Where TV & Movie Magic Is Made: Vasquez Rocks Natural Area in Agua Dolce, CA

Eric searched the internet for local attractions that may interest us.  

Vasquez Rocks Natural Area

is a fantastic find!

This rugged area, within an

hour's drive from Los Angeles

is a popular hiking area.

Tibeurcio Vasquez, one of

  California's most notorious

 bandits, eluded capture in

 this area in 1874.

 

After our leisurely drive on paved roads, it's hard to imagine how remote this region of the San Gabriel Mountains was in the 1800s.  

The rugged terrain and natural light brought filmmakers to Vasquez Rocks.  IMDB.com lists 481 Movies and TV Shows that were filmed here.

This sign lists just a few of

the Movies & TV Shows

that many will recognize...

Movies:  The Flintstones, Over the Hedge, Wild Wild West, Rat Race, Young Buffalo Bill, Blazing Saddles, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and Holes.

TV Shows: Roswell, 24, Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek The Next Generation...

At first glance, I realize that

Captain Kirk's fight with The

Gorn in The Arena Episode

was filmed here.

Vasquez Rocks is a popular

hiking area.

Eric & I skip the hiking trails on

fairly steep inclines because

I am recovering from Achilles

Tendonitis.

Millions of years of sand &

rock deposits created these

Sandstone formations.

The Elkhorn Fault's movements

created these dramatic 

uplifted formations.

The outcrop on the left looks

familiar...

Star Trek The Next Generation's

Who Watches the Watchers 

Episode was filmed here.  

For fellow Star Trek Fans:  Vasquez Rocks has its own page on Memory Alpha Fandom Wiki.

A selfie at a famous

filming location

Vasquez Rocks Natural Area is a

Movie & TV Location Gem

available to everyone because

it's a Los Angeles County Park.

Eric notices the swirls in

this rock formation.  

Elkhorn Fault also created 

folds in the stone.

The forces of wind & water

continue to sculpt the

landscape.

Just past the treeline is

California State Route 14.

Modern-day criminals would have a much harder time evading search parties using technology on the ground and in the air.