California’s Red Rock Canyon State Park is perhaps one of the most underrated state parks to visit in SoCal. It’s located about 120 miles north of L.A. at the convergence of the Sierra Nevada and the El Paso Range, and is best known for its remarkable 300-foot sandstone cliffs that are striped with burnt-orange hues.
The striking rock formations contain fossils from dozens of different prehistoric plant and animal species, including sabertooth cats and three-toed horses. Generations of film crews have also used the 27,000-acre park as a backdrop for everything from Hollywood Westerns to alien landscapes.
Would you make a day trip to this hidden gem in the desert?
Archaeology and paleontology
The park is a treasure trove of archaeological and paleontological sites, packed with extensive evidence of prehistoric life and later Native American use.
Vast fossil beds contain North America’s most complete vertebrate fossil record from the Clarendonian age (12-8 million years ago), and paleontologists have uncovered evidence of numerous prehistoric plant and animal species. These include ancient horses, five species of camels, antelope, saber-tooth cats, rhinos, mastodons, rodents, and dogs, according to an online exhibit by UC Berkeley.
The Indigenous Kawaiisu people inhabited this area of California for thousands of years until European contact in the 18th and 19th centuries. Archaeological investigations have uncovered evidence of roasting pits, food remains, and stone tools from this time, as well as petroglyphs and pictographs.
The characteristic rock formations were situated along an essential Native American trade route for thousands of years, and were later used as a stop for gold mining and stagecoaches during the 1800s.
Film cameos
According to California State Parks, over 150 movies and shows have been filmed at Red Rock Canyon State Park. Some famous cameos include the dig site where Dr. Alan Grant and Dr. Ellie Sattler meet in Jurassic Park (1993), Camp Green Lake in Holes (2003), and Egypt’s Valley of the Kings in The Mummy (1932).
You can also look out for the unmistakable rocky scenery in Westerns like Westworld (1973), Gregory Peck’s The Big Country (1958), and Bonanza (1959-1973), as well as alien landscapes from Lost in Space (1965-68) and Battlestar Galactica (1978-79).
Visiting Red Rock Canyon State Park
Most visitors hike the Hagen Canyon Nature Trail and Red Cliffs Trail for up-close views of the park’s famous sandstone cliffs, but some also stay a few nights at the Ricardo Campground, where you can take advantage of the dark skies for a spot of stargazing. Visit in the spring for a chance to see colorful wildflower blooms, including the rare Red Rock poppy.
It takes about 2 hours to reach Red Rock Canyon State Park from Los Angeles via California State Route 14. There is a day-use fee of $6 per vehicle, and you can enjoy the park from sunrise to sunset.
Check out the Visitor Center in Cantil for interesting exhibits, maps, and information to help you make the most of your visit. The State Park website recommends that you follow desert safety precautions, bringing twice as much water as you think you’ll need, sunscreen, and layered clothing.
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