Whitney Canyon, Santa Clarita, California

Website created and maintained by Stan Walker

Whitney Canyon is located between Placerita Canyon and Elsmere Canyon in the western San Gabriel Mountains. It is accessed from the park-and-ride at the end of Newhall Avenue (the old San Fernando Road) just east of Highway 14.

The canyon was first called Mud Springs Canyon. In 1888 and 1900, John H. Whitney purchased land at the mouth of the canyon (see the Naming of the Canyon page). For many years the canyon was called both Mud Springs and Whitney, but from the 1940's and on the only name used was Whitney Canyon.

The first oil well was drilled in 1893 and the last well was drilled in 1970. The canyon had many different owners. J. Warren MacClatchie in the 1930's, Wade Phillips in the 1940's and 50's, and Ray Watt from the 1980's are some. Besides the wells, the canyon was always used as a ranch in one way or the other. MacClatchie used it as a horse ranch.

In 1988, Los Angeles County officials considered the building of an off-road vehicle park in the canyon. This plan was vehemently opposed by local residents. Around the same time, owner Ray Watt for a time considered building a housing subdivision.

In July of 2002, the Santa Clarita Watershed Recreation and Conservation Authority (a joint agency between the City of Santa Clarita and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy) purchased 442 acres including Whitney Canyon from Ray Watt for $4.89 million with funds from the state, the city of Santa Clarita and Proposition 12 (the parks bond approved by voters in 2000). It is now managed by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA).

Pages:

The Naming of the Canyon and JH Whitney
Geology
History of Oil Development
Los Angeles Aqueduct
Photos