Dam Good Views

Deep in San Francisquito Canyon north of Valencia, you can stand atop remnants of Saint Francis Dam—part of Mulholland’s LA Aqueduct system—which collapsed in 1928, becoming the worst American civil engineering disaster of the century. Beyond the specter of this catastrophe, today you'll discover a tranquil river canyon with magnificent vistas from the dam's anchoring slope. Hike up Old San Francisquito Canyon Road, a 1.5-mile stretch of bypassed and abandoned highway, to reach the dam site. At the route's barricaded south end, follow a partially washed-out road along San Francisquito Creek into a tight river bend before reaching a wide riparian flat. A dirt loop trail diverges a half-mile in, tracing a creek bank littered with huge concrete chunks of busted dam, one dwarfing an elephant in size. After a bridge crossing, the canyon narrows and the road reverts to gravel path flanked by creek vegetation and a yucca-dotted hillside. Just beyond is the dam site, nestled in a forest. To the right you'll see crumbled mounds of white concrete with jutting, rusted rebar.  A high slope at left once supported the dam's western abutment. A faint trail climbs to the top. Minor scrambling is involved, but you'll be rewarded with dynamite views of the canyon and surrounding Sierra Pelona Mountains atop the dismantled gangway of the 195-foot-tall dam. The area northward, once a water reservoir, is now a dense grove of Pacific and narrow-leaved willows and cottonwoods.

BEER BONUS: Afterwards, you'll have plenty to ponder over pints of ale at Wolf Creek Brewery in Valencia. Try their delicious seasonal Bavarian Hefeweizen (the), brewed with real pumpkin, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spices. Or go for Winter Wonderland, a dark reddish-brown Christmas ale. If their tasting room's closed, stop by Wolf Creek Restaurant in Santa Clarita instead. Ten of their beers are on tap, and happy hour pizzas are just $5.50.

Take I-5 north to the Magic Mountain Pkwy. exit, turning right. Turn left on McBean Pkwy., then right on Copper Hill, then left on San Francisquito Canyon Rd. Follow for six miles and park at a dirt turnout with barricade just after San Francisquito Power Plant No. 2 (easily identified by three intake tubes scaling the steep slope behind it). Dog-friendly!