Really cool trail with lots of fun things to see. Drive up to the trailhead is pretty while you pass some lavish Pacific Pali homes. Parking in street is very easy. Trail can be a tad bit confusing to access because you go through holes in a long fence, so you wonder if you're trespassing. There are some trails that have very narrow walkways (steep steps that are only one person wide and no railings), so you need to be pretty sure-footed about your hiking. Moderate elevation that ends in some really awesome abandoned barracks. Good for beginners and moderate hikers! You can get a good hike in 2 hours. read more

This trail will get you a good work out!500 stairs. Once you go all the way down it will all be worth seeing nazi house ruins. I absolutely love this train and have been bringing everyone! read more

It was a fun hike with a lot of street arts on abandon buildings.

Pretty cool hike! An easy, flat and wide fire road to a few of run down stables and home. Pretty easy parking for a Sunday at 11am. Some shade in some parts of the hike, otherwise it's open and hot when sunny out. Not the best views of the ocean, but a nice hike to check out! read more

Good hike! Not too much, just enough. Love the photo ops you get while in the place and the history behind it. Make sure you read beforehand on how to get there and where to park because once you're up there, say bye bye to your signal (esp. T-Mobile users. Yikes!) read more

Nice hike! This is a little hard to get to but I really enjoyed the 500 steps down to the trail! It's an easy hike, so I think it would be good for all levels of hikers! There is a great view of the ocean at the top! read more

Murphy's Ranch was a great experience, this was one of my first trails i did in L.A. and i must say I loved it. The stairs going down where super tiring, but an amazing leg workout. it was myself and a couple of friends and met up with some local hikers that directed us on where to go. I must say this has got to be one of my all time favorite hikes. I totally recommend anyone to visit this trail it is super fun and has great places to take pictures. read more

if you are looking to build your glutes, this is definitely the hike you want to go on. To get to the remains,..to the left of the paved road, there is a gate.. go through there and you will find infinite amounts of stairs going down that you must travel before reaching the bottom. Going down is the fun part, but coming back up definitely takes your breathe away. This is an interesting hike because not only are you getting a good workout but you get to explore and kind of feel like you are part of history. its very interesting. read more

Had a bit of trouble finding the trail and ended up making our own. We got to the site and it was neat to see but also not the greatest mystery in the world. Got a lot of neat pictures and a good workout.. Definitely can't complain about that! read more

Really enjoyed doing this hike! To get there is pretty simple and there is a sign that points you to the right direction. It starts off residential but if you make a left and follow the road it will turn into a trial. We took the stairs that you will see to your left. Felt like forever but we finally made it to the abandoned Nazi bunker. I would recommend trying this hike in the morning as it could get really hot!! Going up the stairs was so tiring, I must admit I stopped so many times in between. I would also recommend exploring the area. It turned into a good work out because of all the stairs but you can always rest. read more

515 Steps. It is the type of hike you do just for the experience but do not come back to do it again. Not because of the level of difficulty but just because its not worth a second visit. The workout is good, nothing too tough. read more

i use to love coming here. im extremely sad that the city is knocking everything down. i brought my family here to hike and explore the infamous Nazi sympahizers compound for about 3 years . definitely going to miss. it was such a great work out. from the 500 stairs to the steep hike down through the mountains down to the water fall. im sure everything will be demolished soon since they were already knockiing the water tank. definitely one for the books. RIP murphy ranch. It was fun read more

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I really wish they would keep the old Nazi sympathizer buildings as a historical mark mixed with modern graffiti. It's so different than the rest of the trails in LA, so it's a shame that they will be demolishing these buildings soon... The hike is easy and very pretty with a small loop for part of it so you don't have to do pull a 180 to head out of there. read more

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This was one of the coolest trails I've ever been on! Definitely a workout but the scenery was definitely worth it. Till next time!

Hiked this trail today with the beloved white dog and 2 sisters. It was peaceful and beautiful with only a handful of bikers and only a couple other people on the trail (unlike Westride where bikers are trying to kill you from the moment you get out of the car). Started at 10 so there was plenty of shade, took the route with the 390 stairs so it was a quick hour and a half hike there and back, even stopping to take pictures. Good for dogs as the fire road is wide and paved . I suggest keeping dogs away from the brush especially during rattlesnake season. Throw you dog in the tub right after the hike, there are ticks on the trail. Be aware of broken glass so your dogs don't get hurt. Overall, great hike will do it again sometime. read more

A very cool place! A look back to Los Angeles history! The stairs are a challenge but well worth the hike!

One of my favorite hiking trails. Make sure that you look at the trail map before you visit Murphy's Ranch, as it is very easy to take the wrong trail and miss a good portion of the abandoned scenery. read more

THIS PLACE IS ONE OF THE BEST HIKING PLACES TO GO TO!!! there's so much to explore and the graffiti is I heard that it's getting demolished but check on that if u plan to go read more

I think its actually called MURPHYS ranch in santa monica. A group of 5 of us went on sunday. A long trail starting at the iron gates. Most people go straight to the stairs and skip the whole trail. Never a dull moment alot of stuff to explore and look at. Probably 4/5 miles in all. We did the stairs last after the miles up and down hill. They destroyed us. Still feeling the burn and todays wednesday. Those stairs are no joke if you do them last. Awesome workout read more

Amzing Trail. Very rugged adventurous feel to the walk. Many sites are ideal spots for short films or movie scenes. Theres an abandoned Nazi church and horse stables that make for cool spots to stop and chill. read more

We came here reading great things online and were disappointed to see that several of the landmarks were destroyed. The remains of what still stood were interesting however, a crowd of about 15 teenagers filming a music video down at the main building kind of dissuaded us from exploring any further than from outside. Other than that the hike felt mild in terms of difficulty. read more

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Great hike! I've been here a lot, but the only sad part is many of the structures / objects are being removed and the house has been closed off from entry. Overall, so haven't encountered anything dangerous on my hike, but you should keep in mind that you're entering nature when you visit, so stay woke. read more

Simple hike, free parking in the residential area ( Pay attention to the signs! ). Nice place to walk and explore the graffitis.

I've now done this hike twice and really enjoy it. Several of the other reviews give a good description of the history of the site and what there is to see so I'm going to skip that part. You can go down the paved service road all the way to the compound or you can go down the 350 steep, narrow stairs. You can come back up the way you came or make a loop out of it. I've done it in January and February when it was cloudy and once when it was raining lightly - to me these are ideal hiking conditions. You should bring water and snacks - it usually takes around group around 2 hours including 20-30 minutes at the two building sites. If it is going to be hot watch out because most of the trail will be in the sun except for the section down on the canyon floor. The two times we've done this hike we went down the stairs and came up the service road and I would consider this a pretty non-strenuous hike. You don't need hiking shoes, there is no clambering over things and no treacherous footing. You probably won't get any cell phone reception down on the canyon floor, but make sure you bring your cell phone or camera to take pictures of the awesome graffiti. We went back within two weeks of our first trip and so much of the graffiti had been changed so the hike is worth doing over and over again! read more

one of my favorite trails! parking is in the neighborhood, read the signs and you'll be fine. take the fire road up until you see a chain link fence, the first opening in the fence leads you 500 stairs down. alternatively, you could keep following he road and take the loop downwards to the trail. i've gone twice and taken the stairs both times. LOTS and LOTS of graffiti EVERYWHERE, but i love that. the powerhouse is pretty cool and the barn is awesome as well. i love ruins, a lot of graffiti artists come down here so there's always cans of spray paint strewn everywhere. i have yet to find the metal gate that everyone tries to find, but i'm sure one day i will. will be back again soon! read more

I would've never thought a place existed like this, but it was a good hike in to see what it was all about. There isn't a set trail to follow. Seems like any trail you find will eventually lead into the ex-nazi grounds. It was really cool to see the colorful graffiti artwork. There was a horse stable, servants quarter, and a few other different buildings along the path. It is within the camp josepho area, and it is very easy to miss the small gate that leads to the steps that go down to that area. It's a fairly easy trail. One of the main staircases are about 500 steps. We counted. It is dog friendly, but please pick up after your pet. You can find some trashcans along the way, but there aren't many. Free street parking in the neighborhoods along Casale. It's a great area to take photos of. You can easily lose track of time since there are so many things to see. Very different hike from the normal trails around LA. read more

I had a photo project and the theme was "colors". I came across this on yelp and thought, perfect! It can be tricky to find (we ended up having to go up a second time after having the hike from hell and getting lost). But I followed another yelpers tip to park at ** 1651 Capri Dr. Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 ** - park on one of the residential streets that allow it so you don't get a ticket. We walked past the yellow gate for what seemed like forever but you WILL see the chain link fence, it's impossible to miss. The stairs really are as tough as people say. Going down wasn't so bad, I felt a little unbalanced and dizzy a couple times, just take your time. We followed other yelpers tips to get there and we made it.. and it was kind of a let down. I got my colorful pictures so I was happy about that, but it's pretty dirty and trash is everywhere. Bring bug spray! Stupid little gnats and flies were everywhere. It is nice and shady down on the trail, so even on a warm day it's not too bad with all the trees everywhere. It's VERY easy to get lost down there so be careful! The first time we went we took a wrong turn and kept going and probably hiked a total of 9 miles to get back :( The stairs back up are brutal, I did 2 at a time to hurry up and get it over with but we were both pretty winded. read more

love this trail. it is beautiful, full of fun finds, and has some epic views. been on it a couple times now and it's never crowded. one of our favorite hikes with our dog. read more

Simply put, one of the best hikes of my life!!! Make sure to find the remnants that are covered in Graffitis!!!! Amazing place!

The ranch was demolished in Spring 2016. It's quite a hike to the former ranch so don't waste the time.

This place is beyond amazing so quiet and u hardly see other hikers it's also very creepy in a way I guess cuz u don't see almost anyone well enough off that the graffiti and everything is sooo nice n unique I really would not advice getting in the barn house that's by backbone trail I did even tho your not suppose to me and my guy friend took snacks with us n we decided it would b nice to climb up the stairs to the second level and eat there it was such a nice and relaxing view until.. My friend thought it would b nice 2 just sit there and talk so we both leaned against a wall n we heard the most scary scratch on the wall we both immediately got up n we got our things & right when we were gonna go down the ladder all this dust started coming up only thru that small hole u go down I was so scared n then I just climbed down n we left once u start walking theirs a turn that goes straight then turns to the right n right In front off us was a pretty big bush off old wood with space in the middle kind off like a mini cave n I got so scared cuz I swear I saw n old Man sitting in there with his legs crossed n so my friend notice I would not turn that way n he asked me what happen so I walked faster n told him I saw n old man there sitting down n he said no way under that little cave me too we both looked at each other n I wanted to run the hell out off there but then remembered all those dam stairs u have to go up other than that this place is sooo relaxing n the views. read more

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I really liked this trail. Be careful where you park because I heard you could get a parking ticket. I thought the hike was okay it was about 4 -5 miles but it was fun. I didn't feel it was too difficult. I was nervous because I heard there are park rangers walking around giving out tickets because I guess some places say keep out. We didn't see any park rangers we did see some signs but they were tagged. We didn't take the stairs we found our way around but I heard its worth taking the stairs next time I'm in the area I guess we'll take stairs. Oh I must say please be careful with the poison ivy I recognized it right away from reading my hiking book. Make sure you see powerhouse, water tank, horse stall, the gardens, chimneys and the main gate. I heard there is a truck I didn't see it. Take your camera and water and enjoy your hike. read more

Enjoyed this hike yesterday, 11/1/2015. Unfortunately, my husband lost the band that goes around his hat. It is a blue and yellow braided band with a rotary pin on it. No monetary value, but priceless to him. If anyone finds it, please contact me at tameratriance@hotmail.com. Thanks! read more

Very interesting historical site. Sadly I spoke to some LA Parks and Rec people and they said have begun tearing down the compound... The whole area is fenced off now. Go now before it too late! read more

The really beautiful part of this hike is down on the valley floor. Steep descent and hard work getting back up if you take the stairs but stick to the road and it's long but relatively easy going. Native and cultivated plants were flowering everywhere, thanks to the recent rain and it was amazing. This would have been a 5* for me if it wasn't for the tagging. It's awful and the closer you get to the buildings the worse it gets. The buildings are covered and the trees around them have not escaped the attention of the taggers. Other reviewers call it graffiti but they are undoubtedly not familiar with good graffiti. As a fan of graffiti art I find this just vulgar, morons trying to shock with 4-letter words and the defacing of the trees is horrible. Now if it had been made a designated site for graffiti, the paint was just on the buildings and walls and the quality of the work was good, then it could be a stunning and colorful oasis amongst the green. Come on California, quit the tagging and express yourself with some genuine art! read more

Just went today- don't bother, most of the structures are torn down and there is restricted parking on all of the streets.

I love this place, just be weary upon arrival that others may be shooting video or photographs. This is very common here, and the rule seems to be respect. read more

this is a great place to see in person, but was just there Saturday and they thev fenced off all of the buildings in the past few weeks (fences weren't there about a month ago). Everyone was ignoring them and crawling under or over to get inside, but it was a bit of a bummer as it's not as easily accessible now (also the ladder on the outside to get to the roof of the main building was gone). read more

Cool place to see and nice hike with great views. Park in the neighborhood, and walk down Sullivan Fire Road (begins as Casale). Just take the first set of stairs down on the left through the first opening in the fence. Go right at the bottom. Colorful water tank and a lot of trash. The next building is the power house. There's huge openings in the fence. Go inside if you want and climb onto the roof. Outside and to the right further is a collapsed building and an old VW van. Keep walking right past this (turns into a thinner single track). Trail opens into a larger field where the horse stables are. This is the creepiest building here. Many rooms and compartments, and much of it is dark during the day. Again, huge openings in the fence, so go in if you want. Risk the trespassing ticket. Go out and continue right. There is a wider road that wraps back around to Sullivan fire road. Just stay left at the split to go back up. This way, you don't have to do the stairs back up. You could also start here at the big gate and do this backwards. All in all, interesting place that's worth seeing before it's torn down, closed, or painted over again. read more