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| Soledad Canyon | |
|---|---|
 Aerial view of Soledad Canyon, with theAntelope Valley Freeway winding up through it fromSanta Clarita towardPalmdale.Agua Dulce is visible in the center of the image, just left of the freeway. | |
| Floor elevation | 1,600–3,209 ft (488–978 m) |
| Length | 23 mi (37 km) E-W |
| Naming | |
| Native name | Cañón de Soledad (Spanish) |
| Geography | |
| Location | Los Angeles County,California,United States |
| Population center | Acton andAgua Dulce |
| Borders on | Santa Clarita Valley (west) Antelope Valley (northeast) |
| Coordinates | 34°25′27″N118°32′29″W / 34.42417°N 118.54139°W /34.42417; -118.54139 |
| Traversed by | Interstate 5,State Route 14 |
| River | Santa Clara River |
Soledad Canyon is a long narrowcanyon/valley located inLos Angeles County,California between the cities ofPalmdale andSanta Clarita. It is a part of theSanta Clara River Valley, and extends from the top ofSoledad Pass to the open plain of the valley inSanta Clarita. The upstream section of theSanta Clara River runs through it.
The canyon lies between theSierra Pelona Mountains towards the northwest and theSan Gabriel Mountains to the southeast, starting at the northeastern end ofSanta Clarita Valley. Traveling northeast through the canyon, it gradually slopes up until the unincorporated community ofActon, near which theSanta Clara River continues east towards its headwaters among the San Gabriel Mountains. Turning north towards Palmdale, the canyon terminates atSoledad Pass, just a few miles south ofLake Palmdale.
Soledad Canyon contains the Santa Clarita neighborhood ofCanyon Country. The localities of Vincent,Acton, Ravenna, and Russ.Agua Dulce are located just north of the canyon.
Soledad Canyon was a vital part of Los Angeles' transportation history. Transit between Los Angeles and the Central Valley was always difficult–in the "Gold Rush era" and stagecoach days the ride was extremely difficult, almost straight up-and-down throughSan Fernando Pass, up San Francisquito Canyon, and overTejon Pass. In 1856, Lieutenant Williamson, on a railroad surveying party, "discovered" that the pass, sometimes named "Williamson Pass", could provide the lower grades to make Los Angeles–Central Valley train travel possible by the roundabout detour all the way to Mojave, and over Tehachapi Pass, almost 70 miles farther than the direct Interstate 5 used today by trucks and autos.
In the mid 1870s, the first rail line was laid down in Soledad Canyon. On September 5, 1876, then president of theSouthern Pacific Railroad Charles Crocker drove agolden spike atLang Southern Pacific Station to complete theSan Joaquin Valley Line, the first rail line linkingLos Angeles toSan Francisco and theFirst transcontinental railroad.
From 1921 to 1989, theSoledad Canyon Sand and Gravel Mining Project mined a downstream region of the canyon forsand andgravel. In 2000, theBureau of Land Management awarded two 10-year leases to Transit Mixed Concrete (who later sold the contract to theCemex Corporation) to mine the site. This resulted in a protracted legal battle between the Bureau of Land Management, the Cemex Corporation, and theCity of Santa Clarita. In 2015, the Bureau of Land Management issued a cancellation of the contract, effectively ending almost century of mining within the canyon.
Soledad Canyon is traversed by theSoledad Canyon Road. The second-longest street in Santa Clarita, it branches from Sierra Highway andState Route 14 in Acton, heading west into Santa Clarita and serving as a major thoroughfare in theCanyon Country andSaugus neighborhoods, ending at Bouquet Canyon Road where it becomes Valencia Boulevard. Other routes through the canyon include State Route 14 (the Antelope Valley Freeway), and theMetrolinkAntelope Valley Line. Travelers on board the Antelope Valley Line are afforded a view of much of theSanta Clara River.Vincent Grade/Acton station serves communities within the canyon.
The canyon was chosen as the state's preferred alternative for the route of the plannedCalifornia High-Speed Rail line betweenBurbank Airport andPalmdale. Project maps outline five tunnels to be excavated through the mountainsides, crossing State Route 14 once on an elevated structure.[1] Trains may start running in 2033.
ThePacific Crest Trail traverses the western reaches of the canyon north to south. Descending the southern slopes of theSierra Pelona Mountains, the trail passes throughAgua Dulce andVasquez Rocks before winding up a mountain ridge. It then descends into the primary reach of Soledad Canyon, passing beneath the tracks of the Antelope Valley Line and crossing the Santa Clara River before continuing up into theSan Gabriel Mountains.
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