000228 in 1972 because of its significance as a prehistoric site for the Shoshone and Tataviam peoples 6 Formation editLiterature reviews have dated the earliest sedimentation of the Vasquez Formation occurring between the later portion of the Oligocene Epoch to the lower Miocene Epoch each respectively 33 9 23 million years ago and 23 03 5 3 million years ago 7 8 9 The Vasquez Formation is located just east of the city of Santa Clarita Los Angeles County California USA It resides within the Soledad Basin an orthogonal rift between the Sierra Pelona Mountains to the northwest and the San Gabriel Mountains to the east which are both within the province of the Transverse Mountain Range of Southern California 9 The San Andreas Fault runs parallel behind the Sierra Pelona Mountains and separates the formation from the North American Plate The Vasquez Formation consists of alluvial sediments that eroded from the Sierra Pelona and San Gabriel Mountains and were deposited in alluvial fans on both sides of the Soledad Basin 10 Erosion of the sediment included processes like rain floods wind and earthquakes 10 Over the course of millions of years the sediment was laid down under alternating lacustrine and fluviatile conditions 11 Once laid flat across the basin floor immense pressure converted the layers into sandstone which became covered with younger sediment deposits The sediment beds reside in a sharply folded syncline 11 Due to its proximity to the San Andreas Fault tectonic activity has been an important factor in the reshaping uplift and exposure of the buried sandstone The Elkhorn Fault an offshoot of the San Andreas Fault runs through the Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park 10 Other faults such as the Pelona Vasquez Canyon Soledad and San Gabriel Faults are all within proximity of the formation The most exposed portion of the Vasquez Formation is the oldest tertiary formation within the east portion of the Ventura Basin 11 The Vasquez Rocks consist mainly of coarse grained conglomerate and breccia sediments which were deposited adjacent to active faults during rapid uplift and consequent erosion of the San Gabriel Mountains Approximately 25 million years ago late Oligocene time the collision of the North American and Pacific tectonic plates uplifted the area along the Elkhorn Fault 12 Energetic erosion of the highland along with uplift and volcanism caused debris flow sediments to be distributed in alluvial fans into a rapidly subsiding rift known as the Soledad Basin 9 These sediments were buried and lithified through the Miocene and became exposed more recently via activity along the San Andreas fault system 13 The strata are now highly tilted and disconnected from their source area The strata were deformed and offset by the later fault activity The distinctive hogback ridges of steeply inclined strata serve to graphically demonstrate the significant fault activity in the area It is possible to see the extreme variance in grain size between layers of sediment where the strata are exposed These sedimentary rocks named the Mint Canyon Formation were laid down about 8 15 million years ago In the upper layers many animal fossils have been found including camels horses and rodents 14 Soil surveyors mapped much of the park as Rock Land with no soil cover where soil exists the dominant series is Gaviota gravelly loam which ranges from 6 to 20 inches thick 15 Ecology edit nbsp Shaded strands of scrub oak California juniper California sagebrush and short grasses within Vasquez RocksThe ecology of the park is characteristic of the California montane chaparral and woodlands ecoregion The park is primarily covered in short grasses scrub oak trees California junipers yucca and other chaparral shrubs such as California sagebrush and California buckwheat Role in entertainment edit nbsp A prominent rock formation featured in numerous films and television productions Further information List of productions using the Vasquez Rocks as a filming location The park s visually interesting terrain and proximity to Hollywood have made it a frequently used filming location since the 1930s As it was within the studio zone union actors and crew could be asked to work there without producers needing to pay extra 16 Producer Stanley Bergerman chose it to represent Tibet in the film Werewolf of London 1935 17 It became popular as a setting in westerns in the 1940s and 1950s followed by numerous television series 17 The prominent rock formation was featured as fictional alien settings in four episodes of the original late 1960s Star Trek series 16 from which it gained the nickname Kirk s Rock 18 19 The location was subsequently used the same way in the films Star Trek IV The Voyage Home 1986 and Star Trek 2009 and episodes of Star Trek The Next Generation Star Trek Voyager and Star Trek Enterprise Star Trek Picard features scenes set and filmed at Vasquez Rocks making it the first time the rocks were seen as themselves in the series 19 Futurama gave a nod to this in the Star Trek spoof episode Where No Fan Has Gone Before in which most of the original series actors and broadcast tapes had been transported to an alien planet whose landscape prominently featured rocks modelled after those at Vasquez Other feature films shot at Vasquez Rocks include Bill amp Ted s Bogus Journey Amazon Women on the Moon Dante s Peak The Muppet Movie Hot Shots Part Deux Rustlers Rhapsody The Flintstones Short Circuit Blazing Saddles Paul Hail Caesar and Hearts of the West Other television series include Power Rangers seasons 1 5 Zorro The Fugitive F Troop Kung Fu The A Team MacGyver Roswell The Big Bang Theory and GLOW Commercials for Taco Bell Bank of America Pacific Bell Pepsi and Nike have been filmed at the rocks Musicians Radiohead Michael Jackson Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Greta Van Fleet 311 Eddie Money Sammy Kershaw Restless Heart Lee Tae min and BTS have made music videos there 20 Activities edit nbsp A Pacific Crest Trail sign at Vasquez RocksVasquez Rocks Natural Area Park is open from sunrise to sunset for outdoor activities 4 The park has equestrian areas picnic areas hiking trails and rock climbing The Pacific Crest Trail passes through Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park and can be used for short as well as lengthy hikes 21 Special events can also be hosted there such as Star Parties and weddings 22 See also editBronson Canyon another Southern California landmark used as a set for numerous films List of productions using the Vasquez Rocks as a filming location Soledad CanyonReferences edit Frizzell VA Jr amp Weigand PW 1993 Whole rock K Ar ages and geochemical data from middle Cenozoic volcanic rocks southern California A test of correlations across the San Andreas fault in The San Andreas fault system displacement palinspastic reconstruction and geologic evolution Matti Jonathan C Powell R F Weldon R J eds Boulder Colo Geological Society of America ISBN 0 8137 1178 9 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link A History of Vasquez Rocks and Vicinity Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society Archived from the original on July 2 2016 Retrieved June 26 2016 Mapipinga Fernandeno Tataviam Band of Mission Indians Archived from the original on January 7 2023 Retrieved January 7 2023 a b Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park parks lacounty gov County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation Archived from the original on January 31 2013 Retrieved December 26 2016 Touring Vasquez Rocks A History of its 20th century Occupation Archived from the original on September 7 2016 Retrieved August 24 2016 CALIFORNIA Los Angeles County National Register of Historic Places National Park Service Archived from the original on January 12 2008 Retrieved January 7 2008 The Oligocene Epoch ucmp berkeley edu Archived from the original on April 25 2015 Retrieved May 8 2018 The Miocene Epoch ucmp berkeley edu Archived from the original on May 4 2015 Retrieved May 8 2018 a b c Hendrix Ingersoll 1987 Tectonics and alluvial sedimentation of the upper Oligocene lower Miocene Vasquez Formation Soledad basin southern California Geological Society of America Bulletin 98 6 647 663 Bibcode 1987GSAB 98 647H doi 10 1130 0016 7606 1987 98 lt 647 taasot gt 2 0 co 2 a b c Brewer Sarah 2016 Geology of Vasquez Rocks SCVHistory com Archived from the original on May 9 2018 Retrieved May 9 2018 a b c Irwin William P The Vasquez Series in the Upper Tick Canyon Area Los Angeles County California Archived from the original on April 28 2018 Retrieved April 28 2018 Southern California Regional Rocks and Roads Geology of Agua Dulce January 23 2009 Archived from the original on May 21 2023 Retrieved July 2 2023 Vasquez Rocks Geologic Overview CSU Long Beach Geology Archived from the original on February 3 2013 Retrieved October 28 2012 Geology Trail handout of County of Los Angeles Department of Parks amp Recreation Vasquez Rocks Natural Area https casoilresource lawr ucdavis edu gmap Archived 2021 11 19 at the Wayback Machine SoilWeb An Online Soil Survey Browser California Soil Resource Lab a b Lewis Randy September 8 2016 How Vasquez Rocks L A s onetime outlaw hideout became Star Trek s favorite alien landscape Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on July 25 2020 Retrieved July 25 2020 a b The True Hollywood Story of The Vasquez Rocks Hollywood s Favorite Rocky Set FilmmakerIQ com FilmmakerIQ com June 21 2012 Archived from the original on August 3 2020 Retrieved May 31 2018 Kirk s Rock Climbing Hiking amp Mountaineering SummitPost www summitpost org Archived from the original on November 11 2021 Retrieved November 11 2021 a b Star Trek Picard S1E2 Maps and Legends 25YL February 2 2020 Archived from the original on November 11 2021 Retrieved November 11 2021 Cook Tari Filming in Agua Dulce The 1997 Agua Dulce Chamber of Commerce Business amp Community Guide Pacific Crest Trail and Foot Trail Loop in Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park hikespeak com Archived from the original on January 10 2017 Retrieved January 10 2017 Vasquez Rocks Los Angeles LA County Parks Santa Clarita Guide santaclaritaguide com Archived from the original on December 13 2017 Retrieved May 31 2018 Bibliography edit Robert P Sharp Southern California revised edition K H Geology Field Guide Series Kendall Hunt Publishing Dubuque Iowa 1975 Cover Vasquez Rocks television use in Bonanza and Star Trek also see its following page Los Angeles Orienteering Club Orienteering EventsExternal links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park Official website Movie Sites org Vasquez Rocks Vasquez Rocks at Memory Alpha a Star Trek wiki34 28 48 N 118 19 00 W 34 479887 N 118 31657 W 34 479887 118 31657 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Vasquez Rocks amp oldid 1207531747, 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