Santa Susana Road Footprint 'Slide'- Chatsworth, CA
Posted by: calgriz
N 34° 15.682 W 118° 37.704
11S E 350075 N 3792336
The Old Santa Susana Stage Road or Santa Susana Wagon Road is a route taken by early travellers between the San Fernando Valley and Simi Valley near Chatsworth, California via the Santa Susana Pass. The steepest stretch, Devil's Slide.
Waymark Code: WM811J
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 01/06/2010
Views: 15
One of the major obstacles to stagecoach travel between Los Angeles and San Francisco was a route out of the west end of the San Fernando Valley over the Simi Hills. About 1860, a steep road was carved out of the rock face of the hills. The steepest stretch, a peril to man and beast, was known as Devil's Slide. The road had hand-made rain water gutters carved out of the native rock to take away rain water from the road surface. Also there were carved steps into the native rock to help the horses footing.
The slide, the old stage road and a portion of the Simi Hills are preserved in a park-in-the-making just west of Chatsworth. In 1989, the state purchased 400 acres in the Santa Susana Pass area and added it to another 400 acres of state-owned parkland. Eventually, Santa Susana State Park will be staffed with rangers and have recreation facilities. The park represents two decades of organizing and lobbying by San Fernando Valley and Simi Valley environmentalists, spearheaded by the Santa Susana Mountain Park Assn.
Link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Santa_Susana_Stage_Road