Big Sycamore Canyon, Newbury Park
A wonderful family outing through the deep wooded Sycamore Canyon leads to your own ocean picnic. Consider taking two cars…one to leave at the entry and another at the beach!
Distance: 8 miles to the beach – Difficulty: Easy
For directions and more info, go to website
Borrego Trail, Whiting Wilderness, Foothill Ranch
Enjoy native wildlife on this family hike through red rock formations, oak woods and wildflowers.
Distance: 3.64 miles round trip – Difficulty: Easy
For directions and more info, go to website
Calabasas Peak, Calabasas
Go climb a completely climbable mountain! A moderate, but steady uphill trek for a little less than two miles to the summit with canyon views and sandstone formations along the way.
Distance: 3.7 miles round trip – Difficulty: Moderate
For directions and more info, go to website
Circle X Ranch, Malibu
Take the journey to Sandstone Peak, the highest point in the Santa Monica Mountains, or trek your way to the lush Grotto for an out-of-city experience at this former Boy Scout camp.
Several different trails to choose from:
Mishe Mokwa Trail to Sandstone Peak // Distance: 6 miles round trip – Difficulty: Strenuous
Canyon View Trail // Distance: 1.9 miles – Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Mishe Mokwa Trail to Split Rock // Distance: 3.5 miles round trip – Difficulty: Moderate
Backbone Trail to Sandstone Peak // Distance: 3 miles round trip – Difficulty: Strenuous
Grotto Trail // Distance: 3.5 miles round trip – Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous
For directions and more info, go to website
Cold Spring Trail & Montecito Peak, Santa Barbara
A long, steady uphill trail with a waterfall on the way to a peak overlooking Montecito, and connecting with the Santa Barbara Mountains’ backcountry terrain.
Distance: 9 miles round trip – Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous
For directions and more info, go to website
Franklin Canyon, Beverly Hills
Picnic under sycamore trees or hike along chaparral covered slopes in this historic natural setting just above the Hills of Beverly.
Several different trails to choose from:
Discovery Trail // Distance: 0.3 miles round trip – Difficulty: Easy
Hastain Trail // Distance: 2.3 miles round trip – Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous
Berman Trail // Distance: 1 mile to Mullholland Drive – Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous
For directions and more info, go to website
Griffith Park, Hollywood
Choose from a myriad of trails or climb to Mount Hollywood, the highest peak of the park, which affords spectacular views of the entire city. (Recommended for those not so smoggy days…) Too many trails and trails intersecting with other trails to list here but the website does a great job of describing them all. By far, the most popular trail is the Mt. Hollywood Trail (the one with the view). There is a longer trail that is 5 miles round trip and a shorter version from the Observatory that is 2.5 miles round trip. Arrive early for parking if you want to do this hike on the weekend.
For directions and more info, go to website
Peter Strauss Ranch, Malibu
Why Peter Strauss, you ask? Well, the actor fell in love with this area when filming “Rich Man, Poor Man” in the 70s and purchased it. He later sold it to the Santa Monica Conservancy. Today, it is a peaceful refuge and enchanting oak woodland with a lot of Hollywood history. Great place to picnic.
Distance: 0.6 miles round trip – Difficulty: Easy
For directions and more info, go to website
Red Rock Canyon, Topanga
Plenty to explore in this cool canyon, where you can see multi-colored rock formations or take a trail leading to Calabasas Peak, providing spectacular views of the Santa Monica Mountains. For directions and more info, go to website
Distance: 4 miles round trip – Difficulty: Moderate
For directions and more info, go to website
Refugio to El Capitan State Beach (Aniso Trail), Santa Barbara
Discover a woodland of coastal oaks and sycamores, a palm-lined sandy beach cove and rocky shoreline with tide pools on this now paved ancient Chumash trade route. Five miles round trip. For directions and more info, go to website
Distance: 5 miles round trip – Difficulty: Moderate
For directions and more info, go to website
Solstice Canyon Loop, Malibu
Explore mysterious ruins, a hidden Virgin Mary status, a creek, a waterfall and ocean views on this easy three mile round trip.
Distance: 3 miles round trip – Difficulty: Easy
For directions and more info, go to website
Temescal Canyon Loop, Pacific Palisades
Enjoy this easy-to-access wilderness with ocean views, a seasonal waterfall and a densely wooded canyon.
Distance: 4 miles round trip – Difficulty: Moderate
For directions and more info, go to website
Torrey Pines State Reserve, San Diego
The sandstone cliffs, rare wind-bent Torrey Pine trees, abstract sandstone formations, wildflowers and birds and the sea below the bluffs make a great place to explore and watch the yearly migration of Gray Whales and dolphins.
Several different trails to choose from:
Guy Fleming Trail // Distance: 0.7 mile loop – Difficulty: Easy
Parry Grove Trail // Distance: 0.5 mile loop – Difficulty: Easy but steep entry (100 feet)
Razor Point Trail // Distance: 0.7 mile to point – Difficulty: Easy
Beach Trail // Distance: 0.75 mile – Difficulty: Moderate
High Point Trail // Distance: 100 yards – Difficulty: Easy
Broken Hill Trail // Distance: 1.5 miles – Difficulty: Easy (combines well with Razor Point & Beach Trail for a 3 mile loop)
Discovery Trail // Distance: 0.5 mile loop – Difficulty: Easy
For directions and more info, go to website
Zuma/Trancas Canyon, Malibu
Connect with our Chumash ancestors, who inhabited this minimally developed region, as you wind your way through the canyons, filled with chaparral vegetation, coastal sage scrub, willow trees and black walnut trees.
Distance: 10.9 mile loop – Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous
For directions and more info, go to website
Make sure you keep checking back, because we hope to be adding new hiking trails as we find them. And, if you like this list, we'd appreciate you passing it along to your friends!!
Do you have your favorite hiking trail that we missed? Let us know at greatlists@whiteapricot.com.
