Summertime: A Guide to Entertainment, Activities And Excursions : Discoveries : * If you’ve exhausted all of the usual tourist spots, it’s time to visit some destinations along the unbeaten path. : Rocking Out in Saugus
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If your out-of-town guests can’t make it up to Death Valley on their summer trip, drive them out to our own pocket of desolation--Vasquez Rocks County Park in Saugus.
There is little more to this desert-like, 745-acre park than scrub brush, dusty trails and rocks.
But what rocks!
The spectacular rock outcroppings in the park resemble giant ocean waves that were frozen in time just as they started to break. They were formed by millions of years of earthquake activity along the Elkhorn Fault (an offshoot of the San Andreas) that slowly compressed, folded and tilted layers of stone. The outcroppings reach as much as 150 feet in height and tilt at angles up to an awesome 50 degrees.
Except for a short gravel road, a few trails and picnic tables for those who enjoy dining in a spot that has the ambience of doomsday, Vasquez Rocks Park has been preserved in its natural state.
Its rustic look has not been lost on Hollywood--a number of Westerns and episodes of the original “Star Trek” TV show have been shot there.
Vasquez Rocks County Park, 100700 Escondido Canyon, Saugus. Hours: 8 a.m. to sundown. Information about guided hikes and other park events: (805) 268-0840.
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