URBAN ADVENTURE. REPORTER DEER CREEK PARK IS A HIDDEN GEM IN THE HEART OF ROCKLAND. THIS OUTCROPPING OF GRANITE BOULDERS SITS JUST WEST OF THE BUSTLING PACIFIC STREET CORRIDOR IN ROCKLAND, AND RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE ROCKLIN QUARRY. ADVENTURE PARK. WHILE IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE ANOTHER PILE OF ROCKS, THIS SPOT IS THOUGHT TO BE ONE OF THE ORIGINAL ROCKLAND QUARRIES. OPENED IN 1861 BY CHARLES BRIGHAM AND LEVI HAWES, KNOWN AS THE BRIGHAM AND HAAS QUARRY. RENTED FROM THIS SITE WAS USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CALIFORNIA CAPITOL BUILDING. THE QUARRY ALSO SUPPLIED GRANITE USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ADJACENT TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD AS IT REACHED ROCKLAND FROM SACRAMENTO IN 1864. TODAY, THE QUARRY IS AN OVERGROWN POND FILLED WITH WATER AND DEBRIS FRAMED BY MASSIVE GRANITE BLOCKS. IT’S AN INTERESTING PLACE TO SCRAMBLE AROUND THE BOULDERS AND IMAGINE THE BYGONE ERA WHEN 60 SUCH QUARRIES OPERATED IN THE REGION. NOT ONLY IS THIS A FUN PLACE TO STEP BACK IN, ROCKLAND’S HISTORY, BUT IT’S ALSO A FUN PLACE TO HANG OUT FOR ROCK CLIMBERS IN A SPORT CALLED BOULDERING, CRACKS AND SMALL LEDGES MAKE THIS A CHALLENGING PLACE FOR THE EXPERIENCED CLIMBER. DURING THE WINTER MONTHS WHEN TAHOE’S FAMED GRANITE WALLS ARE BURIED IN SNOW AND ICE, THE REMNANTS OF THE OLD QUARRY ARE THE PERFECT PLACE TO BOULDER AND KEEP ONE’S FITNESS YEAR ROUND. A PAIR OF CLIMBING SHOES AND A CHALK BAG ARE ALL ONE NEEDS TO TAKE ON THE LOW ELEVATION PROBLEMS. IT’S ALSO A POPULAR SPOT AMONG RADIO CONTROLLED CAR ENTHUSIASTS WHO DRIVE THEIR ROCK CRAWLERS OVER THE BOULDERS AND MINI TRAILS, SO COME HANG OUT ON OR AMONG THESE GRANITE BLOCKS AT ROCKLAND’S DEER CREEK PARK. NOW DEER CREEK PARK IS NEAR THE CORNER OF PACIFIC STREET AND FERRIN STREET. AS I SAID BEFORE, RIGHT NEXT TO THE NAPA AUTO PARTS. NOT EXACTLY THE PLACE YOU’D EXPECT TO FIND ADVENTURE. A SMALL ARTISTIC OR COD AND GRANITE PLAQUE MARK THE LOCATION ALONG THE SIDEWALK THERE ON PACIFIC STREET, OR BETTER KNOWN AS RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE ROCKLIN QUARRY ADVENTURE PARK. RIGHT NOW I DO LIKE A GOOD ROAD TRIP, BUT THIS ONE IS ONE YOU DON’T HAVE TO TRAVEL FAR TO GO AROUND THE CORNER. WELL, YOU KNOW, IT’S ONE OF THOSE GREAT SPOTS AROUND HERE WHERE IF YOU’RE UP THERE LIKE FOR A SPORTS GAME, YOU GOT TIME TO KILL. GO THERE. YEAH. AND THERE ARE ALL THESE, LIKE, GREAT LITTLE THINGS YOU CAN DO. YOU GET A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY, BUT ALSO YOU BURN A LITTLE ENERGY AND THERE