| San Francisquito Creek (Arroyo San Francisquito) | |
| stream | |
| Name origin: Spanish | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | California |
| Region | Merced County |
| Part of | Santa Clara River |
| Source | source |
| - location | southwest of San Francisquito Pass |
| - coordinates | [1] |
| Mouth | |
| - location | confluence with Santa Clara River |
| - coordinates | [1] |
| Length | 22 mi (35 km) |
San Francisquito Creek, in Los Angeles County, is a tributary stream of the Santa Clara River. It drains the south facing slopes of the Sierra Pelona Ridge of the San Gabriel Mountains within the Transverse Range of California, USA.
The closest populated place to the Creek is Green Valley that lies along the upper course of the creek, in the upper part of San Francisquito Canyon, southeast of the source of the Creek at San Francisquito Pass. At its mouth and confluence with the Santa Clara River is Santa Clarita.
San Francisquito Creek and its canyon was for many years the major route of wagon and stage roads nortward from Los Angeles into the San Joaquin Valley. The first was El Camino Viejo, later there was the Stockton - Los Angeles Road and the Butterfield Overland Mail stage route. The wagon road followed the course of the stream in the bottom of the canyon. [2] Two stage stations for the Overland Mail were along the Creek. Widow Smith's Station was located about a mile down the canyon from Green Valley.[3] and King's Station, located 10 miles south of Widow Smith's Station in lower San Francisquito Canyon.[4]