Bryn Fox - Best Easy Day Hikes West Los Angeles

Best Easy Day Hikes
West Los Angeles

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Best Easy Day Hikes Series

Best Easy Day Hikes West Los Angeles

Bryn Fox

Copyright 2011 by Morris Book Publishing, LLC

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

ISBN 978-1-4930-0576-5

The author and Globe Pequot Press assume no liability for accidents happening to, or injuries sustained by, readers who engage in the activities described in this book. Please note that some routes may be closed due to recent fires. We recommend you call ahead to obtain current information.

Contents

The Hikes

Acknowledgments

Many thanks go out to all of my friends and hiking buddies who made every sweaty mile come with an extra laugh. Thanks to Jenny, who wins the award for not dumping me as a friend after the hottest hike ever; Josephine, who wins for best ability to humorously bond with the wildlife; and Jannine, who wins for her innate ability to keep two outdoor-crazy dogs out of trouble and untangled. And most of all, enormous thanks to my husband, Ben, who hiked both the fun and the not-so-fun days with me, and went way above and beyond his husbandly duties to help me finish this book, despite a surprisingly crazy time in my life.

Introduction

When I was a student at UCLA, people were often surprised to hear that I was an outdoor instructor. There arent any outdoors in LA was often the response I received. But I was pleased to rebut that LA is brimming with outdoor adventures to be hadyou simply had to know where to look. The Santa Monica Mountains run east to west, stretching all the way from Will Rogers Park to Point Mugu, and provide literally hundreds of miles of trails to hike. Within the Santa Monica Mountains is a variety of state parks including Will Rogers State Park, Malibu Creek State Park, and Zuma/Trancas Canyon, all of which have hiking trails and often offer facilities such as picnic tables and restrooms. Any of these areas can be easily reached from Santa Monica and provide a wide variety of hiking options from easy strolls that can be done in an hour to more enduring challenges that will take all day. But whatever your hiking desires, there is a vast and beautiful landscape awaiting your hiking shoes in the mountains of West LA.

Weather

The beauty of hiking in Southern California is that it can be done literally any month of the year. Los Angeles has a very mild climate with temperatures ranging from highs in the upper 60s in the winter to highs in the upper 80s in the summer, making for relatively pleasant hiking temperatures all year. One thing to note, however, is that West LA covers a large region, from the beaches of Malibu to the inland areas of Topanga Canyon, and temperatures can be cool and comfortable at the beach while being much hotter a few miles inland. It is a good idea to stick to trails closer to the coast on the hottest days of summer and save the inland hikes for cooler days. On the other hand, some of the inland waterfall hikes can be beautiful on dreary days just after a rain as the falls are likely to be pumping. Rainfall peaks during January and February and becomes almost nonexistent during the summer months.

Wilderness Restrictions/Regulations

The hikes in this book fall under the discretion of various governing agencies, depending on where you are. Many of the trails in this book are within state park boundaries. The state parks included are Will Rogers State Park, Malibu Creek State Park, and Topanga State Park. Other hikes are on National Park Service land while others still are governed by the Mountains Restoration Trust, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, or city parks. Each governing agency has its own set of laws and rules so it is important not to skip over the fees and permits section of each chapter or the laws about dogs, as these tend to vary from one agency to the next.

On National Park Service land there is usually no fee to park or use the trails, but you will need a permit to camp overnight. There are also no official operating hours, meaning you can hike the trails at any time. Dogs are usually allowed on National Park Service land as long as they are kept on a leash.

In state parks the rules are different. Most state parks require a parking fee. Make sure you have cash on hand as there are often just deposit boxes with no one available to offer change. State parks have specific hours and are usually open sunrise to sunset. Dogs are not allowed in Topanga State Park or Malibu Creek State Park, though leashed dogs are permitted in Will Rogers State Park.

Any hikes not on state park or National Park Service land have their own set of rules. Be sure to check the hike specs for specific information.

Safety

Hiking through West LA can involve anything from an urban walk on a paved park path to a challenging hike up a steep slope. Because of the variety of types of hikes you will find in this book, the level of precaution you must take will vary greatly as well. There's no need to fear the elements when hiking to the Baldwin Hills Overlook; however, while hiking through the Santa Monica Mountains you will want to take some extra precautions to avoid hazards like mountain lions and poison oak.

Fires

Forest fires have ravaged the city of Malibu and its surrounding area probably more times than you can recall watching the resident celebrities evacuating on the news. The surrounding hillsides well up into the crest of the mountain range have also burned in a number of historic fires. It is important to note that because of the great fire danger in this dry climate, fires are prohibited anywhere on park service land, except for in specific campsites. Each campsite has its own set of rules so if you are interested in a weenie roast, be sure to ask if fires are permitted, and build fires only in designated fire rings.