Stagecoach trail from Simi VAlley to San Fernando Valley

[tapoutking]

I live in Simi and have checked out the first 1/2 mile or so of the trail starting on the Simi side near Corriganville. Found a bunch of railroad spikes and cans. Anyone else detect the area with any luck?

 

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[WilliamBoyd]

Wasn't that where Charles Manson kept his "family"?

 

[Skifisher]

Havent been there yet, but it's on my list of places to go. Is this the one that goes thru Santa Susanna pass?

 

[tapoutking]

Yes, the Manson family was close to that area .

And yes, it is the Santa Susana Pass. I am prety familiar with the area (grew up in Simi). You can actually see the trail from the 118 freeway.

 

[WilliamBoyd]

I have hiked around that area on both sides of the freeway (118).
One place I walked up was Devil Canyon, which goes for miles north of 118.
Another place I have hiked is what's left of the Spahn Movie Ranch.
It is spooky to think about the Manson Family living there.

 

[Skifisher]

There has got to be stuff in that area, as it was used as a road of one kind or another for a long time.

I enjoy just exploring also, and have heard that there is a spot in the pass where the wagons had to be hand winched up a grade to the summit, and that you can still see the notches in the hill side where they would wedge the wagon every foot or so to keep it from rolling back. It would be cool to see that.

Good luck!

 

[Ray in CA]

I was just up there last Monday, as I had to go to Simi Valley. My friend and I walked down the trail a ways where the people had to get out and walk up the grade. We didn't have much time so I did some very fast detecting. Didn't find anything, but if you go there be prepared for a lot of JUNK. The good news is, the last recent fire in that area cleared much of the scrub brush out, so one can now detect in areas that were once either impossible or very difficult to detect. If you go out there, let us know how you do.

Ray

 

[tapoutking]

I was thinking about that recently. all the brush is gone so easy to detect spots now. Ya, Devils slide is the place with the gauges from the wagon wheels. I'll take pics when I get out.

 

[ghostdog]

The stage coach trail runs as far as Topanga cyn,I have been in various sections and found a lot of different relics,I know where a old Army calvery lookout was located,a very spooky area to detect. The early Spanish were all over the Santa Susanas, I have seen plenty of Spanish rock maps.

 

[tapoutking]

Ghostdog, I would be interested in checking the lookout spot out. Is it a secret spot of yours or are you ok with telling me about it?

Thanks!

 

[ghostdog]

no thats easy, you need to go to red hawk cyn road near topanga cyn blvd., drive half way uptill you see a gate on the west side,park,proceed past the gate on the trail,you are now on the stage road,follow it around till you see the look out point, good luck in your hunting.

 

[tapoutking]

Thanks! I may be up in the area this weekend. My friend wants to check out Castle rock.

 

[ghostdog]

A sizable treasure trove was unearthed about 40 years ago below castle rock in a old luggage trunk{i have no more imfo.on the story} , I have found lots of broken Indian pottery and other relics in that location, very busy place on the weekends with climbers,good luck in your hunts.

 

[garym94931]

I live in Simi and have checked out the first 1/2 mile or so of the trail starting on the Simi side near Corriganville. Found a bunch of railroad spikes and cans. Anyone else detect the area with any luck?

Prior to the freeway being built in that area, the only road from Topanga Blvd to Simi was the pass you are referring to (as I recall). I used to hike Chatsworth Park all the time & had a friend not too far into Simi so we drove that road & even camped up in the hills. I saw what was left of the Manson "ranch" after they bulldozed it ... it was just heaps of rubble probably waiting for pick up. Anywhere close to the park, you'll probably find mostly junk. But along the old stage trail, that sounds interesting.

 

[tapoutking]

I Md'd just the first 1/4 mile of the stage coach trail on the simi side starting by the train tunnel. It was so overgrown at parts that I couldn;t get thru but since the fires I understand that it is a much easier hike.

 

[garym94931]

is the train tunnel still in use? what about the old road,,, is it still visable as a dirt road that is all overgrown? does it run along side of the paved road?

 

[tapoutking]

Yes, the train tunnel is still in use. And you can clearly see the stage trail from the freeway.

 

[garym94931]

we used to hike through the tunnel...occasionally a train would come but they went real slow because they knew kids were often in the tunnel. since most would not hunt in there due to trains, uh, its a thought. find a train schedule to find a slot of time open... might be something in there?

 

[tapoutking]

My friends and I used to walk thru the tunnel as well but we would wait inside for a train to come thru because there are "cubby holes" as we called them inside and you can stand in them as the train passed just two feet from you. It was loud and very cool as the train passed it was like standing in a wind tunnel.

I never thought of MDing in it though. Thats not a bad idea.

 

[garym94931]

My friends and I used to walk thru the tunnel as well but we would wait inside for a train to come thru because there are "cubby holes" as we called them inside and you can stand in them as the train passed just two feet from you. It was loud and very cool as the train passed it was like standing in a wind tunnel.

I never thought of MDing in it though. Thats not a bad idea.

my friends used to do that! but i've always been a chicken (do that still use this term for spineless?). i'd just stand outside and hear them laughing. but, yeah. who knows. over the decades plenty of things have probably fallen off trains and unlike our friends, most people don't want to go into an ACTIVE TRAIN TUNNEL