Parker Mesa Overlook
in the Santa Monica Mountains
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Parker Mesa Overlook is located within Topanga State Park, which holds the distinction of being:
The world’s largest wildland within the boundaries of a major city.
This is of course completely different from Griffith Park:
The largest municipal park with urban wilderness area in the United States.
Both parks have great trails, and Parker Mesa Overlook is no exception. The lookout offers panoramic views of Santa Monica and the Pacific Ocean. The coastline spans from Palos Verdes in the south to Malibu in the north, and in between, it is nothing but blue.
Parker Mesa Overlook is reachable via a butt-kicking 3.5-mile trail. From the trailhead at the end of Los Liones Drive in the Pacific Palisades, the hike is 7-miles round-trip with 1,300 feet of elevation gain. The trail begins to climb immediately, weaving through a lush canyon on the Los Liones Trail. Slivers of the Pacific offer a taste of what is to come. After 1.5 miles, the ivy and chaparral lined trail reaches the East Topanga fire road and opens up on a great view of the coast. Catch your breath and make the left (almost a full U-turn) on to the fire road. Here you will join more hikers and bikers. The brush disappears, exposing hikers to clear views and lots of sun. The trail gains 700 feet over the next two miles in order to reach the mesa. A sign on the left side of the trail points to Parker Mess Overlook. From the turnoff it is just one more half mile over relatively level terrain out to the overlook.
The view from Parker Mesa Overlook
Someone was kind enough to provide benches here, so have a seat and enjoy the panoramic view. Once you are done, hike back to the turnoff. Make a right and return the way you came.
To add extra mileage to your hike, one could turn left from the path to the mesa and continue along the East Topanga Fire Road toward Trippet Ranch, which is 2.5 miles away. This trail is mostly downhill with more good views of the ocean and Pacific Palisades neighborhoods that are nestled into the mountains.
Trippet Ranch, at the heart of Topanga State Park, also serves as an alternate (and probably more popular) trailhead for the overlook. This route is a mile shorter with much less elevation gain.
The Los Liones route is a great workout and a good trial-by-trail to condition yourself for a longer summit hike in the Angeles or the Sierras. Parker Mesa Overlook is closer to the city that most trails in the Santa Monica Mountains.
There is no fee to park on Los Liones Road. However, if you enter from Trippet Ranch, there is an $8 park entrance fee for Topanga State Park (or you may park for free along the side of the road that approaches the park and walk in). No dogs are allowed in Topanga State Park. You may see a few rebels on the trail, but the owners may be ticketed.
To get to the trailhead: Los Liones Drive is the second left off Sunset Blvd from the PCH and is just 1/3 of a mile from the beach. Park on the right side of Los Liones, and enter the trail from the end of the cul-de-sac.
Use the map below to create your own directions:
View Los Angeles Hikes in a larger map
Nearby Trails
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This 3-mile loop visits a lust canyon with ocean views and overlaps the first half of the hike to Parker Mesa Overlook. |
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This 2.6-mile loop offers a variety of scenery and decent exercise, despite its relative brevity. |
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This fairly well maintained section of the Backbone Trail crosses fields of grains and forests of Bays, climbing 1500 feet over 3.8 miles. |
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More trails in the Santa Monica Mountains Explore other destinations in the range. |
Similar Trails
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This 3.6-mile hike travels an easy-to-follow fire road, climbing 1000 feet to panoramic views of the Santa Monica Mountains and San Fernando Valley. |
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This 6-mile loop summits the tallest peak in the Santa Monica Mountains. |
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