Free Fun in the Santa Clarita Valley

Santa Clarita offers Exceptional Outdoor Hiking

Explore Historic Sites

Filming is routine around Santa Clarita

Free outdoor summer movies

Walk through a farmer's market

Story time at the library

Yup, everything listed in this section is absolutely free; no surprises. Enjoy!

Be sure to visit our Calendar of Events for oodles of free fun ideas happening today!

Go For A Walk/Hike
Early morning and evening outings are the best, and bring lots of water, because you’ll probably have so much fun, you’ll be out longer than anticipated. Santa Clarita has created paved foot paths and equestrian trails that wind through neighborhoods, business areas and into park areas. Many community parks offer walkways. And, with mountain ranges all around us, it’s not too difficult to drive five minutes and find yourself in a remote area.

Hike through Hollywood locations (Beale’s Cut and Vasquez Rocks), over creeks (Rice Canyon and Placerita Nature Center), and into a forest of bigcone Douglas fir (East Canyon). Or catch the Pacific Crest Trail in Agua Dulce.

Beware: Our area abounds with wildlife, including rattlesnakes, bear and mountain lions. (Snakes are most active when temperatures are in the 70-80 degree range.) Don’t venture out without first reading our Creepy Crawlies and Wildlife pages.

Search for Cache
Geocaching is the latest thing. Of course, this is only free if you already own a GPS. There are over 300 caches within a ten mile radius of Valencia. Learn the basics here before heading out.

Explore Historic Areas
Remnants of a ghost town still remain in Mentryville, historic buildings have been preserved in Heritage Junction, Harey Carey’s and Bill Hart’s homes are open for tours, and you can still relive the story of California’s first gold discovery—right here in Santa Clarita.

Tour Hollywood’s Backlot
Santa Clarita is one of the most active filming spots in Los Angeles County. Head out on a self-guided tour of the locations of top shows like “CSI” and “NCIS.” Go inside the homes of celebrities (Harey Carey and William S. Hart) or check out the famed Walk of the Western Stars or the new Stuntmen Walk of Fame.

Schedule a Tour at
Edwards Air Force Base
661-277-3511
Mojave, CA
Located about an hour and 45 minutes from Santa Clarita, Edwards AFB offers public tours typically on the first and third Fridays of the month, beginning at 9:00 am and ending at 2:30 pm. The tour is free but reservations are required. Check their website for available dates.
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Play in the Parks
Many of the park facilities are free to the public. Shoot hoops, challenge yourself on the 75-foot snake run or double bowl at the Skate and Bike Park, or just enjoy an old-fashioned cookout and fun in the park.

Visit the Animals
Bison roam the hillside at William S. Hart Park and the same park has lots of little barnyard animals for the children to enjoy…and feed. Macaws can be seen (and heard!) at Green Nursery on Cinema Drive, as well as hummingbirds and other little creatures. The Placerita Nature Center gives folks an opportunity to see snakes and tarantulas up close. You can even feed the fish and turtles at Garden Concepts. Of course, pet stores always welcome visitors, as do the animal shelters. The LA County Animal Shelter in Castaic serves the Santa Clarita Valley, and always has pets up for adoption.

Every Saturday from 10-3 Rainbow Rescue brings adoptable dogs and cats to PetSmart in Stevenson Ranch. Sundays from 11-3, the Brittany Foundation in Agua Dulce holds an open house for their dog adoption program.

Take in a Free Movie
We had to mention 'free' again, because otherwise you may not believe us. Every Tuesday and Wednesday mornings at 10:00, Canyon Country Stadium 10 opens their doors for movies like “Cheaper By The Dozen,” “Yours, Mine & Ours,” and “Curious George.” Kids Meals are available for purchase, and seating is limited to capacity. Summer months only. Courtesy of Regal Entertainment Group

You can also catch a free outdoor movie summer evenings on the lawn at three LA County Parks:

Castaic Regional Sports Complex
661-775-8865
Biweekly Friday evenings
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Chesebrough Park
661-259-1750
Bi-weekly Saturday evenings
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Every other week family movies are shown on the giant wall of the sports complex. Bring your own refreshments, blanket or chairs. Great fun on our cool summer evenings!

Harry Carey Ranch
661-254-4584
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Located in the Tesoro del Valle development on Avenida Rancho Tesoro, just past Stone Creek Road, on the right-hand side of the street. Watch the park for signs for periodic movies. Movie times may also be aired on KHTS.

Entertainment for Preschoolers
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Westfield Mall presents a half hour show suitable for the wee ones during the summer months. Presented once a month on Tuesdays at 10:30 in the Food Court Area.

Story Time, Crafts and Puppet Shows
Head to your local library for quality entertainment for the kids, or an adult book review.

Outdoor Markets
Sunday mornings from 8:00 to noon at College of the Canyons and Thursday evenings from 4:00 to 8:00 in
Old Town Newhall. (Thursday evening market closes from January to April.) Live entertainment, fresh veggies and good eats. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, admission is free to the flea markets at the Saugus Speedway.

Volunteer in Your Community
Identify your gifts and passion, and then put them to work in your community. It’s a great way to teach children the wonderful feeling of helping someone else. Check out the City’s list or check out the SCV Resource Center Volunteer Portal.

Evening Concerts and Movies
For an outdoor movie under the stars, check our Take in a Free Movie title. Many concerts can be found throughout the valley—at our colleges throughout the year, in Central Park, on Town Center Drive, and in the Grace Baptist Church amphitheater. Arrive early as these are popular events! (Summers only)

Events
In addition to the Concerts in the Parks, the City of Santa Clarita sponsors events throughout the year--many of which are free and loads of fun! The Santa Clarita Street Art Festival is one of these.

Learn Where We Get Our Water
This is one of those really cool, "I can't believe it's free!" things to do. Step out on the deck for magnificent views of Pyramid Lake, walk through a simulated forest, see how much water is in everything around us--including you! Watch a video projected on a huge map of California that shows how water is transported to the Santa Clarita Valley, and all around California. (Free) Open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Years Day. Just under 25 minutes from Magic Mountain.
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Ranger-led Programs
Many of our public lands, especially the wilderness areas, offer ranger-led programs such as evening programs, campfires, and educational hikes. Please note that in the summer months, Vasquez Rocks Natural Area does not offer special events, as it is just too hot out there. And, in the evenings, the snakes are most active in the summer months. The one exception is the Star Party sponsored by the Local Group [Astronomy Club].

Enjoy Your Patio
Most of us never take the time to enjoy our own patio. Read a book, listen to the birds, watch the kids take a swim in your pool. Your own yard probably rivals most five-star resorts.

Did We Miss Something?
If you know of a free activity we missed in the Valley, let us know! We'd love to include it. To qualify, it must be a recurring activity--not a one time event. Drop us an email.