st. francis dam-ruins of collapsed dam

We hiked with the SCV Historical Society and had a terrific and very interesting time. Wear hiking boots, a hat, sunblock, and bring water. Watch for snakes. Worth the effort!

Don't waste you time and gas. Totally deserted and in shambles. you probably will not know when you get there since it is so poorly marked and in poor condition.

This dam disaster is part of California history concerning the Santa Clarita Valley. Not well known. Built by Mulholland as part of the water aqueduct poor engineering caused the dam the burst.

I've parked along side of the road and hiked up. The remnants of the dam are still there. You can walk the dry river bed and the huge boulders are part of the dam walls. Be VERY CAREFUL in the summer with rattle snakes. To get there you will be walking through the brush, long pants and shoes are recommended. There is no charge for this also no restrooms.

It was a bit tough to tell what was part of the Dam and what wasn't. Overall though it was a pretty cool hike. There is a cool old road that runs down the middle of the site. The newer street signs make it look like a zombie movie set. Definitely worth a trip!

It was a beautiful drive up San Francisqyuito Canyon. At one point you could see the remnants of the dam from the road so we parked and walked less than 1/2 mile and found where the dam had been. We walked down the riverbed for quite a ways and then hiked back up. Luckily, we were with a CA native who lived through the big dam flood and knew all about it. If you're not that lucky, I think you will get more out of the experience if you read up on it first. Lots of books and tons on the internet about it. Overall a great hike on a gorgeous summer day - before it got too hot! Enjoy...

You would probably want to read up on the history of the St. Francis Dam collapse before viewing the ruins in order to appreciate the disaster that occurred. To really see the ruins, and in fact actually walk on top of pieces of the collapsed dam, you have to hike in and up to the top of the hill. The ruins are unmistakable blocks of old concrete. It is an interesting place to explore in general, especially now that the storm-ruined old San Francisquito Road is closed down and slowly being overtaken by nature. Usually a small stream is running, there are lots of animal tracks and the vegetation is green along the stream bed. Spring is a great time to visit before the hot summer months hit. If you happen to be a geocacher, there are several geocaches in the area to find as well as an earthcache.

This is an interesting place if you know the story, but honestly there isn't much left to be seen. If you don't know what you are looking for you are likely to drive right past it. Still the story is fascinating.

Want to see a huge part of California's history that barely anyone gets to see? Be sure to stop by the San Francisquito Dam Ruins... nice peaceful hike!