The 1898 Iron Horse Trailhead Bridge spans the Santa Clara River near Magic Mountain Parkway and Interstate 5. Eventually, it will be part of a link that connects Ventura’s beaches & Newhall Ranch To Canyon Country & Angelus National Forest
Santa Clarita’s Iron Horse Trailhead officially opened last week. The trailhead is a nexus for recreation and commuter bike trails throughout Santa Clarita. Walkers, joggers, bicyclists and equestrians attended the ribbon cutting ceremony. Someday this trailhead will be part of a system that connects the beaches of Ventura to the Angelus National Forest beyond Canyon County. The four-mile horseback and bike trail around Iron Horse has been years in the making. Its centerpiece is the historic, 1898 railroad steel truss bridge adjacent to Magic Mountain Parkway, which connects to the South Fork Trail.
Before Construction, the site consisted of invasive grasses and mustard, trash, and a bridge in decline. The Santa Clara River, which defines the northern boundary of the Trail, was and is lush with native vegetation. The trailhead is already an overwhelming success that will attract ever-more visitation. 971 visitors were counted in the first four days open, with over 6,000 projected for the first month. Typically, recreation trail visitataion rates double or triple the first year or two.
Iron Horse Trailhead is the result of joint cooperation between Newhall Land & Santa Clarita Department of Parks & Recration. Newhall Land oversaw the planning, design and construction of the trailhead. Newhall Land master planned and built the community of Valencia which features many premier neighborhoods and community facilities in Santa Clarita and beyond.
The City of Santa Clarita has overseen the design and development of one of California’s premier recreation and bike trail systems. The trails are used by commuters as well as recreation enthusiasts. Iron Horse Trailhead reflects the best of public/private sector creativity and effort.
THE GRAND OPENING WAS A PARTY
THE BRIDGE SHAPED THE DESIGN OF THE WAYFINDING ART & THE SHADE STRUCTURE
HISTORIC IMAGES SET ON TRUSSED STEEL POSTS IDENTIFY TRAIL CHOICES
THE TEAM
Project Developer: NEWHALL LAND, 25124 Springfield Ct., #300, Valencia, CA 91355, www.newhall.com/
Controlling Municipality: THE CITY OF SANTA CLARITA, Department of Parks & Recreation, 23920 Valencia Blvd, Suite 120, Santa Clarita, CA 91355, www.santa-clarita.com
Landscape Architect: Pacific Coast Land Design, 3639 Harbor Blvd., #107, Ventura, CA 93001 www.pc-ld.com
Civil Engineer: Hunsaker & Associates, 26074 Avenue Hall #22, Valencia, CA 91355 www.hunsakerla.com
Landscape Contractor: Oakridge Landscape, 28064 Avenue Stanford, Unit K Valencia, CA 91355 ken@oakridgelandscape.net
MORE ON IRON HORSE TRAILHEAD
Newspaper story on the June 15 Grand Opening:http://www.santa-clarita.com/index.aspx?recordid=923&page=133
A walk through the trail on video:http://santaclaritacitybriefs.com/tag/iron-horse-trailhead-dedication-ceremony/
Interactive map with route options:http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=353749
MORE PCLD TRAIL & RESTORATION PROJECTS ALONG THE SANTA CLARA RIVER:
The Santa Paula Trail:http://www.pc-ld.com/pcld-blog/2012/2/24/santa-paula-branch-line-trail-now-open.html
South River recreation trail and riverbank restoration: http://www.pc-ld.com/south-river/
