TRAILBLAZER : VASQUEZ WALKS AGUA DULCE ROCKS ARE STEP BACK IN TIME.

Byline: Brett Pauly Daily News Staff Writer

It's easy to see why the curiously slanted sandstone slabs of Agua Dulce were favored by a 19th century Mexican bandit, America's favorite prehistoric family and those who would boldly go where no man has gone before.

For there may be no better hiding places, exaggerated geology and otherworldly monoliths than those that form the core of Vasquez Rocks County Natural Area Park.

Sandwiched between Agua Dulce and Escondido canyons, southwest of Sierra Pelona Valley, the 745-acre park is dominated by crooked formations known as hogbacks, named for their rugged, wrinkled texture. Hikers and novice rock climbers can have a field day on the easy-to-ascend peaks.

Some of the foundations - chiseled by 8 million to 15 million years of earthquake energy along the Elkhorn Fault, an offshoot of the San Andreas Fault - stem from the ground at 50-degree angles. Those with the, er, inclination can boulder-hop to a height of 150 feet.

Before tackling the pinnacles, it's best to get a better lay of the land, for the labyrinth of rocks can be confusing without a proper overview. A 3-mile hiking loop circumnavigates the park's primary features and offers a firsthand (firstfoot?) look at why the park's namesake outlaw, Tiburcio Vasquez, settled on the rocks as the ideal hideaway for his men on the heels of the desperadoes' dirty deeds.

Pick up a crude map from the ranger's residence and unload your gear at any of five nearby parking areas. There are several ways to begin the hike, but we recommend starting at the northeast corner of the facility, at a base elevation of 2,500 feet.

From park headquarters, follow the dirt road in your car past a familiar outcropping to the south called Famous Rocks. Trekkies will no doubt recall Capt. James T. Kirk scurrying for his life atop the same boulders to evade an angry alien. Not far from the site, the surrounding slabs offer a step back in time. Here you may recognize the setting for the 1994 live-action version of ``The Flintstones.''

Vasquez Rocks is the honey of the Hollywood hive. Last summer, the Arnold Schwarzenegger feature ``Jingle all the Way'' filmed for five days in the park. Moviegoers and fans of Western television series may also spot the backdrops for ``Gunga Din,'' ``The Charge of the Light Brigade,'' ``Bonanza'' and ``Maverick.''

Long before, the rocks were home to real-life characters. From 200 B.C. to the late 18th century, the Tataviam Indians - ``people of the south-facing slopes'' - lived among the sparse vegetation of chamise, yucca, scrub oak, mazanita, dry grasses and succulent plants. Hunters and gatherers, they spoke a Shoshone dialect and traded with the Chumash.

But it is along the footpath where images of the brigand Vasquez are conjured.

Proceed east a short distance from the parking area, past a large meadow, and turn south onto a dirt road that is at once a park footpath and the Pacific Crest Trail. In about -2/3-mile, the PCT branches off to the east (elevation: 2,320 feet) on its route to Mexico. Before the split, a short downhill track takes visitors to a cool gully where Escondido Canyon's creek flows. Here you may envision Vasquez's band watering their mounts after a hard day of raiding stagecoaches, rustling cattle, and raping and pillaging.

Signs will point out the varied trails. A cave to the northwest along a horse trail may be where Vasquez took refuge from lawmen. Hikers should continue southwest for a -1/4-mile on the high road until reaching a second northwestbound track - this one designed for those on two feet.

The loop reaches its highest point - about 2,700 feet - along this -7/8-mile stretch before reaching Agua Dulce Canyon (2,400 feet). From this vantage, the rocky outcroppings appear well suited to have sheltered Vasquez from his pursuers. Viewed by his countrymen as a Robin Hood because he stole from gringos and gave to Mexicans, Vasquez counted on his luck for some 20 years. He was eventually captured in a shack in Cahuenga Pass and hanged.

Take the images of the badman with you as the trail climbs slightly northeast from Agua Dulce Canyon -2/3-mile to a connector trail (2,500 feet) back to your car. During the final march of a little more than -1/2-mile to the east, try scrambling over some of the boulders.

There are few better spots to get lost, as outlaws discovered 150 years ago. But if you have designs on eventually being found, merely hasten to the nearest high point and reorient yourself.

IF YOU'RE GOING

Vasquez Rocks County Natural Area Park is located at 10700 W. Escondido Canyon Road in Agua Dulce.

Drive north on the Golden State Freeway (5) to the Antelope Valley Freeway (14) east, exit at Agua Dulce Canyon Road and turn left. Turn right on Escondido Canyon Road and look for the signed entrance on the right.

Park hours are 8 a.m. to sunset daily. Only group camping is allowed; reservations can be made by calling park headquarters, [phone]. Parking is $3 per vehicle.

The Vasquez Rocks hiking loop, found on the Agua Dulce 7.5-minute series topographic map, is about 3 miles. Allow two hours to complete, longer to explore the nooks and crannies that define the hogbacks of sandstone.

Mountain bikes are not permitted, but equestrians and hikers are welcome.

For a funny account of trekking in the footsteps of Tiburcio Vasquez, check out the chapter ``Tumbleweeds and Wild Roses'' in ``Sagebrush and Cappuccino: Confessions of an LA Naturalist'' (Sierra Club Books; $13) by David Wicinas.

CAPTION(S):

3 Photos, Map, Box

Photo: (1--color) Hikers sit atop one of the many rock formations at Vasquez Rocks County Natural Area Park in Agua Dulce.

Tom Mendoza / Daily News

(2) A hiker takes in the scene on the Vasquez Rocks hiking loop. The 3-mile trek circles the area's unusual rock formations.

Brett Pauly / Daily News

(3) Vasquez Rocks has been the site of countless movies and television shows.

Tom Mendoza / Daily News

Map: (color) Vasquez Rocks hiking loop

Box: IF YOU'RE GOING (see text)