Vasquez Rocks Natural Area is a 905-acre park located in the Sierra Pelona Mountains in the northern Los Angeles County of California. It is in the small town of Agua Dulce, CA vicinity between the Antelope Valley and the Santa Clarita Valley north of Los Angeles and is easily seen by motorists driving the Antelope Valley Freeway (CA 14).
The rock formations were formed by rapid erosion during grown uplift about 25 million years ago and later exposed by activity along the San Andreas Fault. In 1873 and 1874 Tiburcio Vasquez, one of California's most notorious bandits, used these rocks to elude capture by law enforcement. His name has since been associated with the geologic feature.
The land and rock formations were acquired by the Los Angeles County government in the 1970s.
Vasquez Rocks was added to the National Register of Historic Places (Site #72000228) in 1972 due to its significance as a prehistoric site for the Shoshone and Tataviam peoples.
The rocks consist mainly of course-grained conglomerate and breccia sediments which were deposited adjacent to active faults during rapid uplift and consequent erosion of the San Grabriel Mountains. Approximately 25 million years ago (lat Oligocene time) the collision of the North American and Pacific Plates uplifted the area along with the Elkhorn Fault. Energetic erosion of the highland along with uplift and volcanism caused debris-flow sediments to be distributed in alluvial fans into a rapidly subsiding rift known as the Soledad Bason. These sediments were buried and lithified through the Miocene and became exposed more recently via activity along the San Andreas Fault system. The strata are now highly tilted, are disconnected from their source area and are deformed and offset by the later fault activity. The distinctive "hogback" ridges of steeply inclined strata serve to graphically demonstrate the significant fault activity in the area.
The Pacific Crest Hiking Trail which runs 2663 miles from the US border with Mexico to the US border with Canada, running through California, Oregon and Washington.
While visiting the area, be sure to ask directions to the Tataviam Archeological Site. Here you can see the Tataviuam Grinding Bowl and Pictographs.
The photo below shows the grinding bowl. The flat rock in front of the upright rock is the bowl. You will be able to see the "bowls" that are worn into the rock where the Tataviam used stones to grind their wheat and corn.
The rock formations were formed by rapid erosion during grown uplift about 25 million years ago and later exposed by activity along the San Andreas Fault. In 1873 and 1874 Tiburcio Vasquez, one of California's most notorious bandits, used these rocks to elude capture by law enforcement. His name has since been associated with the geologic feature.
The land and rock formations were acquired by the Los Angeles County government in the 1970s.
Vasquez Rocks was added to the National Register of Historic Places (Site #72000228) in 1972 due to its significance as a prehistoric site for the Shoshone and Tataviam peoples.
The rocks consist mainly of course-grained conglomerate and breccia sediments which were deposited adjacent to active faults during rapid uplift and consequent erosion of the San Grabriel Mountains. Approximately 25 million years ago (lat Oligocene time) the collision of the North American and Pacific Plates uplifted the area along with the Elkhorn Fault. Energetic erosion of the highland along with uplift and volcanism caused debris-flow sediments to be distributed in alluvial fans into a rapidly subsiding rift known as the Soledad Bason. These sediments were buried and lithified through the Miocene and became exposed more recently via activity along the San Andreas Fault system. The strata are now highly tilted, are disconnected from their source area and are deformed and offset by the later fault activity. The distinctive "hogback" ridges of steeply inclined strata serve to graphically demonstrate the significant fault activity in the area.
The Pacific Crest Hiking Trail which runs 2663 miles from the US border with Mexico to the US border with Canada, running through California, Oregon and Washington.
While visiting the area, be sure to ask directions to the Tataviam Archeological Site. Here you can see the Tataviuam Grinding Bowl and Pictographs.
The photo below shows the grinding bowl. The flat rock in front of the upright rock is the bowl. You will be able to see the "bowls" that are worn into the rock where the Tataviam used stones to grind their wheat and corn.
Very interesting! I'm all about Rock Art and morteros.
ReplyDelete