Hikes in the Santa Monica Mountains

Recently restored Malibu Lagoon State Beach is a lovely place to walk around an estuary and stroll along the beach. Take a walking path to overlooks around shorebird-filled wetlands and connect to Surfrider Beach, a world famous point break where Malibu Creek meets the Pacific Ocean. Sinking your toes in the sand, you can make your way east to Malibu Pier. ...Read more.

Mount Hollywood is a prominent peak in Griffith Park, located above and behind Griffith Observatory. While it isn't the park's tallest peak at 1,625 feet, the summit offers excellent 360-degree views. The trails on Mount Hollywood have postcard perspectives of the Hollywood Sign and Griffith Observatory, plus views of downtown Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Mountains. ...Read more.

The double-crested mountain of Twin Peaks is located close to the absolute center of the San Gabriel Mountains, making it an ideal mountain for catching big views over the range, including high points like Mount Wilson, Mount Baldy, and a slew of other summits. A trail leads to the 7,761-foot summit of Twin Peaks East, the higher of Twin Peak's sibling summits. ...Read more.

Gould Mesa Trail Camp is a hike-in campground in the front range of the San Gabriel Mountains, quite close to cities like Altadena and La Cañada Flintridge. The most obvious route to Gould Mesa is Gabrielino Trail. For something that's about half as long and twice as steep, you can take Gould Mesa Road, which drops 525 feet over 1.15 miles going from Angeles Crest Highway down a ridge and into the canyon where Gould Mesa Trail Camp sits along a mountain stream, the Arroyo Seco. ...Read more.

Gabrielino Trail is one of the principle trails through Angeles National Forest. Starting from the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, you can take this trail a short distance up a canyon along the lovely Arroyo Seco and come to Gould Mesa Trail Camp, a hike-in campground just a couple miles from civilization that delivers a quick escape from cities in the valley below. ...Read more.