The Whoa Podcast

Stallion Springs Trail Ride

Friends and I explored the Stallion Springs area of the Tehachapi Mountains in Central California. There is plenty of room for your horse trailer at the intersection of Horse Thief and Mustang, called Buckskin Park. You’ll find a few horse pens, hitching posts, and picnic tables to enjoy. From here (our elevation was about 4,000 feet), you can horseback ride in a couple of directions. Some trails are alongside the streets, but the residents are very respectful of horseback riders and take care.

At the time of this video, some trails needed maintenance, but that won’t always be the case. Stallion Springs Trail Maps: https://www.stallionspringscsd.com/equestrian-hiking-trails

There were five of us riding on this outing.  Two of the people knew the area well.  Stallion Springs, and the Tehachapi area is a very horse-friendly.  While we ride through residential areas, the lots are big and far apart.  There are lots of oak trees.  I believe there are five distinct types of oaks in the area.   As we rode through one area, a group had labeled many of the plants.

Most of the group drove from places with a little elevation.  Scratch lives at 500 feet.  I found he was huffing and puffing going up the hills.  The temps can reach the high 80s in the summer.  At that elevation, it feels even warmer.

As we wound around the mountains, magnificent vistas of the Tehachapi valley would emerge.  Then, we would turn around another corner and trees and mountains surrounded us.

Wildlife and the Old Golf Course

Real estate in the area took a hit a few years back.  As a result, the Stallion Springs golf course lost its owner.  It’s overgrown now.  Golfers knew the course for its fast greens and rocky terrain.

We saw a few deer from the trail.  Two elk walked through Buckskin Park as we unsaddled.  There have been some reports of rattlesnakes in the area.  Keep an eye out.

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Vasquez Rocks ~ Ride Your Horse On Another Planet 

Tucked away in the little city of Agua Dulce, just off the 14 freeway in Southern California, are Vasquez Rocks.  Vasquez Rocks got its name from the bandit Tiburcio Vasquez.  Some have characterized Vasquez as a Robin Hood, while others have made him out as a womanizer.  Most agree he lived outside the law.  When he allegedly killed some men near Hollister, California, his gang rode to Southern Cal to escape capture.  For a time he hid in the area that now bears his name.  He eluded capture by using the rock formations and caves to hide.

In the 1930’s, a movie director suggested Vasquez Rocks as a shooting location for Tibet.  This was the beginning of a new relationship with Hollywood.  Og course it was a favorite setting for Westerns.  The Texas Ranger (1931) and the Gambler (1939) used the rocky back drop to simulate the Old West.

When television arrived, Vasquez Rocks’ popularity grew.  The Lone Ranger, Cheyenne, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, The Big Valley, The Wild Wild West, and Hondo used the rocks at least once.

In 1967, Vasquez Rocks got its big break in Hollywood.  The crew of the Enterprise landed right in its backyard.  It was used to fight the Gorns.  They also used the rocks in the movie production of Star Trek IV as the planet Vulcan.

Our Ride to Vasquez Rocks

It has shortened the park hours because of COVID.  But, because the Pacific Crest Trail runs through the park, you can get in through those entrances.  There’s parking on Escondido Canyon Road.  They charge no admission to get into the park.

Pertinent Information

Vasquez Rocks Website

10700 West Escondido Canyon Road
Agua Dulce, CA 9139

Park Telephone: (661) 268-0840

If you go in the summer, it can get warm so leave early.  It wouldn’t hurt to take water and a light snack.  There are some trail maps to follow.  For most of our ride you could often see the 14 Fwy. on one side or the houses on the other.  It really helped with orientation.  The terrain can be rock in places.  If your horse has tender feet, I would suggest boots.

Enjoy!