Explore 14 write-ups tagged with Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

Take a trip to Arroyo Sequit Park to hike a short loop through a tucked-away pocket of the Santa Monica Mountains, The park is situated along Mulholland Highway inland of Leo Carrillo State Park and below the range's most rugged peaks. The surroundings for this 2.05 miles hike are beautiful. Arroyo Sequit Nature Trail has 285 feet of elevation change, winding over and around the upper reaches of a canyon carved by the East Fork of Arroyo Sequit. ...Read more.

It is pretty unusual to hike to a peak from a trailhead at a higher elevation. In the case of Mesa Peak, the lofty trailhead along Corral Canyon Road treats hikers to summit-worthy views right from the get-go. While the elevation profile is atypical, the hike along Mesa Peak Motorway to Mesa Peak in Malibu is quite enjoyable. Ocean overlooks appear all along the wide dirt road, which also passes some very impressive sandstone formations. ...Read more.

Good things do come in small packages, like Rocky Oaks, one of the tinier parcels in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The park covers less than 200 acres, but a collection of interwoven trails allow visitors to hike about 2 miles in this park. For a short and level half-mile loop, stroll around a seasonal pond that was used as a cattle pond when Rocky Oaks was a ranch. ...Read more.

Located in Agoura Hills, California near Malibu Creek State Park, Paramount Ranch served as a Hollywood filming location and outdoor studio for Paramount Pictures. This cinematic history of the ranch is now preserved by the National Park Service as part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The park's main attraction and most interesting facet is Western Town, a couple blocks of prop buildings used from the 1950s to present day as an outdoor set for film and television show. ...Read more.

Between Corral Canyon Road and Castro Crest, the Backbone Trail passes though a remote segment of the Santa Monica Mountains know as Upper Solstice Canyon. While it is possible to feel quite removed at the bottom of this trail, the high ridges on both ends provide such sweeping views as to immediately restore your sense of place. From Corral Canyon Road to Castro Crest is 5. ...Read more.

Castro Crest is located 1.4 miles from Latigo Canyon Road up a pleasant section of the Backbone Trail. The crest offers excellent views over Malibu's Santa Monica Mountains, with the option to continue another half-mile up Castro Peak. The summit may not be reached however, as it is privately owned and extremely closed to the public. Another popular extension is to continue on the Backbone Trail for another 2. ...Read more.

The appeal of Ocean View and Canyon View Trails is self-evident. Both offer fine views of the Pacific Ocean and Zuma Canyon. Located on the opposite side of Zuma Canyon as Zuma Ridge Trail, Ocean View and Canyon View Trails combine to form a 3.1-mile loop with 750 feet of elevation gain. To complete the loop, leave from the Bonsall Trailhead and start up Zuma Canyon Trail. ...Read more.

Zuma Ridge Trail (also known as Zuma Ridge Motorway) is a wide dirt service road that weaves northwest up the ridge west of Zuma Canyon. The hike starts at the base of the flood plane, but quickly leaves the shrubby canyon for grassy mountain slopes. The views improve as the trail climbs, offering several great lookouts over Zuma Beach, Point Dune, Malibu High School, and the ocean beyond. ...Read more.

This demanding 8-mile loop includes two miles off-trail, trekking through a lush untamed canyon. Begin the loop on Zuma Canyon Trail. The sandy single track traverses a brushy open space, crossing and following a stony creek bed. After 1.4 miles, Zuma Canyon narrows and the trail dissolves. The true challenge begins! From the end of Zuma Canyon Trail, it is two miles to the next maintained path, an Edison Fire Road. ...Read more.

This 2.8-mile hike leaves a coastal Malibu neighborhood to explore rustic Zuma Canyon. The sandy single track shoots north through a brushy open space, crossing and following a stony creek bed. Sporadic oaks and sycamores become more concentrated as the mouth of the canyon closes. Enjoy the increasing shade and lush canyon views. The easy trail climbs only 115 feet and has no steep sections. ...Read more.