Elk Horn Fault | Site of Discovery and Wonder

A Stroll Through Vasquez Rocks State Park

April 14, 2015 6 Comments

Recently, our caretaker, Glenn Malapit, drove Dad and me to Vasquez State Park. In the old days, you could see this strange collection of rocky ledges from the Sierra Hwy. But the Antelope Valley Fwy. is well to the east of the rocks, so you must drive a ways on Agua Dulce Canyon Road and Escondido Canyon Road before you get your first glimpse of this unusual collection of rock formations. These formations were used in old westerns, and more currently, Star Trek. The parking lot is on a gravel road with several stones of its own that need to be negotiated before your stroll begins. But, perhaps, a few words of the history of this Park are in order.

Erosion and movement along the Elk Horn Fault are responsible for the shale-basalt slabs of today. The slabs are part of the Soledad Basin, which formed over time from thousands of feet of sediment.

Native Americans lived here for almost 2000 years, beginning with 200 B.C. However, they were eliminated by diseases carried by the Spanish. Tiburcio Vasquez and his bandits brought life back to the Basin. Eventually, after a lucrative career, he was caught and executed, but the Park remains as a reminder of his reckless life.

What follows below are some photos of our trip to Vasquez Rocks State Park.