Rocky Peak, located in Rocky Peak Park, is the fourth-highest point in the Santa Susana Mountains, and overlooks the

San Fernando Valley The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, Los Angeles County, California. Situated to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it comprises a large portion of Los Angeles, the Municipal corpo ...

and Chatsworth, the

Simi Hills The Simi Hills are a low rocky mountain range of the Transverse Ranges in eastern Ventura County, California, Ventura County and western Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, of Southern California, United States. The range runs ma ...

, and the Simi Valley in

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

. The peak, which is in elevation, sits on the Los Angeles County–

Ventura County Ventura County () is a county located in the southern part of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 843,843. The largest city is Oxnard, and the county seat is the city of Ventura. Ventura County comprises ...

line.

Geography

Rocky Peak also marks the point where the county line changes direction from true north to a more northwesterly direction. A large railroad spike driven into the rocks mark this exact spot on the county line. Rocky Peak, which gets its name from the many large craggy boulders that dot its surface, can be viewed from several locations along Topanga Canyon Blvd., and from California State Route 118, also known as the Ronald Reagan Freeway. The nearest neighbor is Oat Mountain, the highest mountain in the Santa Susana Mountains range, which lies east of Rocky Peak.

History

The area was part of the homeland and trading crossroads of the Tataviam,

Tongva The Tongva ( ) are an Indigenous peoples of California, Indigenous people of California from the Los Angeles Basin and the Channel Islands of California, Southern Channel Islands, an area covering approximately . In the precolonial era, the peop ...

, and

Chumash people The Chumash are a Native Americans in the United States, Native American people of the central and southern coastal regions of California, in portions of what is now Kern County, California, Kern, San Luis Obispo County, California, San Luis O ...

for eight thousand years. The Chumash

Burro Flats Painted Cave The Burro Flats site is a painted cave site located near Burro Flats, in the Simi Hills of eastern Ventura County, California, United States. The Rock art of the Chumash people, Chumash-style "main panel" and the surrounding 25-acres were liste ...

is just to the west in the

on the Santa Susana Field Laboratory property. Historic Santa Susana Pass is at the foot of the mountain, with the Old Santa Susana Stage Road located in the Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park nearby. Rocky Peak has been prominently featured in many classic Hollywood films, being next to three major Movie ranches; the Iverson, Spahn, and Corriganville Ranches; and its evocative 'Old-West

Frontier A frontier is a political and geographical term referring to areas near or beyond a boundary. Australia The term "frontier" was frequently used in colonial Australia in the meaning of country that borders the unknown or uncivilised, th ...

' landscape scenery.

Rocky Peak Park

Rocky Peak Park is located about northwest of the peak includes the Runkle Ranch, formerly owned by entertainer

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was an American comedian, actor, entertainer and producer with a career that spanned nearly 80 years and achievements in vaudeville, network radio, television, and USO Tours. He appeared ...

. The park reaches five miles (8 km) northward from Simi Freeway to Las Llajas Canyon. a regional open space preserve, includes the Rocky Peak Park forms the most critical wildlife habitat linkage between the Santa Susana Mountains and the Simi Hills and on to the Santa Susana Mountains. The highest elevation in the park is 2' higher than Rocky Peak, at 2717'. There are miles of trails, including the Rim of the Valley Trail Corridor, in Rocky Peak Park with panoramic views that are popular for

hiking A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "Hi ...

, mountain biking, and equestrian rides. They connect with other preserves to the northeast in the Santa Susanas. Sage Ranch Park is to the west with trails and camping. The Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park and trail system is just to the south across the highway.

References

External links

* '
Official Rocky Peak Park website
''
Official Sage Ranch Park website
* {{cite gnis , id=248314 , name=Rocky Peak Santa Susana Mountains Regional parks in California Parks in the San Fernando Valley Parks in Ventura County, California Mountains of Ventura County, California Mountains of Southern California Mountains of Los Angeles County, California

Geography

History

Rocky Peak Park

See also

References

External links