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Alongside the Antelope Valley Freeway (Hwy 14) near the north edge of the San Gabriel Mountains, the normally rolling, grassy hills are replaced by an area of exposed, upturned sandstone strata - the Vasquez Rocks - resulting from ancient geological activity associated with the San Andreas Fault, and named after an outlaw (Tiburcio Vasquez), who took refuge in this location in the 1870s. The rocks would not merit much attention were they situated in the vast canyon country of Arizona or Utah, but their proximity to Los Angeles and the easy access ensures many visitors. The formations are the centerpiece of a county park, free to enter and 1 by 1.5 miles in extent, and although the most prominent rocks can be seen in just 30 minutes or so, several hours could be spent hiking along the network of short trails that run between the angular ridges. The park is also popular for horseriding and wildlife-watching, and since the rocks are the closest Western-looking landscape to Hollywood, the location has been much used for commercials, movies and music videos.
The Park: The county park is signposted from the freeway, and reached by a 2 mile drive along local roads through the barren mountain foothills, country that is rather hot and dry much of the year, reflecting the proximity to the Mojave Desert a few miles north. A gravel track leads to a parking area between two of the tallest pinnacles, from where visitors can either take one of the trails or just scramble up along the rocks; they are easy and fun to climb, and the summits allow quite wide ranging views over Highway 14, Agua Dulce Valley and the nearby villages. Other parallel ridges extend to the north and south, separated by sandy scrubland, and harbor a few archeological sites from the Tataviam Indians. The rocks are smooth-sided sandstone of the Vasquez Formation, cream or light brown in color, and angled at about 50° - very similar, though on a smaller scale, to Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs.
Hotels: For accommodation, nearby towns with hotels include Sylmar (20 miles), Santa Clarita (18 miles) and Palmdale (19 miles).
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