Hondo Canyon: Backbone Trail

Eagle Rock is located in Topanga State Park in the Santa Monica Mountains, and it is a unique formation that provides an amazing panoramic view of Santa Monica. On a clear day, the Catalina Islands and Palos Verdes Peninsula are visible. You can park on along the street of Entrada Rd. or pay $10 to pay for parking inside Trippet Ranch (worth it in my opinion to support the park and the amenitie...

This is a 6.8 mile round-trip hike that starts at Trippet Ranch in Topanga Canyon. Even though the range in elevation is 400 feet from peak to trough, the up and down trail totals to approximately 1800 feet elevation gain making this a beginner to intermediate adventure.  The trail itself is pretty wide and begins at Trippet Ranch. You will want to take the trail up to East Topanga Fire Rd. fro...

When you get to the parking lot be sure to pay the $5 parking fee. You will need to place this in the provided envelope and drop it in the iron ranger. Start the hike by following the fire road behind the gate. About a couple of yards in, you will see a trail on your left which leads to a ghoulish looking cave. On a hot day, you will appreciate the cool temps inside the cave.After exploring, co...

This is one of my favorite hikes in the Los Angeles area. Super easy, yet beautiful and a perfect place to get away from the city.Parking for the trailhead is where the three roads intersect. The parking area is a long strip of dirt, there will most likely be cars there when you arrive already there. The trailhead can be a bit hard to find, if you are looking at the ocean step out into the stre...

This is a simple but steep 2.4 mile round-trip hike to a clearing on a mountaintop in Topanga/Malibu, about an hour's drive west of downtown LA. At the end of the hike you'll reach a clearing with incredible views. On a cloudy or foggy day, it feels like you're floating above the clouds; on a clear day, you'll have a panoramic ocean view and may be able to see the Santa Monica Pier and the LA s...

Getting There You can, from Los Angeles, go one of three ways: take I-405 to US-101 and head west, or from downtown, take US-101 the whole way, OR, get on I-10 from the Westside or east of there and take that until it becomes PCH, then take that to Topanga Canyon (turn left onto Old Topanga Canyon after a bit) or, for the more adventurous types, take Las Flores Canyon to Rambla Pacifica, Scheue...