Fort Tejon State Historic Park

The good: only six bucks to park, beautiful old oaks, flush toilets, and convenient to freeway accessThe bad: so much road noise I could not think, and most sites are simply fenced grassThe ugly: there is none.

This is a nice California State Park along the route 5 highway when driving between Northern and Southern California. I recommend visiting either in the fall or spring, it is too hot in the summer and very cold and cloudy in the winter. It's a nice place to stop for a picnic lunch on a road trip and you have to pay a nominal fee to park (less than $10). I wish they rebuild the buildings from the original fort, the park ranger said they are planning to but haven't yet done it, so you just see fenced off areas where they say "This is where the fort's hospital used to be..."It's a nice place to learn about a part of California's history soon after it became an official US State. Sometimes they will even fire off the actual authentic cannon as well. The nature area is very nice and they have a campground as well. You can still here some highway noise though but a nice place to stop for a picnic lunch or quick visit on your road trip.

Our 2nd time here. We actually came here when the park was in operation during day time which let us explore the different houses and displays. We loved the historical site and it's a really peaceful place to come and hang out. There are lots of different houses to explore and see how they operated the fort. A neat historical place for kids located in a concealed part of the Taejon pass. Gave it a 4 because the bathrooms could really use some deep cleaning. Overall, great place to visit.

We went here on a drizzly day. There's a really creepy vibe to it but it's really beautiful. I guess this used to be an old military base and they would have prisoners here. There was a man that worked here on the weekend and he was super friendly. When we went inside to look at the things that look like would be in a museum, he let us into specific rooms that were locked. We definitely have to go at a time when it's warmer.

So peaceful! Theres a lot of picnic area and there's a campground few meters away.My son was so amazed with the chickens haha, we walked around the area, theres an easy trail that you can take. Took tons of pictures!

Wonderful piece of history ,open to the public for no fee. You only have to pay six dollars for parking. I came here with a few friends and enjoyed walking the grounds and learning about this Army Fort from the 1850s.

Cool place great interpretive staff and a nice place to take a break. It's a bit loud in the parking lot but the Barracks is much quieter and cooler.

Another win for the Passport 2 History program! Yes, we've passed the sign for the park many times on the Grapevine, but never had time to stop. After reading about their living history days on their website, I knew they feature them once a month, plus 4th of July.One benefit of making a special trip, especially on a holiday, was the very light traffic en route to Ft. Tejon. Even with major road construction through Santa Clarita, we made the drive in record time. Once we arrived, we found a free parking place and checked in at the ranger station. They gave us a special brochure on the fort's history, plus a map of the grounds.A number of families were taking advantage of the special activities the staff and costumed volunteers had planned for the holiday. Have to give proper kudos to the many volunteers. Men dressed up in uniforms from the fort's heyday in the 1850's. That means scratchy wool coats in almost 90 degree heat! Women were in hoop skirts like Scarlet O'Hara in Gone With The Wind.Demonstrations throughout the day included candlemaking, Laundry Day-1850's Style, cooking over an indoor cook fire (versus an oven), blacksmithing, and carpentry. Family-oriented games taking place in the main gathering space looked like fun for the kids.The complex of buildings in the State Park property offer a glimpse into life in the pre-Civil War era. A large adobe houses a gift shop downstairs, with barracks upstairs. Many vintage uniforms hang inside, along with some swords and guns from the time frame of the fort. In the commanding officer's house we checked out the various rooms, outfitted with period furnishings. A costumed docent sat in the downstairs hall, demonstrating the intricate art of making bobbin lace. Fascinating! She was very sweet and informative. Nearby, two women were preparing a sample meal in the kitchen. It was quite warm outside, and hotter still in the kitchen with its open fireplace. I was so impressed with the dedication of the re-enactors, taking their 4th of July holiday to share their enthusiasm for bringing history to life for guests of the park. That alone is worth five stars.The peaceful grounds, with mountainous backdrop, and ancient oak trees, cast a spell of relaxation and historical magic. We agreed we were glad we made the journey to check out Fort Tejon's past. Highly recommend visiting on one of the living history days!

A big beautiful park, with civil war history exhibits. Sometimes re-enactments. Other local history as well. I usually see deer when I visit.

If you travel through the grapevine frequently chances are that you've seen the sign for Fort Tejon State Park. You probably motored right by because you're either entering or leaving the Lebec grade and you're really not wanting to stop. Well on this latest trip we did stop. Fort Tejon is a former Army Post that was active for ten tears during the mid 1800s. Various restored building and original foundations are here like the camp jail, barracks, and officers' quarters. Most buildings have artifacts and military uniforms on display. We spent about an hour here on a hot summer day. If anything, the interpretive trail is great for stretching your legs on a long trip. - Deer just walking through this place. Chickens too.- Adults $3- Kids $1- Every season will its own unique experience.- Bathrooms