Entry No. 68 — the Los Angeles file — filed under: ruins

Concrete ruins of the St. Francis Dam

Designed by William Mulholland and completed in 1926, the St. Francis Dam collapsed catastrophically in 1928, unleashing a massive flood that claimed over 400 lives. Today, the site is a designated national monument where visitors can hike to see massive, scattered blocks of concrete and twisted rebar strewn across the canyon floor. The ruins stand as a quiet, somber monument to one of the worst civil engineering disasters in American history.

The move: Take a scenic hike along the abandoned Old San Francisquito Canyon Road to safely view and photograph the colossal concrete ruins scattered along the creek.

📍 Before you go The ruins are located within the Saint Francis Dam Disaster National Monument in the Angeles National Forest, which is legally open to the public for hiking and exploration.

• 📍 Santa Clarita
• 💸 Free
• ⚡ Low-key
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: Santa Clarita, CA 91390, USA

Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current access before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: Wikipedia · archaeology.org · weekendsherpa.com

last checked: 2026-07-20