Placerita Canyon State Park

Newhall, Los Angeles County, CA

DogsOn leash (6 ft max)
Source
FeesNone listed
Source
HoursTue–Sun, 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Source
Size
360 acres Source
Managed by
Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation

About Placerita Canyon State Park

Placerita Canyon Natural Area is an east-west canyon on the northwest side of the San Gabriel Mountains, surrounded by the Angeles National Forest. It has cool, shaded oak woodland, chaparral-covered slopes, and a seasonal stream.

Eight trails form a network of more than 12 miles. The park is home to the “Oak of the Golden Dream,” where gold was first discovered in California in 1842. Visitors can step inside the Walker Cabin to see how early pioneers lived, and the renovated nature center, built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards, offers presentations with live animals. Picnic and group camping reservations are made by calling the park office.

Based on Placerita Canyon State Park official information, checked Oct 15, 2026.

Know before you go

Placerita Canyon State Park covers 360 acres in Newhall, Los Angeles County. The county also lists animal exhibits, equestrian staging areas, equestrian trails, gift shops, hiking trails, museums, and nature centers at Placerita Canyon State Park. 10 named trails add up to about 4.3 miles inside the park; the longest is Canyon Trail at 1.5 miles, and Los Pinetos Trail has the most up and down (about 607 feet). Mapped trails range from 1,546 to 2,545 feet in elevation. OpenStreetMap shows 2 parking areas, including Walker Ranch Trailhead, plus 2 restrooms and 1 drinking fountain.

Facilities

  • Camping
  • Drinking Water
  • Historic Site
  • Picnic Area
  • Restrooms

Facility details: OpenStreetMap, official park information

Placerita Canyon State Park at a glance

PPWCWCW
  • PParking · 2: Walker Ranch Trailhead
  • WCRestrooms · 2
  • WDrinking water · 1
  • Named trails · 6

© OpenStreetMap · CPAD · About this map

Trails

TrailMapped lengthElevationSurface & uses
Canyon Trail1.5 mi350 ft up & down1,546–1,839 ftUnpavedBikesHorses
Los Pinetos Trail0.9 mi607 ft up & down1,817–2,545 ftUnpaved
Waterfall Trail0.6 mi224 ft up & down1,810–2,050 ft
Walker Ranch Trailhead0.3 mi91 ft up & down1,799–1,895 ftBikesHorses
Karen M. Pearson Hillside Trail0.3 mi
Heritage Trail0.2 mi
Manzanita Mountain Trail0.2 mi
Stan's Bypass0.1 mi39 ft up & down1,799–1,842 ftUnpaved
Hidden Trail0.1 miUnpaved
Botany Trail0.1 mi

How trail figures are measured

Compared with nearby parks

Among the 6 other parks in this guide within 10 miles, Placerita Canyon State Park is the largest at 360 acres. It has the most mapped trail mileage of the group (about 4.3 miles).

Closest places for what Placerita Canyon State Park doesn't list:

How comparisons work

Rules & reservations

Official park page
  • Dogs

    At Placerita Canyon State Park: on leash (6 ft max), under the Los Angeles County Code 17.04.410. Source

  • Fees

    The county fee schedule lists no vehicle entrance fee for Placerita Canyon State Park; confirm with Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation. Source

March 1 to October 31. November 1 to February 28: Tue–Sun, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Monday.

Map & directions

19152 Placerita Canyon Rd., Newhall, CA 91321

1Location overview · map data © OpenStreetMap

34.372653, -118.443096Get directions

Nearby parks

Straight-line distance
El Cariso Community Regional Park4.1 miVasquez Rocks Natural Area and Nature Center10.5 miVal Verde Community Regional Park13.6 miTwo Strike County Park15.3 miLoma Alta Park20.2 mi

Continue exploring

Los Angeles County parks

Sources & verification

Last verified: Oct 15, 2026
  1. California Protected Areas Database (CPAD) 2026aname, county, agency, access, acres
  2. LA County Parks park page (hours and description re-read in a browser)hours, hours_note, description
  3. LA County Parks park page (read in a browser)official_url, address, features, facilities.restrooms, facilities.picnic-area
  4. LA County Parks fee schedule (vehicle entrance)unstated.fees
  5. Los Angeles County Code 17.04.410 (dogs in parks)dogs
  6. OpenStreetMap facilities and trailsfacilities.camping, facilities.drinking-water, facilities.historic-site, trails
  7. OpenStreetMap: parking, restrooms, water, trailheads, trail lines, and bus stopsvisit
  8. Terrain Tiles elevation (USGS 3DEP), sampled every 20 m along OpenStreetMap trail linestrails.elevation
  9. Official park page (summarized in our words)narrative
  10. Official park page (introduction excerpt)intro
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