This review is for the Cistern Trail To Lookout Trail. It's a short 1.4 mile round trip to get a…read morenice view of Malibu Creek and the interesting rock formation right next to it. Takes about 30 minutes or so to complete. Extremely hot during this period of time; no shades. Mostly a decline to the end of the trail and incline on the way back. There are other trails to go on further if you want more mileage. Free parking on the dirt road right at the entrance of the Cistern trailhead.

Pretty neat trail that is part of the Malibu Creek State Park. You can search Cistern Trail…read moreParking, which will take you to the start of the trail. The parking is basically off the road, so no payment is needed. For non hikers like me and my boyfriend, I would stay this trail is definitely doable and not crazy hard. However, it is quite hot with very minimal shade, and you do have to walk on an incline for some parts. We went to the Century Lake Dam, which is about 1 mile from the parking area. The dam was pretty cool but you can really only see the backside of it, since the entrance to the front side was blocked with a fence/barbed wire. My boyfriend had to sneak through to snag a pic of the front side of the dam (I don't recommend this since it is dangerous and you can fall into the water). Overall, the trail is a nice walk with a fairly cool landmark along the trail.

What an amazing trail to hike! I joined a hiking Meetup group and this was my first event with them…read moreand wow! They walked at a very fast pace and most of the trail going in is uphill. I have been doing sweat cycle for a couple months so I thought that I'm in better shape but I really had to slow it down and find my own pace and catch my breathe LOL. After the initial half of almost constant uphill then the trail lets out into an area that splits off and you can choose to go left which is easier and not as steep or you can go to the right which is what they said as 3 more steep inclines of 10 minutes each! All this climbing is worth it for the gorgeous views, and the fresh air. At the very top I felt exhilarated that I didn't give up! I hope that i can continue exploring and finding new parks and trails to increase my stamina, to then return to this location and test my endurance if I can go faster next time! Wear good hiking shoes with grip because there are loose rocks and narrow areas on the path and you need good grip for both the up and down hill. I didn't have a walking stick but everyone else had one and I think that would be beneficial for walking this path.

Great trail with fantastic view at the top! Trail starts at the very left from parking lot.read more

As others have mentioned there are a few different starting points to get to Calabasas Peak, I…read morestarted from Red Rock Canyon Park. From there and back it's about a 4.5 mile hike (also $5 for parking at Red Rock). From the red the trails aren't marked so I'd recommend checking the All Trails app before hand to get an idea of how the trail goes. Overall it's a moderate hike, a good gradual incline but nothing brutal. Nice rock formations along the hike with nice views of the San Fernando valley, Topanga/ Santa Monica mountains, and a glimpse of the ocean. During the late spring and summers months make sure to bring plenty of water, sun screen, and a hat since there isn't much shade on the trail.

I followed the directions on Yelp and it's not accurate. I went beyond the entrance of the hike…read morewith parking across the entrance. It is about 4 miles in & out the trail. You will continually incline as you are going into the peak and, of course, decline as you finish your hike. The hike was decent. Once at the toppest point you want to be at there's plenty of mountain views.

Whether you come in the early morning or at night, Saddle Peak sits above the marine layer and is…read moreone of the best sunset spots in Southern California. Now imagine sport climbing/top roping outdoors at the same time! Parking: I highly recommend parking where Stunt Rd and Schueren Rd meet. How to get there: Take Backbone Trail (~1 Mile) to Corpse Wall or The Watchtower for rock climbing (mainly rope, very few boulder problems). If you want the view of the Pacific Ocean and South Bay Area, you'll make a detour (left turn) half way through to Saddle Peak Trail. There, you'll find a lovely bench to enjoy the amazing view! I have been coming here during the summer time, and temperatures in the early morning/ evening have been amazing! Please keep trash with you, there are no trash cans. WARNING: Saddle Peak is all sandstone. After rain, it absorbs the moisture and becomes more vulnerable to breaking down and holds falling off. Please wait until rock and soil are dry, I would recommend using the "Stoney Point Wet Rock Police" report to see if it's okay to climb! Have fun!

Saddle Peak trail is a pretty short trail with amazing views along the way and has covering from…read moretrees and shrubs along the way. I would say the trail is pretty easy to traverse, with only a couple of areas where the trail gets narrow or rocky. A group of my friends and I set out early in the morning to catch the sunrise, arriving at about 6am and arriving before the 7:04am sunrise comfortably. The hike starts out as a dirt trail, but towards the peak it starts becoming rocky but not too hard to traverse. The peak overlooks the city of LA and the view was amazing. Overall, the trail took about 45 minutes to get up and 30 minutes down. Definitely recommend for hikers of all skill levels!

You cannot go wrong hiking in Cali....especially when you are in Malibu! This trail can be super…read morebusy, especially on early morning weekends! A nice time to visit in the summer is about 6pm on a weekday! Besides our group, we did not see a single person on the trail nor did we have to fight for a parking spot. Note there are two small parking lots both off highway before the tunnel if coming from 101. From the trail there are beautiful views of the mountains and the canyons. you can even see views of the ocean in malibu. when there is a wet winter season, you can see loads of waterfalls. my fellow hiker said she saw 18 falls. Worth visiting during the wet season. Just be careful. also note there is poisonous oak along the trail. Unfortunately in July the falls were all dry. There was some water in the creeks. As for amenities: there is a toilet at the start of the trail.

This is not for the beginner hiker. You'll need hiking poles and lots of water. Other than that,…read moreit's a great trail! The hardest part is the first mile. If you can get thru that, everything else will be a breeze. At mile 2-3 you'll reach the fire lookout point. It takes about 3-4 hours to finish this trail depending on how fast you're going.

It's not widely known but phantoms are natural-born hikers with hoods that provide sun protection…read moreand a scythe that functions as a trekking pole. Phantom Trail is 2.8-mile scenic trail that takes you up and back down a ridge that overlooks Las Virgenes Rd. You can start from two locations; from the north at Liberty Canyon and Park Vista Dr, or from the south, off Mulholland Hwy across the street from the Cistern Trail, 1.8 miles from Las Virgenes Rd. In my opinion it's probably better to start from the northern trailhead since you can complete the more challenging 1.75-mile uphill section early when you have more energy. This also saves the scenic views of Malibu Creek State Park and Santa Monica Mountains for the grande finale. Starting from Liberty Canyon, walk a short distance past a black metal gate. The trailhead is located off to the right. You'll walk through a scenic grassland meadow before you ascend the ridge. Along the way you'll encounter a number of signs located at junctions that will ensure you stay on track. A good place to take a break and enjoy the scenery is at the survey marker located at the peak. From there you can enjoy views of Malibu Creek State Park's volcanic rock formation called Goat Buttes, as well as panoramic views of the surrounding peaks. Looking south, some of the more prominent peaks from left to right are Saddle Peak, Castro Peak, Sandstone Peak and Ladyface Mountain. This trail has somewhat of an anticlimactic ending at Mulholland Hwy. If you decide to turn around before the descent you won't be missing much.

This is a great trail. It's great for walking. This is my favorite trail that I have walked. Also…read morewatch out for ticks, rattlesnakes ( I have not seen rattlesnakes in this trail but had have a tick on me) I have been on this trail 3 times ( As of July 2022 ) All of the nice nature sounds go right into my ears. If you start the trail from Library Canyon Rd, at first it pretty much shade. Then, it becomes a normal trail with not that many ups and downs. If you start from Mulholland HWY, there is not much shade, and you will go up right away. Then again, it is nice and pretty smooth. All in all, this is a amazing trail in the Santa Monica Mountains. I highly recommend this trail.

Another peaceful hike through Corbin Canyon. This time of year is gorgeous with the wildflowers…read more Bonus if you can find the crashed car in the creek!

I love this hike. It is located on the top of Corbin. The location is beautiful and does allow for…read moresome beautiful views. The hike from a workout perspective is easy and does not have too many steep areas. It is perfect for a beginner if they are starting to hike. The trail also allows the kids and fur babies to enjoy and have a fun workout as well. The trail does have some over grown aspects to it.

Really cool hike. I would say to come earlier in the day as there aren't many shady areas to rest…read moreunder on a hot day. Stay to the right and it'll lead you to the cave in the mountain. You'll need to climb up using a steel rope and then switching over to a standard rope to climb into the cave.

Ever since I started hiking, I've had an affinity for this particular park because you can do an…read moreeasier hike or get into the elevation and exploration offered by the local mountains and hills. In the summertime, it can be super hot so it's best to get started earlier in the morning. Recently, though we had a little rain and there was a whole lot more greenery than I ever remember seeing or expected. This was my first trip out in probably over a decade, so I decided to go in from a different direction to change it up a little bit, and I started from Bell Canyon and what a different beautiful trail that was with a creek running next to it, but before you go, I didn't notice until on my return back to my truck that this particular trail is actually private to those who live in the neighborhood; the few people I passed were pleasant and never asked if I was local or anything, so I think if you park and are just respectful and keep it quiet there won't be a big deal, but this trail is taking you around the mtn, so you're gonna add mileage to get to a place that you could actually park closer. The main trails are all well kept and in good condition and it's not until you get into the lesser used further out trails that you might encounter some slight bushwhacking, but the castle peak Summit is beautiful and fun as is the cave of the munits and other holes. Parking can be a pain, but it can be found, but may require a short walk.