When you enter Los Angeles, which is a massive city, you can immediately feel the atmosphere of the movie set and may be eager to meet some Hollywood stars on the streets of Burbank or on the Walk of Fame. You may think to yourself, “The movie sets where the American films that made history were shot have never been so close”, as you ride the train through Hollywood Studios on a tour of the most famous scenes of American cinema.
Perhaps not many of you know that not far from Los Angeles, there is another wonderful movie set that has been the setting for many movies, but the difference is that it is a completely “natural” set. It is called Vasquez Rocks and we want to tell you about it in this article.
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Directions
The Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park is located north of Los Angeles, in the Sierra Pelona Mountains, near the city of Agua Dulce, no more than 40 minutes from Hollywood. Bikers enjoy its scenery on the nearby Antelope Valley Freeway.
Coming from Los Angeles, you’ll have to drive to Agua Dulce. Simply take I-5 N and drive to the Palmdale/Lancaster junction (Exit State Route 14N/Antelope Valley). From there, continue for 14 miles on CA-14 N. Once in Agua Dulce, you will find the entrance to the valley on Escondido Canyon Road.
There is no entrance fee for Vasquez Rocks Natural Area. However, please note that the park entrance closes at 7:00 pm from March to September and at 5:00 pm for the rest of the year. Camping inside the park is not permitted.
Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park: A Desert of Rocks…In Motion!
Located in the desert between the Antelope Valley and the Santa Clarita Valley, the Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park is an area dotted with mysterious rock formations. It has a fascinating and somewhat dreamlike landscape with deep crevices, picturesque pointed stone labyrinths surrounded by desert and marble blocks, slanted at a 45-degree angle, that almost seem to come to life.
Vasquez Rocks: Star Trek and Other Movies Shot Here
When Star Trek fans see Vasquez’s “Famous Rocks”, they cannot fail to recognize the backdrop of the fight between Captain Kirk and Gorn. This unusual rock formation has become the best-known in the park and thanks to its fame from Star Trek, it has been renamed Kirk’s Rock. But Star Trek was not the only thing shot in this mysterious place.
The list of films and TV series is very long, for example, Werewolf of London (1935), but also famous movies like The Flintstones, Planet of Apes, Austin Powers, Planet of Dinosaurs, Cars, and even the popular TV series Big Bang Theory (in the episode titled The Bakersfield Expedition). Vasquez Rocks will also look familiar to Futurama and Shrek fans.
But what is the origin of the name of this valley Hollywood directors love so much? Long before the cinema, Vasquez Rocks had already been the scene of escapes and hideouts. In 1874, the famous California bandit Tiburcio Vasquez used these rocks to hide when he was running from the law. There is a trail that traces the steps of Vasquez and we will talk about it in a moment.
Vasquez Rocks Hike: Pacific Crest Trail
The most popular trail, which will take you to the heart of Vasquez Rocks, is the Pacific Crest Trail.
- Length: 5.65 miles
- Elevation Gain: 650 feet
- Duration: 2-3 hours
- Difficulty: Medium
This trail starts near the Visitor Center, where maps are available, as well as a very useful relief map of the whole area that shows the stops on the trail. It is a relatively quick trail that will take you through ridges, hills, rugged desert areas, tunnels, and small canyons. You will be immersed in deep silence as you observe the wonderful and surreal views with beautiful rock formations decorated with ancient petroglyphs.
Useful Recommendations
The trails of Vasquez Rocks are not difficult, but don’t forget to wear suitable clothing and footwear for walking on rocks. There is a water fountain near the visitor center. Make sure you get gas before going to Vasquez Rocks, because you will be entering a desert area.
Accommodations near Vasquez Rocks
The Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park can be easily visited in one day during your stay in Los Angeles and is a great way to get out of the city. Here is an article that will help you choose the best area to stay in Los Angeles.
One site I desired to bring to your attention, is the bottle houses near Rhyolite, California. It may be the least explored.
And then there are the crawling rocks in what is it, Mojave?
Ooppss, then there are the Intaglio lines similar to the Nazca lines of South America.
Hello! We talked about it here.
The Star Trek episode is known informally as “Gorn Home”!