Hikes in the Santa Monica Mountains

At a saddle in the Santa Monica Mountains 2,375 feet above the Pacific Ocean and three miles from the coast, the Backbone Trail crosses Stunt Road, creating a high trailhead for nearby destinations like Saddle Peak. The 2-mile round trip hike to the summit climbs just 450 feet but offers fantastic views of Malibu and the Santa Monica Mountains. A spring bloom of gazanias (invasive) along the Backbone Trail Pick up the Backbone Trail and go west up the center of the V formed by the intersection of Stunt Road and Schueren Road. ...Read more.

In the 1930s, Nazi sympathizers built a refuge in the Pacific Palisades. Herr Schmidt, Winona and Norman Stephens, and their followers occupied a self-contained stronghold in what is now Rustic Canyon between Sullivan Ridge and Will Rodgers State Park. Murphy Ranch was designed to serve as a hold out for fans of the Third Reich waiting for America to fall to the Nazis. ...Read more.

Sullivan Ridge rises between Rustic Canyon and Sullivan Canyon east of Will Rogers State Park in a region of the Santa Monica Mountains aptly named the Big Wild. A 6.3-mile long fire road runs along the ridge, accompanied by a single-track trail that diverges from the road to explore more of Sullivan Ridge. A prominent lone-standing live oak along the road makes a natural turnaround point and a 7. ...Read more.

Sullivan Canyon runs north to south in the Santa Monica Mountains east of Will Rodgers State Park. This 8.5-mile round trip hike departs from a residential street a couple miles north of Sunset Boulevard and follows a wide trail up the center of a sycamore-filled canyon. Sullivan Canyon A green wall across Queensferry Road marks the start of the hike. ...Read more.

In the 1950s, San Vicente Mountain served as a mountaintop military installation to defend Los Angeles from soviet missile attacks. Today, the 1,960-foot peak provides visitors with a look back at this chapter in the city's history, along with a great view of West LA and the Santa Monica Mountains. Westridge Fire Road leads to San Vicente Mountain and is a popular path for mountain bikers, trail runners, and dog walkers (dogs are permitted off-leash in Westridge-Canyonback Wilderness Park under their owner's supervision). ...Read more.