S is for St. Francis Dam: A Free to See #AtoZChallenge Post

 

A plaque titled "St. Francis Dam Disaster Site" tells the history of the dam failure 

I'm living in southern California this year, and decided to use my exploration of the area as my focus for the #AtoZChallenge. I'm concentrating on free to see places, though I will include locations that require a parking fee. This is the nineteenth post in the series. 

Until recently, I had never heard about the St. Francis Dam nor its history. I had heard of William Mulholland--he's the man who is recognized as the one who brought water to Los Angeles via the aqueduct system--but I didn't realize that the St. Francis Dam disaster effectively ended his career. The dam was completed in 1926, only to fail in 1928 hours after Mulholland himself had inspected it. When the dam collapsed, the subsequent flood killed over 400 people, making it one of the worst disasters in California history. 

Rubble from the dam can still be seen, though locating it was a bit tricky. The plaque pictured above is near the power plant at 32300 San Francisquito Canyon Road in Santa Clarita. Continuing north on San Francisquito, just before a three-way stop, is a tiny pull out to park and hike down an old paved road. 

A car parks at the start of the paved road that leads to the dam site

After hiking on the road for about a mile, you will cross a bridge. Just after that, when the road turns to dirt, look for a narrow dirt path on the right. 

A narrow dirt path

Follow the trail and soon you will find big pieces of concrete on both sides of the path. Look closely and you will see metal parts embedded in the concrete. You have found the remains of the old dam.

Concrete chunks of the former St. Francis Dam

A metal bar sticks out of a concrete piece

It's sobering to realize that the rubble around you used to be a huge dam, and saddening to consider the loss of life that happened when the dam collapsed. Without that realization, though, the hike is a pleasant, easy stroll through a canyon. Would recommend if you are in the area, or if you enjoy visiting National Memorials and Monuments (which the St. Francis Dam Disaster is one of, though the vision of a visitor's center and memorial wall has yet to be funded and constructed.)