SAMO ParkCache 2 Traditional Geocache
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Size: 
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Welcome to Solstice Canyon located in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, a unit of the U.S. National Park System. Here you can experience a waterfall, see the revitalization of life after a fire and even see the ruins of old historic homes!
For 100 years, the National Park Service has preserved America’s special places “for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.” Celebrate its second century with the Find Your Park GeoTour that launched April 2016 and explore these geocaches placed for you by National Park Service Rangers and their partners.
geocaching.com/play/geotours/findyourpark
This cache is part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area ParkCaching Program. This site contains one of six (6) collector cards as part of the ParkCache series in the mountains. Please only take one card per person.
Note: There is no log. Credit given on honor system.
Information regarding Solstice Canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
• Solstice Canyon is open from 8am – Sunset daily.
• Parking during weekends can be a challenge so carpooling is encouraged.
• All plant material, rocks, animals, and historical features are protected by law and may not be collected or disturbed.
• Safety information:
- Poison Oak can be found in this area. It is identified by three leaves ranging in color from green to crimson. The plant is deciduous, so it does lose its leaves in the winter.
- Watch out for rattlesnakes and ticks.
• Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Visitor Center Information:
Open daily from 9 AM – 5PM.
Address: 26876 Mulholland Highway, Calabasas, CA 91302
Phone number: 805-370-2301
In emergency: dial 911
Solstice Canyon—a place where nature greets you with the sights and sounds of a babbling brook set amidst towering alder and sycamore trees. At times, raging fall wildfires have burned along the slopes of Solstice Canyon to the ocean.
The solitude, serenity, and abundant natural resources have attracted people to Solstice Canyon for centuries. The Chumash historically used the land for food, water and shelter. Ranchers grazed cattle in the area for many years.
In 1903, Henry Keller built a stone hunting cabin after the original homestead was destroyed in a wildfire. The stone house survived many wildfires but was finally destroyed in the 2007 Corral Fire. The stone walls are still visible across the stream as you walk up the Solstice Canyon Trail.
Further upstream is the Roberts Ranch House. Built in 1952, it is on the same site of several prior homes destroyed by wildfire. Renowned African-American architect Paul Williams designed the house for property owners Fred and Florence Roberts. The house was later featured in an issue of Architectural Digest for its stunning blend of multi-levels and natural features, including waterfalls, creeks and trees. Today, walking around the foundation, you can experience moving through a life-sized blueprint of a Paul Williams home.
Solstice Canyon was also an important site of early space research. In 1961, Thompson-Ramo-Wooldridge (TRW), rented 10 acres from the Roberts Family for a research facility, and stayed until 1973. Designed to develop supersensitive magnetometers to study the magnetic fields in space, this site was used to test satellite equipment for space missions, including the Pioneer series. At the TRW overlook you can see the foundations of the TRW buildings, all that remains after the Corral Fire. The circular foundation is the location of the silo-like building where the magnetometers were tested.
Solstice Canyon became a public park in 1988. It is now managed by the National Park Service. Solstice Canyon is recovering from the Corral Fire of November 24, 2007. The blackened plant skeletons are reminders of the towering flames that denuded the canyon slopes. However, the green growth of resprouting shrubs and new seedlings is evident, with wildflowers are also abundant in spring.
Today, Solstice Canyon still serves as a haven from city life. As you visit Solstice Canyon, where the old meets the new, help us to preserve and protect its serenity and beauty for all to enjoy.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Cvpavp nern, haqre jnlfvqr rkuvovg.