I’m ba-ack. Yup. Apparently I’ve been lost in Santa Clarita. And while lost, I came upon this veddy interesting spot near Towsley Canyon. A very popular place to hike or just bring your family to enjoy an outing on the weekend.

On this particular weekend , while hiking, we noticed a noxious smell. While not overpowering, it was not going to be sold in stores as the newest trendy perfume for the eclectic aspiring actor. Or anyone.

Sooooo… we found a path to take us closer, yes, not farther (dumb, I know…) to the source of this wonderful (/s) smell. How many times have you watched a movie only to stand up and shout “THEY’RE BEHIND YOU! TURN AROUND, NOW! RUN!!!” During the part where the mysterious stranger is brandishing a shiny new machete?

This was us. Yup.

For some reason, the Beverly Hillbillies song was going through my head.

“One day they were shooting through the woods and up from the ground comes a bubbling crude” or something like that. Mostly because that’s what was there. Some kind of natural petroleum spring, just bubbling away without a care in the world.

Towsley View Loop Trail leaves the creek and angles out of the bottom of the canyon, passing a few pools of oil and liquid asphalt that seep out from the wall of the canyon. Towsley Canyon was used by Chevron for oil production for over a century before the land was transferred to the public to become a park. Look down off the right side of the trail to spot dark glossy pools of oil that remind hikers of the area’s active drilling history as well as its robust seismic activity.

You can see the full hike here: Towsley Canyon Hike

Overall it was a good hike. About 5 miles or so total. I was of course waiting for the golf cart ride back to the entrance which never came. Sadly…(smile)

Have a great evening y’all!