Golden Valley Ranch Open Space
Managed by City of Santa Clarita
1,160 acres13.2 mi of trail
Placerita TrailNadeau TrailShadow Glen TrailFair Oaks Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Photo: Mrrxx · CC BY-SA 2.5AOutdoors
Outdoors in Santa Clarita
Santa Clarita has 185 miles of mapped trails, 2.5 for every square mile of land
14% of Santa Clarita’s land is conserved, about 6,457 acres. The biggest trail networks: Golden Valley Ranch Open Space (13.2 mi), Haskell Canyon Open Space (8 mi), Gates Family Wildlife Preserve (7.4 mi). 88% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 93% of U.S. towns · #148 of 847 in California. What drives it
Conserved land
14%
6,457 acres · of 73.6 sq mi of land
Trails
185 mi
2.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
5,676 ac
25 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
88%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
99 mi
24 mi lanes · 72 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
4
What kind of outdoors town is Santa Clarita?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Santa Clarita have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Santa Clarita is ahead of 93% of U.S. towns, #148 of 847 in California. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Santa Clarita’s overall grade.
Conserved land14% of the land · typical CA town 4% · U.S. 4%A−Trails2.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (185 mi) · CA 0.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land25 acres of park per 1,000 residents (5,676 acres) · CA 5 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home88% of residents within a half mile of a park · CA 91% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 93%
LessMore
California towns of 2,500+ (847)Ahead of 83%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Santa Clarita ranks #49 on Outdoors.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Golden Valley Ranch Open Space, with 13.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Haskell Canyon Open Space
Managed by City of Santa Clarita
657 acres8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Gates Family Wildlife Preserve
Managed by City of Santa Clarita
332 acres7.4 mi of trail
Pine Street TrailNeedham TrailPioneer TrailBrady+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
Quigley Canyon Open Space
Managed by City of Santa Clarita
264 acres6.8 mi of trail
Fox LoopCoyote LoopCity LoopRawlin's Loop+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
East Walker Ranch Open Space
Managed by City of Santa Clarita
145 acres4.5 mi of trail
Walker LoopKeely Downhill TrailRaynier LoopCanyon Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
MRCA Open Space
Managed by Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority
405 acres4.2 mi of trail
Elsmere Canyon LoopCreek TrailThe Beast
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Whitney Canyon Park
Managed by Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA)
442 acres4 mi of trail
The BeastViperWhitney Canyon Falls TrailCreek Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Newhall East Park And RideWebsite ↗
William S. Hart Park
Park
159 acres4 mi of trail
Nellie TrailFriday Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 77 parks & preserves
Golden Valley Ranch Open Space1,160 acres · 13.2 mi of trail · City of Santa Clarita
DirectionsHaskell Canyon Open Space657 acres · 8 mi of trail · City of Santa Clarita
DirectionsGates Family Wildlife Preserve332 acres · 7.4 mi of trail · City of Santa Clarita
DirectionsQuigley Canyon Open Space264 acres · 6.8 mi of trail · City of Santa Clarita
East Walker Ranch Open Space145 acres · 4.5 mi of trail · City of Santa Clarita
DirectionsMRCA Open Space405 acres · 4.2 mi of trail · Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority
Whitney Canyon Park442 acres · 4 mi of trail · Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA)
DirectionsWilliam S. Hart Park159 acres · 4 mi of trail
DirectionsWildwood Canyon Open Space92 acres · 3.2 mi of trail · City of Santa Clarita
Central Park177 acres · 2.2 mi of trail
DirectionsRound Mountain Open Space140 acres · 2.1 mi of trail · City of Santa Clarita
DirectionsAngeles National Forest539 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · United States Forest Service
Elsmere Canyon272 acres · 1.6 mi of trail · City of Santa Clarita
Santa Clarita Valley Sports Complex22 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
Rivendale Park and Open Space59 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · City of Santa Clarita
DirectionsCanyon Country Park18 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsCanyon Country Community Center8 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsDiscovery Park24 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsFair Oaks Park7 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Santa Clarita
DirectionsVista Canyon Park5 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Todd Longshore Park31 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Santa Clarita
DirectionsDuane R. Harte Park at River Village30 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Santa Clarita Parks Division
DirectionsWilliam S. Hart Hart Baseball and Softball Complex19 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsGolden Valley Park6 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsWest Creek Park17 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsStevenson Family Open Space13 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · City of Santa Clarita
DirectionsNewhall Pass - Plourde9 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Valley Vista Open Space33 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
David March Park11 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsBouquet Canyon Park10 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsCheseborough Park8 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Pacific Crest Park7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
North Oaks Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsCircle J Ranch Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsValencia Summit Park83 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Bridgeport Park14 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsPamplico Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBegonias Lane Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Honor Grove3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsValencia Heritage Park17 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSkyline Ranch Park10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsNewhall Pass Open Space7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Santa Clarita
Valencia Glen Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Pioneer Oil Refinery Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsIron Horse Trailhead3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Santa Clarita Parks Division
DirectionsNative Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Newhall Community Center2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsFive Knolls Recreation Center2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSanta Clarita Woodlands Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority
Bothwell Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Aliento
DirectionsArboleda Trailhead1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsDogwood Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Aliento
River Village Trailhead1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Santa Clarita
DirectionsSanta Clarita City Open Space55 acres · City of Santa Clarita
San Gabriel Mountains National Monument21 acres · United States Forest Service
H M Newhall Memorial Park14 acres
Plum Canyon Park8 acres · LA County Parks and Recreation
DirectionsSanta Clarita Park8 acres
Old Orchard Park7 acres
DirectionsValencia Meadows Park5 acres
Valencia Central Valley Park5 acres
Black Pine Park5 acres
Oak Spring Canyon Park5 acres · City of Santa Clarita
Greekview Park4 acres
Copper Hill Park4 acres
DirectionsAlmendra Park3 acres
Marketplace Park2 acres
DirectionsHyssop Park2 acres
DirectionsCaraway Park1 acres
Fair Oaks Ranch HOA Park1 acres
Graduation Courtyard1 acres
Strata Pickleball Courts1 acres
DirectionsDel Monte Recreation Center1 acres
Carrizo Recreation Center1 acres
Lulu Von Hagen Courtyard1 acres
DirectionsVeteran's Memorial Park1 acres
DirectionsS. Mark Taper Courtyard1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
6,457 conserved acres
14% of Santa Clarita’s land. Who manages Santa Clarita’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city4,857 ac
State fish & wildlife870 ac
Regional agency681 ac
County545 ac
U.S. Forest Service235 ac
Not recorded25 ac
Local Recreation Area · 4,733 acLocal Park · 1,276 acUnknown Easement · 901 acNational Forest · 235 acLocal Conservation Area · 38 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 158 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 79 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Placerita Golden Valley Ranch Open Space Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 1,405 | Open |
| Haskell Canyon Open Space Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 728 | Open |
| Whitney Elsmere Open Space Local Recreation Area | County | 567 | Open |
| Round Mountain Open Space Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 458 | Open |
| Whitney Canyon Park Local Park | Regional agency | 443 | Open |
| Santa Clara River Trail Open Space Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 357 | Open |
| Placerita Quigley Open Space Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 270 | Open |
| Angeles National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 235 | Open |
| Gates King Open Space Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 229 | Open |
| South Fork River Trail Open Space Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 179 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
126 places to go in Santa Clarita
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Santa Clarita
The Ranch at Fair Oaks Pool
DirectionsValencia Hills Baby Pool
DirectionsValencia Hills Swimming Pool
DirectionsPlus 3 public pools without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Santa Clarita
Copperstone Playground
DirectionsMcDonald's PlayPlace
DirectionsSand Canyon Community Playground
DirectionsSand Canyon Ranch Community Park
Directions74 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Santa Clarita
Canine Country Dog ParkIn Santa Clarita Valley Sports Complex
DirectionsCentral BarkIn Central Park
DirectionsSmall Dog Park
DirectionsStrata Dog Park
DirectionsPlus 3 dog parks without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Santa Clarita
1 waterfall without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Santa Clarita
Hamlet PointIn William S. Hart Park
DirectionsLookout PointIn Quigley Canyon Open Space
DirectionsMack PointIn William S. Hart Park
DirectionsPrancer PointIn William S. Hart Park
DirectionsPrince PointIn William S. Hart Park
DirectionsRed PointIn William S. Hart Park
DirectionsThe Perch
DirectionsPlus 4 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Santa Clarita
5 peaks without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Santa Clarita
Picnic AreaIn William S. Hart Park
DirectionsPicnic AreaIn William S. Hart Park
DirectionsTumbleweedsIn William S. Hart Park
DirectionsWagon TracksIn William S. Hart Park
DirectionsPlus 10 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Santa Clarita
Group Campground 1In William S. Hart Park
DirectionsGroup Campground 2In William S. Hart Park
DirectionsGroup Campground 3In William S. Hart Park
DirectionsGroup Campground 4In William S. Hart Park
DirectionsGroup Campground 5In William S. Hart Park
DirectionsGroup Campground 6In William S. Hart Park
DirectionsDisc golf in Santa Clarita
Central Park Disc Golf CourseIn Central Park
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Santa Clarita
Central Park GardensIn Central Park
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 56.0 miHorses · 36.9 miUnpaved · 75.2 mi
Santa Clara River Horse Trail4.0 mi
Solemint Canyon Mountainway Trail3.4 mi
Sand Canyon Equestrian Trail2.8 mi
Central Park Cross Country Course2.7 mi
Fair Oaks Trail2.4 mi
Elsmere Canyon Loop2.2 mi
The Beast2.0 mi
Placerita Trail2.0 mi
Shadow Glen Trail1.9 mi
Aliento Loop Trail1.7 mi
15 more trails
Nadeau Trail
1.6 miPine Street Trail
1.4 miWalker Loop
1.4 miSan Francisquito Motorway
1.3 miBothwell Trail
1.3 miNeedham Trail
1.2 miPioneer Trail
1.2 miHighland Loop
1.2 miMystery Mesa Trail
1.1 miFox Loop
1.0 miBurn Victim
1.0 miUncle Remi Trail
1.0 miCoyote Loop
0.9 miKona
0.9 miClean Energy Systems Trail
0.9 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
99 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
24 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
72 mi
off-road bike paths
1.9 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
87Tennis
85Basketball
36Baseball
24Soccer
20Pickleball
6Football
4Tracks
3Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 15 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Pioneer Oil RefineryDistrict · listed 2020
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Santa Clarita: April and May
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.1 | 10.9 | 11.9 | 13.0 | 13.9 | 14.4 | 14.2 | 13.4 | 12.3 | 11.3 | 10.3 | 9.9 |
| High (°F) | 65 | 66 | 70 | 74 | 79 | 86 | 93 | 94 | 90 | 81 | 72 | 64 |
| Rain (in) | 3.9 | 4.6 | 3.0 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 2.9 |
August is the driest month (under 0.1 in) and the warmest (highs of 94 °F). 4.6 inches fall in February, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 94 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Santa Clarita →
Next door
Santa Clarita and its neighbors
Santa Clarita has the most mapped trails of the 2 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Clarita | 14% | 2.5 | 25 | 88% | A |
| Stevenson Ranch | 7% | 1.0 | 13 | 87% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Santa Clarita
Where can I hike in Santa Clarita?
The longest trail networks: Golden Valley Ranch Open Space, 13.2 miles; Haskell Canyon Open Space, 8 miles; Gates Family Wildlife Preserve, 7.4 miles; Quigley Canyon Open Space, 6.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Santa Clarita is conserved land?
14% of its land, against a typical 4% for a California town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Santa Clarita’s trails?
Golden Valley Ranch Open Space and Haskell Canyon Open Space don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Santa Clarita?
99 miles of bike routes are on the map: 24 of painted or protected lanes, 72 of off-road paths and 1.9 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Santa Clarita?
138,763 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Santa Clarita or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 6,002 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Santa Clarita have?
Ahead of 93% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #148 of 847 in California. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Santa Clarita neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →