San Francisquito Canyon, Canyon in Angeles National Forest, California.

San Francisquito Canyon is a canyon cut by San Francisquito Creek through the Sierra Pelona Mountains in Los Angeles County. It widens as it nears the Santa Clarita Valley, and its middle and upper portions lie within the Angeles National Forest. A two-lane road named for the canyon runs roughly parallel to the creek, linking Santa Clarita with Green Valley and Elizabeth Lake.

Placer gold mining in the canyon was carried out by Spanish missionaries from the San Fernando and San Buenaventura missions and later by Mexican Californios, ending in 1848 when the Sutter's Mill discovery launched the Gold Rush. From 1820 the canyon carried the El Camino Viejo, and from 1854 the Stockton–Los Angeles Road, followed by the Butterfield Overland Mail from 1858 to 1861. The St. Francis Dam, built between 1924 and 1926, failed at 11:57 pm on March 12, 1928, killing at least 431 people; its ruins remain visible.

The canyon's name comes from the San Francisquito Creek that carved it, and its route has carried travelers since 1820 as part of the El Camino Viejo. From 1854 the Stockton–Los Angeles wagon road followed the canyon, and the Butterfield Overland Mail used it from 1858 to 1861. Today a two-lane road named after the canyon links Santa Clarita with Green Valley and Elizabeth Lake.

The road through the canyon is narrow and winding with steep grades, so careful driving is necessary. Several hiking trails and scenic overlooks offer ways to explore the area, though conditions vary by season.

Placer mining in the canyon was carried out by Spanish missionaries from the San Fernando and San Buenaventura Missions and later by Mexican Californios, and it stopped in 1848 when the Sutter's Mill discovery set off the California Gold Rush. Mining resumed and continued into at least the late 19th century.