Placerita Canyon State Park is home to the famous "Oak of the Golden Dream," where gold was first discovered in California in 1894. 

This historical state park in Santa Clarita is a shaded woodland haven in Santa Clarita Valley. It contains historic sites, trails, and a Nature Center. The Nature Center has a few live animal habitats (Red Hawk, Owl, etc.) and a large bird viewing exhibit that gives you views directly into the mountains to bird watch. There is also an indoor portion of the Nature Center with dioramas of the wildlife and geology you can find within this park. They also provide a few free programs (such as junior rangers) throughout the month. Be sure to check their website for what they are offering at the time of your visit. You can also find a small gift shop and restrooms at the Nature Center. 

This state park offers eight trails that network over 12 miles of hiking. We have personally completed Heritage Trail, Hillside Trail, and Manzanita Mountain Trail with our two toddlers. Our dream was to complete Waterfall Trail, but it was no longer offered due to the Sand Fire in 2014. We are hopeful they will open it back up again, but the damage was quite extensive.

The well-maintained, clearly marked trails take you through the northwest side of the San Gabriel Mountains and offer multiple viewpoints of the Santa Clarita Valley surrounded by the Angeles National Forest. Depending on what season you visit (such as late winter or early spring), the Placerita Creek could be flowing. So be prepared to walk through the creek in certain portions of the park. There are also bridges to cross the creek near the picnic areas. During the summer months, it does dry up quickly, given the intense summer heat in the Santa Clarita Valley. 

There are historic landmarks here such as the "Oak of the Golden Dream," the oak tree where gold was first discovered, and the Walker Cabin, which gives you a first-hand experience of early pioneer living. They also have a butterfly pond and garden and are working on adding a new exhibit soon along Heritage Trail that is accessible to the blind or visually impaired. Construction for this is happening now (you can walk through this on your way to "Oak of the Golden Dream"). There will be a sensory element to each exhibit, such as touch, smell, or hearing. We are very excited to continue to see this develop!

We personally come to this state park due to the wide-open, shaded space. It is rarely crowded and even if it is, there are so many areas it is always a peaceful experience. It is a great park to let our toddlers take the lead and explore safely. We are frequent visitors and pick a new portion of the park to explore each time. There is always ample parking!

This also would be a great state park to reserve a campsite at or plan a small day trip as there are also many picnic areas and plenty to see! Reservations for picnicking and group camping are available by calling the park office.