Location:

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After the Ranch House and Barnyard adventures it's time to take a short hike. Yes, the path (Labeled as the Nature Trail) is an uphill hike but not an extremely vertical hike like a Sierra Mountains backpack hike going from 4,000 to 12,000 feet in elevation! The vertical distance is probably no more than 100 feet. Easy.

If you are handicapped and cannot make the hike a paved access road exist. But a word of caution as that access road is somewhat curvy. You can see the trail and the access road marked on the map below. The access road begins between the Ranch House and the Picnic Grounds.

The Bunk House was closed the day we visited the park. On the second trip we had no time to view it. Bummer! The nature Trail also splits of into 2 small trails that both lead up to the  La Loma de los Vientos mansion.


This is the start of the "Nature Trail" and to add to any confusion the sign at the beginning of the trail states "Museum Trail". I am guessing that language is to denote that the Nature Trail" does indeed lead to the Museum. Only the 1st couple of feet of the trail are paved in concrete.



Here is the top of the trail entrance which is in the form of a mini "Ranch Gate". I have yet to see any photographic evidence of an original ranch gate used as an entrance for William S. Hart's La Loma de los Vientos ranch. What the "ranch gate" was originally used for is almost completely unknown in our modern culture.

I found a excellent and fairly extensive explanation of the original use of the ranch gate and it's current urbanite morphed form came into existence. The 1 page article came from TexasMonthly and was titled Texas Primer: The Ranch Gate. The original article can be found here: http://www.texasmonthly.com/the-culture/texas-primer-the-ranch-gate/. As the article is 33 years in age it may no longer be available in the future.



Poor image quality again due to receding sunlight and iPhone camera not cooperating. Staying on the marked trail actually has a legitimate reason for it's posting. Thinks of the tens of thousands of monthly visitors and if all of those visitors just walked and ran amok throughout the park grounds how quickly the fragile semi-desert hill would become a barren knoll. And yes safety is still paramount.

Just past the entrance we see cactus and some non native plants. The path here is dirt but may have been decomposed granite at on time.

This is Prickly Pear Cactus. Copious amounts of this cactus can be found throughout the park grounds. The fruit of this cactus can be used as food! Also the Prickly Pear Cactus can be used as a host for an parasite insect that is used in making a red dye.

The trail here is stepped with wooden supports to help keep down erosion whenever it rains. An with our ongoing Western Drought that is too infrequent. Notice the 2 pine trees are semi healthy but the Oak behind the signs is probably distressed due to lack of water.

So the park is serious about staying on the trail! Rattlesnakes? I did not see one nor hear one nor did I have a conversation with any snake on the entire trip. Although I think I could smell a lawyer on the trail ahead of me, kind of sort of like a snake!

A graveyard for Mr. Harts dog is found along the nature trail. Like I stated earlier a true animal lover from the early 1900's.

Our trip was in December an December in Southern California can still be warm in the mid 80's and sometimes even in the low 90's, so take water on any hike! Oak leaves are padding the trail and hillside. On the right photo is a view looking down at the paved access road from the trail path.
The Trail Splits here at the Bunk House. The front of the Bunk House. Closed when we visited.

Looking at Santa Clarita from the hill trail. This area would have been Newhall in the early 1900's. And more prickly pear cactus!

The path that splits of from the Bunk House and heads directly up to the tower is steeper and without fencing or railing. The trail going in a Westerly direction meets the access road here.

The Bison were bashful and wanted nothing to do with a photo op, besides since the Bison are LA County employees they get weekends off. And finally the museum entrance is in sight!


Next: The Visit to "La Loma de los Vientos".