St. Francis Dam Tour returns after three-year hiatus

After a three-year hiatus, the Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society will commemorate the 95th anniversary of the second-worst disaster in California history by bringing back its St. Francis Dam lecture and bus tour/hike at the dam site in San Francisquito Canyon on Saturday, March 11, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Tickets for the event are $50 and may be purchased on Eventbrite at bit.ly/3i4mmtj.

The tour will begin at 11 a.m. with a short presentation on the history of the dam presented by Alan Pollack and Dianne ErskineHellrigel from the St. Francis Dam National Memorial Foundation. The presentation will take place in Room 258 of the University Center at College of the Canyons, 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road, Santa Clarita. Participants should arrive at the college at 10:30 a.m. to park and check in.

After the presentation, two buses with speakers familiar with the disaster’s history will take participants into San Francisquito Canyon, narrating at important points of interest to the disaster, including Frank Rock, Ann Stansell, Pollack and Erskine-hellrigel.

As the event includes a short hike through natural areas, long pants, long sleeves and tennis shoes/hiking boots are recommended, as are a hat and sunscreen. Water and a snack will be provided. The hike will include the tombstone ruins, the pyramid formation, and other remaining blocks of the dam. Masks are recommended, but not required, for all indoor and transportation portions of the tour.

Funds raised will benefit programs of the Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society at the Santa Clarita History Center. This tour sells out every year, so advance purchase at the link provided is strongly recommended.