Mugu Peak Trail (Malibu, CA)

Ray Miller Trailhead

Mugu Peak at last! My hip was finally feeling well enough for a longer hike so we decided to head to Santa Monica State Park in Malibu. We combined the La Jolla Canyon Trail with the Mugu Peak Trail for a nice 6.5 mile (round trip) trek to Mugu Peak. It was about 20 minutes farther up Pacific Coast Highway than the Escondido Falls trailhead, but it was definitely worth the drive.

We started the hike at the Ray Miller Trailhead and headed straight onto the La Jolla Canyon Trail toward the La Jolla waterfall. The trail is very well-maintained, but it was evident that a large fire had just recently routed the area. We headed past the remains of a pubic bathroom into the canyon area. Our first waypoint was the seasonal La Jolla canyon waterfall. It's about 6-7 feet high, and if we had been here in the spring, we would have needed to ford the small creek to continue along the trail.

La Jolla Canyon Waterfall

Just after the seasonal falls was a very small set of switchbacks (there were only two or three). We gained a little altitude and kept heading back into the canyon. This was a nice part of the trail because it is heavily shaded as you hug the hillside. Soon after we hit the main elbow in the trail. Head right to continue on the La Jolla Canyon Loop Trail, but veer left like we did to head to Mugu Peak. Both trails will get you to the top, but the Mugu Peak trail is a bit shorter.

Ocean View

We wound around the hillside and came out of the canyon and were met by sweeping views of the ocean and surrounding mountains. It was an interesting time to be hiking in the area because of the recent fire. The landscape was barren, charred and seemingly lifeless but still beautiful in a very unique way.

We wound through the valley like area down toward a dry creek bed. This creek bed is a good marker for the final stretch up the mountain. Unfortunately, we picked a day with extremely high winds (we didn't notice the weather advisory before we headed out) and were unable to make it to the top of the mountain. Yeah, the winds were that strong! The view from the trail near the peak was incredible though. We could see for miles in every direction. I can't wait to go back when the winds aren't so bad and there is a little more green in the hills.

Looking Toward Mugu Peak

Overall, this was a wonderful hike and only moderately strenuous. It took us just about 2 hours factoring in the winds and a couple of picture breaks. I would strongly recommend it. The views from the top are well worth the thousand feet of elevation gain. We will post a .gpx file of the trek from our new Garmin very soon! And once again, another shout out to hikepeak.com for helping us map out this hike!

Seascape Trail (Palos Verdes, CA)

I hurt my hip in the gym this week, so we had to cancel our plans to head to Point Mugu, opting for a nice stroll along the coast instead. We settled on Seascape Trail on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. It's short, level and very well-maintained. It's also wheelchair accessible and dog-friendly. We started at the South end of the trail and headed North along the cliffs. The unobstructed views of the ocean and tide pools below were breathtaking. It was a perfect 75 degrees with a slight ocean breeze. There are also benches all along the trail where you can just sit and soak in the view (in our case, sit and play with the new Garmin). 

There are also some less traditional trails that break off from Seascape and head down to the rocky beaches below. I've read wonderful things about the tide pools down there, but we decided not to risk my hip since the trail is a little bit steep with some loose dirt and gravel. 

If you're looking for an hour to spend outside, I would definitely recommend this trail. It's very accessible for people of all ages and abilities and the views are totally worth it. Keep in mind that the trail is heavily trafficked by families, runners and pets (and not everyone is nice enough to pick up after their puppies), so I wouldn't head here on the weekend for some real peace and quiet. It's also not a remote or civilization-free trail by any means. Just don't make the same mistake I did by looking up those beautiful houses behind the trail on Zillow, it just made me sad that I will never be able to own one! Last, but definitely not least, there is ample parking all along the trail and nature reserve area, and best of all it's free!

Escondido Falls (Malibu, CA)

My boyfriend and I are training for an overnight trip to Joshua Tree. It's been a little while since we have been out on the trail so we wanted to start easy and not very remote. After spending some serious time on Google, we settled on the Santa Monica mountains. Being South Bay locals, it was reasonably close but also far enough away from home to feel like we were getting out and doing something. We settled on the Escondido Falls. For the most part, it's an easy 4 mile hike straight out to the falls and back.

Looking behind us on Winding Way

The first part of the trail runs adjacent to a residential road, winding back in to the canyon. To be honest, I was a little disappointed that we had to spend so much time on the blacktop. After all, it was some good old dirt, rocks and bushes that I was really craving. This road provides sweeping views of the ocean and some very expensive homes. We went on a pretty clear day and could see all the way to the Palos Verdes peninsula, as well as the Channel Islands.

As you can see, we definitely weren't alone on the way up Winding Way. This seems to be a popular and heavily trafficked trail, so keep that in mind if you are looking for some real solitude.

As we hit the end of the blacktop portion of the trail, I was excited to get off the road and head into the hills. Everything was brown, dry and dusty but I can't complain. If you're native to SoCal like me, you'll know there isn't much green left by this time of year.

The best part of hitting the trail was the heavy shade. The trail follows a creek bed for most of the way, so there were plenty of trees and high bushes to keep us cool in the middle of the day. The only downside was that the creek was dry. From what I could tell, it's definitely a seasonal creek, but that just means we will have to go back in the spring!

Creek at the Lower Falls

After following the creek bed for awhile, we finally made it to the lower section of the falls. Since it was mid-September, there wasn't any water flowing, which made the small puddles of water at the bottom a little bit stinky. It was also pretty crowded down at the base, so we decided not to stay for too long. We headed to the right, where a steeper, rope-guided portion of the hike awaited.

To get to the upper section of the falls you have to be a little limber, and willing to do some basic rock climbing. It was worth the effort though. It was less crowded and more interesting. Still no water at the top of the falls, but I enjoyed the extra hike. Just keep in mind that going this extra distance requires relying on a slightly sketchy rope and some precariously placed branches. The waterfall was brown and dry, but still a neat sight. We could see where the water flows by the dried out moss. I am definitely looking forward to seeing the falls when they're green and wet.

The top of the falls

Overall, this was an okay hike. I will probably go back, but just so I can see it when water is coming over the hill. It was pretty crowded and there wasn't much of an opportunity for peace and solitude. The other downside of it being a popular, short and easy hike is the amount of trash near the falls. It looks like a popular spot for a picnic, and some people don't pack out their trash. Either way, I would recommend it if you're looking for a couple of hours to spend outside. Definitely go in the spring and early in the morning if you can. You will get to see water coming over the falls and might get to skip out on the crowds.

Last but not least I have to give a shout out to hikespeak.com for helping us find and map out this hike. If you have some time, I would recommend perusing their website for some great local hikes.

So, what did you think of Escondido Falls?