Overview

This is a rugged and somewhat isolated region that spans Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, roughly between Hwy 23 South (Westlake Blvd/Decker Rd) in the east and the Boney Mountain State Wilderness Area in the west. There are a number of trails in this area, but mostly only the Backbone Trail itself is available for mountain biking, the other trails being too rugged or in the Wilderness Area where bike riding is not allowed. But it is possible to ride all the way from Tapia to the edge of the Wilderness area with only short stretches on pavement, or all the way to La Jolla Canyon if hiking.

CIrcle X Ranch, a former Boy Scouts camp, has some spectacular, otherworldly rock formations. The best way to see them is to take the Mishe Mokwa Trail to Tripeaks. And in the wintertime, waterfalls abound! One cascades down Echo Cliffs that you can see from the trail to Sandstone Peak (the Mishe Mokwa Trail gets muddy in the wet). The best place to see waterfalls, though, is the Canyon View Trail. There are several large waterfalls that can be seen in this area, and the trail holds up well when wet. If you don't care to dirty your boots, a large waterfall is visible from the parking area at the Sandstone Peak trailhead. Just look west and slightly below Yerba Buena Road.

Even though access to this area is through slow, twisting mountain roads, it's well worth the trip. The views are spectacular on a clear day, especially from trails on the southward-facing slopes where you can see the ocean and Channel Islands to the south. From the Sandstone Peak Trail and Etz Meloy Motorway, you can also see canyons and distant urban areas to the north.

The south-east portion of this area encompasses part of the Encinal Fire Crew Trails.

 Aerial View

This view is from Google Earth

Geocaches in the area

There are only a few geocaches in this area, being NPS land as it is.

• Mishe Mokwa and Sandstone Peak Trails

Trailheads

a. Mishe Mokwa trailhead on Yerba Buena Rd. Map and directions
b. Sandstone Peak and Canyon View trailheads on Yerba Buena Rd. Map and directions
c. Grotto trailhead in Circle X Ranch. Map and directions
d. Encinal Canyon Road. Map and directions
e. Arroyo Sequit off of Mulholland Hwy. Map and directions
f. Clark Ranch Road on Decker Cyn Rd. (Map and directions; There is limited parking here)
g. Canyon View spur on Yerba Buena Road. Map and directions

Trails

Description This segment of the Backbone Trail provides some great views of the ocean to the south and Hidden Valley and beyond to the north. And of course it provides access to Sandstone Peak, the highest point in the Santa Monica Mountains. Combining this with the Mishe Mokwa Trail makes a great loop hike. It is open to biking but it isn't an easy ride. The uphill section from Yerba Buena Rd is very slightly steeper than the upper section of Bulldog but looser and more rutted. Biking is not permitted west of the Mishe Mokwa Trail because the Backbone Trail then enters the Boney Mtn Wilderness Area, which, like all wilderness areas, is closed to mountain bikes. However, this could be combined with the Yerba Buena single track segment of the Backbone Trail, with or without Etz Meloy Mty, to provide an extra challenge.

Download the GPS track to help you find your way.

Technical Rating T3

Trail Profile      Back to the Top

Description The Mishe Mokwa Trail is a somewhat rugged trail that provides spectacular scenery and diverse terrain. From the trailhead on Yerba Buena Rd, the trail quickly reaches the edge of a canyon with the Echo Cliffs and Balanced Rock on the opposite side. (Echo Cliffs is a favorite spot for rock climbers to practice so you'll often see several suspended on the rock face, part-way up.) In less than a mile the trail drops to the floor of the canyon where it becomes less rugged,but the views of the sandstone formations and rockfalls don't stop. About 1.5 miles in is the Split Rock picnic area, an oak-shaded area that's a good place for a break, long or short. The trail ends when it meets the Sandstone Peak Backbone Trail fireroad, 3.1 miles from the trailhead. Returning on the Sandstone Peak Backbone Trail will provide some great views of the ocean. Download the GPS track to help you find your way.

The Sandstone Peak Connector Trail (HO T2 ) is a short trail, less than 1000 feet long, that connects the Sandstone Peak Backbone Trail to the Mishe Mokwa Trail. It provides a convenient trail to make a loop from the Mishe Mokwa and Sandstone Peak Trails, regardless of which trailhead you start at. Download the GPS track to help you find your way.

The Balanced Rock Trail starts at the Split Rock picnic area on the Mishe Mokwa Trail. It drops a little to the bottom of the canyon and crosses the stream, continuing up to Balanced Rock and beyond. It ends at an overlook with a great view into Carlisle Canyon to the east, and of Sandstone Peak and the Mishe Mokwa Trail to the south. This trail is not maintained and lightly usedl, so it can be somewhat overgrown in sections and difficult to follow. Nevertheless, it is well worth the effort! Download the GPS track to help you find your way.

Technical Rating HO T3.5

Trail Profile      Back to the Top

[3,4] Backbone Trail, Yerba Buena Rd segment T2 and Yellow Hill Fireroad T3.5

The Yerba Buena single track segment of the Backbone Trail

Description This is a fairly gentle trail, built to modern multi-use standards, meaning it's not too steep, reasonably smooth, about 4-feet wide and perfect for novice riders or for an easy hike. The views are pleasant, but not as good as you get from higher up, for example Etz Meloy Mty, the Sandstone Peak Backbone Trail or Yellow Hill Fire Rd. Nevertheless it's a lot of fun and much less crowded than similar trails in the Santa Monica Mountains. Strong riders and hikers should climb the Yellow Hill Fire Rd spur for much better views of the area.

There is no parking at the trailhead at the east end of this trail, although there is a small space for a couple of cars at the side of the road about a quarter mile west. The eastern is trailhead partly hidden - there is just a small gap in the heavy brush and it's almost certain you won't see it when driving in your car. It is located on Yerba Buena Rd a couple hundred yards east of the bottom of Etz Meloy Mty where the houses start when coming from Decker Rd. On the other hand, there is lots of parking at the western end, across the street from the Mishe Mokwa trailhead.

The Yellow Hill Fireroad is 0.68 miles long and has 350 feet of elevation gain. Some sections are covered with loose rocks so it can be a bit of a technical challenge to ride, particularly on the way down. There are some great views from the top, however, that make the climb worthwhile.

Download the GPS track to help you find your way.

Technical Rating T2 (Backbone Trail); T3.5 (Yellow Hill Fireroad)

Trail Profile      Back to the Top

Description This fireroad provides some spectacular view in all directions, southward to the ocean, and into Hidden Valley, Thousand Oaks and beyond to the north. The eastern-most mile (dashed line in the elevation profile below) traverses private property, is quite steep, and will be loose after the regular gradings. The newest section of the Backbone Trail, a singletrack opened in 2007, makes it unnecessary to access that section of the road and provides a much easier access. West of the Backbone singletrack, Etz Meloy follows the ridgeline, accounting for the great views to both the north and south. The descent back to Yerba Buena Rd at the west end is somewhat rocky and rutted. Download the GPS track  to help you find your way.

Technical Rating T2.5

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[6] Backbone Trail, Decker to Etz Meloy T2
[7] Backbone Trail, Encinal to Decker T2

The Backbone Trail singletrack Between Decker Canyon Rd and Etz Meloy Motorway Between Encinal Canyon Rd and Decker Canyon Rd

Description These two singletrack sections are the latest additions to the Backbone Trail. The upper section, Decker Cayon Rd to Etz Meloy Motorway, was opened in late 2007. The lower section, Encinal Canyon Road to Decker Canyon Road, opened a few years earlier. As can be seen from the elevation profile below, they both have gentle, consistant slopes that make these trails easy for beginners. They are built to multiuse standard and have a broad, smooth, firm tread. The crew of a nearby fire station keeps the lower section in perfect shape. The lower section is one of the best places to see wildflowers in the spring (as of this writing, the banks of the upper section haven't regrown, so it's too early to tell what the wildflowers will be like there).

Rumor has it that the Park Service will build a parking area on Decker Canyon Rd at the top of the lower segment. As of the spring of 2008, the old house at that spot has been demolished, but the parking area hasn't been built.

The aforementioned fire crew practices their skills by building trails in the area. These trails tend to go straight up and down the hills, rather than following a gentle grade. They are shown on their own page. A few of them are in very good condition and mostly gentle; they make good alternate routes for hikers who would like something a little more difficult than the Backbone.

The Backbone Trail continues south and then east on the south side for Encinal Canyon Road, across from the bottom of the lower section described here. The trail descriptions and maps are on the Zuma-Kanan Backbone Area of this web site.

Download the Decker to Ezt Meloy GPS track and the Encinal to Decker GPS track to help you find your way.

Technical Rating T2

Trail Profile      Back to the Top

[8] Clark Ranch Fireroad T1

Description The Clark Ranch Fire Road connects Decker Canyon Rd to Encinal Canyon Rd. It used to form part of the Backbone Trail, but sometime in 2004, a new singletrack section of the Backbone Trail [7] was built that starts and ends in the same place, but is better in every way. Nevertheless, Clark Ranch Fireroad can be used to make a loop route with the newer singletrack. Download the GPS track  to help you find your way.

Technical Rating T1

[9] Canyon View Trail HO T3

View into the canyon with the walls of the grotto in the distance

Description This well-used trail winds down from the Sandstone Peak Trailhead, but on the downhill side of Yerba Buena Road, to the Grotto Trail. There is a spur a little less than 0.9 miles along that leads back to another parking area on Yerba Buena Road. As the name of the trail suggests, it provides a great view into the valley and canyon that narrows to the grotto for the whole length. The trail surface is somewhat uneven in many places and there are some stream crossings, one of which is a real challenge to cross if there has been a lot of recent rain.

This is probably the best trail for viewing waterfalls during or shortly after significant rainfalls. The trail surface holds up quite well when it is wet and does not turn into sticky mud as the Mishe Mokwa Trail does in some sections. There are several large and many smaller waterfalls that can be seen from this trail. If there is low cloud so the trail is covered in fog, you may be able to hear many waterfalls even when you can't see them. Take a look at the photo gallery for pictures of the waterfalls that you could see.

This trail joins the Grotto Trail near its top. Continuing down the Grotto Trail is a great way to extend an already good hike.

Download the GPS track  to help you find your way.

Technical Rating HO T3

Trail Profile      Back to the Top

 [10] Grotto Trail HO T3

Description This very popular traill starts in the lower parking area of Circle X Ranch, next to a picnic area with plumbed facilities, and ends a little over a mile later at the grotto, a huge pile of boulders where the valley becomes a narrow canyon and a stream, the West Fork of the Arroyo Sequit, tumbles down ten, 20 or more feet at a time in a series of steps. A few yards beyond where the Canyon View Trail ends is a stream crossing at the top of a 50-foot waterfall. The trail winds around to where you get a great view of this falls and the pool below. If there is a significant amount of water in this stream,  do not try to cross it! If you lose your footing, you will almost certainly be swept over the falls to your death on the rocks 5 storeys below!

The formal trail ends at the top of the grotto, but if you like adventure and climbing over and down huge boulders, a path along the west face of the canyon will show you the way down. Be careful, though, because the drops are significant, even dry boulders can be slippery, and you want to make sure you can pull yourself back up! Don't expect to have any cell phone signal here for calling for help. Dogs are not allowed in this part of the grotto.

After a rain, you can see many waterfalls, both near to and far from the trail. However, the West Fork of the Arroyo Sequit that leads to the grotto swells to transport a huge volume of water. This makes for spectacular waterfalls, but also makes crossing it extremely dangerous. Do not attempt this trail if there is much water in the stream! And if it starts to rain after you have crossed the stream, head back up the trail as quickly as you can or you might be trapped by the rising stream. There is only one way out, so be careful! It's best to wait a day or two after a heavy rain before hiking down to the grotto.

Download the GPS track  to help you find your way.

Technical Rating HO T3

Trail Profile      Back to the Top

Yerba Buena Road, Little Sycamore Canyon Road, Mullholland Hwy and Decker Canon Road T0

Description Many of the trails in this area cross the pavement. We can take advantage of this to arrange shuttle hikes, or to ride back on the road when too pooped return on the trails. The profile below shows where the trails meet the road relative to the distance on the pavement, starting at Circle X Ranch and heading east to Clark Ranch Road. Note that the name of Yerba Buena changes to Little Sycamore Canyon Rd at the Los Angeles County state line.

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Suggested hikes and rides you may enjoy

This list was generated on February 19, 2006

This page was last updated October 31, 2008

Thanks for looking at Steve's guide to trails in Ventura County, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) and other locations.