Angeles beams down to planet of Vulcans, Gorn

By Commodore Dave Mason

AGUA DULCE — We hiked where Capt. Kirk fought a Gorn.

USS Angeles members beamed down Nov. 16 to Vasquez Rocks, which served as the planet for the fight with the Gorn in the “Star Trek” episode “Arena.”

The Los Angeles County park near Agua Dulce also served as the planet Vulcan, both in “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” (1986) and the 2009 “Star Trek” movie directed by J.J. Abrams. To fans’ delight, it appeared as Vasquez Rocks in a 2020 episode of “Star Trek: Picard.”

After we hiked from the Vasquez Rocks interpretive center to the iconic rocks, First Officer Jeremy Kranz scanned through episodes on his smartphone and saw where Kirk (William Shatner) and the Gorn (Bobby Clark) stood in “Arena,” in the main parking lot next to the rocks. Other original series episodes filmed there included “Friday’s Child,” “A Private Little War” and “Shore Leave,” in which Kirk fights a Starfleet Academy classmate from his past. The more forested parts of “Shore Leave,” by the way, were filmed nearby at the former Africa U.S.A. site in Acton, which has been among “Star Trek” filming locations visited by the Angeles.

Jeremy also played part of “Who Watches the Watchers?,” a 1989 “Next Generation” episode filmed at Vasquez Rocks. Capt. Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) has to prove to people in a pre-warp civilization that he’s not a god.

After the quick scan of his phone, Jeremy looked at the sky and got a bird’s-eye view by hiking up the rocks. You don’t need ropes, but it’s a steep angle.

Fellow members Marianne and Roberto Quintero climbed higher, and Diego Garcia made it all the way to the very top of the most iconic peak.

Diego told me afterward he’s climbed mountains.

Angeles Founder Janice Willcocks and I, on the other hand, were happy to watch the climbers from terra firma.

More about our adventure and additional photos will appear in the December issue of Angels Flight. The newsletter goes to all USS Angeles members. To become one, click here.

USS Angeles Founder Janice Willcocks visits Vasquez Rocks, a frequent “Star Trek” filming site. (Photos by Dave Mason/USS Angeles/Angels Flight)

From left, Roberto and Marianne Quintero, Jeremy Kranz and Diego Garcia beam down to Vasquez Rocks.

Jeremy Kranz enjoys his climb.