Overview

Malibu Creek State Park and the connecting trails have something for everyone. There are novice trails here, as well as one of the most demanding. The trails in the park proper are generally quite easy because they wind through the valleys and don't have a lot of climbing, but neither are they dead flat and boring. Since they have mountains on at least one side at all times, the scenery is always more than pleasant and frequently spectactular. And from the park you can get to the Backbone Trail, the holy grail of trails in the Santa Monica Mountains. Connecting them is the imfamous Bulldog Motorway - you either love it or hate it - as it climbs 1750 feet from the valley floor to the Castro Motorway on Castro Ridge.

This area has a rich history of providing backdrops to distant places for Hollywood, from silent films to the most well-known use, the filming of the movie and TV series M*A*S*H in the 1970's. Many other shows were made here as well.

The trails of Malibu Creek State Park connect to many of the trails in Calabasas through the Las Virgenes View Trail which starts a few hundred yards from where Grasslands Trail crosses Mulholland Hwy.

Deciding which trails to include in this section of the trails guide was somewhat arbitrary as the Backbone Trail continues westward from what is shown here to Kanan Road, Zuma Ridge, Decker Road (23 South) and beyond. In the end, the split was made based partly on what trails connect to make good rides (although at the cost of breaking up the Backbone from Kanan ride onto two maps) and partly based on logistic concerns of having more condensed maps that take up less space on the web pages and therefore take less time to load.

Detail of hiking trails in Malibu Creek State Park

Aerial View

 Trailheads

T1 - Grasslands trailhead and parking at De Anza Park on Lost Hills Rd about 1 mile south of the 101 freeway, just north of Las Virgenes Rd
T2 - The south end of Liberty Canyon Rd, less than a mile from the 101 freeway.
T3 - Bark Park trailhead and parking on Las Virgenes Rd, about 1 mile south of the 101 freeway
T4 - Las Virgenes View Trail Trailhead and parking on the north-east corner of Las Virgenes Rd and Mulholland
T5 - Grasslands trailhead and parking on Mulholland, 300 yards west of Las Virgenes Rd
T6 - Tapia Spur trailhead in Malibu Creek State Park
T7 - Crags Rd trailhead at the east end of Crags Drive
T8 - The top of Lookout Drive (no parking)
T9 - Tapia Park on the west side of Malibu Canyon Rd, about 1.5 miles south of Mulholland Hwy
T10 - Picnic area on the west side of Malibu Canyon Rd, about 1.8 miles south of Mulholland Hwy
T11 - Phantom and Cistern trailheads on Mulholland Hwy, about 1.8 miles west of Las Virgenes Rd, at the highest point on the way to Cornell Rd.
T12 - Parking area on the access road to a state park facility. The access road is about 200 ft south of the intersection of Mulholland and Cornell Rd (on Lake Vista Dr). Turn into the access road and you'll see the parking area on the left. There is a ParkLINK shuttle stop on the corner of Mulholland and Cornell. There's a dirt track that runs parallel to the access road the leads to Deer Leg Trail (east) and to the ParkLINK shuttle stop and across the street, Paramount Ranch (west).
T13 - Corral Canyon parking lot at the north end of Corral Canyon Road.
P1 - Parking in Malibu Creek State Park. There is a fee to park here. The entrance to the park is about 850 ft south of Mulholland Hwy on Las Virgenes Rd, on the west side. You can avoid the fee if you park at T4 or T5 instead.

Trails

Trail Profile      Back to the Top

[3] Talepop Trail: (aka Talopop)

Description The Telepop Trail branches off from Grasslands just beyond the first bridge, closest to De Anza Park. It climbs up a ridge, follows it south for a ways, then drops down into Liberty Canyon. The first few hundred yards (from the Grasslands side) are through an open area. The trail surface is hard packed but a little uneven because of holes that have hardened in the dirt. Next the trail enters the mouth of a small canyon, then switchbacks and climbs north and back eastward. The trail seems to have a lot of traffic and so is quite broad, and has a moderate climb. Just before reaching the ridgeline there is a small grove of oak trees. Continuing along the ridgeline, southeasternly, the trail becomes slightly overgrown with some branches hanging into the middle of the trail. During tick season, you'll want to stop frequently and check for hitchikers. From the ridge there are great views to the west into Liberty Canyon and to the east into Las Virgenes Canyon and beyond. You can even see the Calabasas Trails and the Pyramid Switchbacks in the far distance. Continuing southward, the trail mostly follows the ridgeline, then descends fairly steeply into a large meadow before ending at the Liberty Canyon Trail. Overall this is a fairly easy trail to hike but there is little shade.

Technical Rating NB

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[4] Phantom Trail

The Phantom Trail starts at the south end of Liberty Canyon Rd and ends at Mulholland Drive. The Liberty Canyon trail bears left from the end of the pavement, but the Phantom Trail goes straight then right. After a few hundred yards the trail reaches a gravel road. The trailhead proper is across the road and a few yards down. The first quarter mile is quite flat and goes through some near-wetlands with stands of giant grass. The next 3/4 mile follows along the bottom of a canyon where the ground it very wet with luxuriant plant growth. In many places the vegetation forms a tunnel over the trail. In this wet area poison oak encroaches on the trail in several places. This section will take some time to dry out after rain, being shaded by trees and on the north slope. The trail next climbs out of the canyon and mostly follows a ridgeline firebreak, except it vears away from the peaks to avoid the two steepest climbs. From the ridge there are many places with spectacular views in all directions. There are a few intersecting fireroads but the trail is well marked and easy to follow. Most of the trail is exceptionally quiet with no traffic noise until you get into view of Mulholland Hwy. It drops down some switchbacks to Mulholland where it ends. A few hundred yards up Mulholland and on the other side, the Cistern Trail begins. Overall the trail is moderate in difficulty, well maintained and has good signage.

Technical Rating NB

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Trail Profile      Back to the Top

[6, 6a, 6b] Crags Road, High Road and Malibou Lake Dam Spur

Description The map in the park shows that the road north of Malibu Creek is called High Rd and south of the creek is Crags Rd. Either way, Crags Rd is the main thoroughfare, winding from the main parking area, past the old M*A*S*H site (where they filmed the show and left two rusting trucks behind for tourists) to the trailhead on the west end of the park beyond Bulldog. For most of its length this is a fire road in good condition and is quite level, as you can see from the profile below. You will also see it connect with a number of other roads and sites. As such, it has a lot of traffic on it - families out for a picnic, busloads of school kids, parents with strollers - so slow, casual riding or hiking is called for. There is only one major hill that climbs up to look over Century Lake. Between Century lake and the M*A*S*H site, the road deteriorates into the stream bed (the "Creek of Doom") and is quite rocky in places, as shown in the photo. The baby head rocks projecting from the stream bed make it easy for even very experience riders to fall here. At the M*A*S*H site you can test your skill on "Radar's Hill," a short hill climb off to the side, next to the picnic table and rusty jeep. This is where Radar used to run up the hill to meet the arriving helicopters. About 0.3 miles from the west end, the road forks. To the north is the Malibou Lake Dam Spur, a very genly sloped dirt road that ends at the south-east end of Malibou Lake.  There is a rich history of this area for Hollywood. Technical Rating Mostly T1 , except for the Creek of Doom, which is T3

Length (miles)	3.3
Climb (feet)	580
Descent (feet)	320

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[7] Mott Road (AKA Century Motorway)

Description Mott Road (so called on the Park map, but called Century Motorway on other maps) is a lovely dirt road that runs along the bottom of a steep valley for about a mile, where there is an impassable gate where the park meets private property. This is a perfect, short and very pretty out and back trail for beginner mountain bikers or family hikes with young children. Technical Rating T1

Length (miles)	1.1
Climb (feet)	130
Descent (feet)	170

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[8, 9, 9a] Bulldog Motorway, Lookout Road and Lakeside Lateral

Description The profile of Bulldog below tells most of the story of this fire road - it's a steep, long grind. Most of it is in good shape, especially the lower half, but there are some rutted and rocky sections further up. This trail is not for the faint of heart! For those who want a taste of Bulldog but might not be up to the whole climb, they can do what we call Little Bulldog Loop. Starting from Crags Rd about a quarter mile west of the M*A*S*H site, you turn left onto Bulldog and climb just over a mile until you reach a major fork. You can continue straight ahead on Upper Bulldog or turn about 90 degrees to the right onto Lookout Road which goes up a short hill and then turns right again at the top. The road descends a bit then climbs some more before starting down, then turns left and gets quite steep just before the trailhead at Lookout Drive. This last section can be very loose and rocky. Once on the pavement, you can take either fork of the road (the right fork is steeper and quicker). There is a very very sharp right turn at the bottom of the hill onto Crags Drive, then about a block to the trailhead at the west end of Crags Rd and back into the park. Another alternative instead of climbing all the way to the top of Bulldog is to continue about 1/4 mile past the Bulldog/Lookout fork and take a single track off to the right, Lakeside Lateral. This is a very pleasant single track but may become overgrown and sometimes with poison oak, but it will shortly come to an abandoned and much vandalized stone house. You can continue down an old fire road that will run into Lookout Road. If you turn right down the hill to get to get back to Bulldog, or go straight to get to the Lookout Drive trailhead. If you decide to ride all the way to the top of Bulldog, there aren't many options any more. The most popular in the past, to make a loop with the Backbone Single Track, is now blocked by a locked gate on Newton Motorway. You can also make a much longer ride out to Mesa Peak Motorway and get back to the park by the Tapia Spur Trail. If you think this trail is steep, see how it compares to other steep trails. Technical Rating  Mostly T2 but some sections on Lakeside Lateral and Lookout Road are T3.5

Length (miles)	3.6 (Lower and Upper Bulldog); 0.8 (Lookout Road)
Climb (feet)	2200 (Lower and Upper Bulldog); 150 (Lookout Road)
Descent (feet)	450 (Lower and Upper Bulldog); 280 (Lookout Road)

Is Bulldog the toughest trail to climb? Check the comparison of hills and decide for yourself!

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[10] Castro Motorway

Description The Castro Motorway is a fire road that climbs from the Corral Canyon Rd parking area past the top of Bulldog to the intersection with Newton Motorway and beyond. When climbing Castro Mtwy, Newton Mtwy comes in from behind on the left, forming a tight switchback (see photo at right) while Castro Motorway continues straight (behind the photographer and not visible). Newton is a broad road, but nevertheless it's surprisingly easy to miss when you're grunting up the fairly steep and slightly rocky Castro Motorway, especially when starting from the bottom of Bulldog. Technical Rating T1.5

Length (miles)	1.4
Climb (feet)	670 (starting at the Correl Canyon parking area)
Descent (feet)	90

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[11] Mesa Peak Motorway  and Singletrack (Backbone Trail)

Description This writer hasn't been on the Mesa Peak Motorway and singletrack for some time so please be forgiving if you get lost based on this description - it's best to back it up with some independent source! The Mesa Peak trail is a fire road for most of it's length, but there is a sweet singletrack that gets you down the last half mile. From the Corral Canyon Rd parking area, head down Corral Canyon Rd for a few hundred yards. Mesa Peak Motorway comes in from the left. There will be some more climbs, but nothing too bad, at least not compared to Bulldog. About 2 to 2.5 miles from Corral Canyon Rd, a landslide has destroyed the road and it is impassible. There is a trail that goes around this blockage, but be prepared to climb down some rocks to get back to the road. Shortly thereafter the road forks, with Puerco Motorway going right and Mesa Peak Motorway going left. From here it's about a mile and 3/4 downhill before you get to the singletrack that takes you through a picnic area just before you reach Malibu Canyon Rd. A short ride north on the pavement and across a bridge is necessary to reach Tapia Park as the creek flows with quite a volume all year long. From here the Tapia Spur Trail will get you back to Malibu Creek State Park. Technical Rating T1.5 (Fireroad); T3 (Singletrack)

Length (miles)	5.3
Climb (feet)	930 (starting at the Correl Canyon parking area)
Descent (feet)	2440

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[12] Newton Motorway

Description The Newton Motorway connects the Castro Motorway with the Backbone Trail singletrack and then connects eventually with Latigo Canyon Rd (not shown on this map). From the Castro Motorway, Newton continues to climb for about a third of a mile before it starts down a steep, rutted and somewhat rocky but fairly solid road to the Saddle and the Backbone Trail singletrack. The Newton Motorway crosses private land and there are some gates that used to be easy to ride around, but the landowner is embroiled in a dispute with the National Park Service (the caretakers of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area) so barbed wire has been errected to hinder access in 2003. Sometime in the autumn of 2006, these two gates were fortified to make them almost impossible to bypass. Please take that into consideration when planning your outing! Technical Rating T2

Length (miles)	0.9 (Castro Motorway to the Backbone Trail singletrack at the Saddle)
Climb (feet)	290
Descent (feet)	580

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[13] Backbone Trail Singletrack  (more photos)

Description This section of the Backbone Trail is one of the best places to ride in the Santa Monica Mountains. It's a really fun trail and it has a great view from the Saddle of the valley through which it meanders.(The Saddle is the point on Newton Motorway where the Backbone Trail singletrack crosses it.) You start by descending down a slightly steep (meaning it's a lot easier on the way out than on the way back!) but well-maintained and multiuse-wide trail into the valley. After about 1/3 miles you reach the trees and lose the view but become enveloped in the forest. At this point the descent is much more gradual. The trail crosses the seemingly always dry stream a number of times, making for some fun whoop-de-doos, and except for one, all of them can be ridden by experienced riders. After a mile and a half you start to climb out again, but the ascent is moderate except for one or two short stretches, and there are plenty of twists and turns. When you get to the Corral Canyon Rd parking area, you can have a short break and then return the way you came because this trail is just as fun in both directions, assuming you're up to the steep climb back to the Saddle. Alternatively, you can return via Castro Motorway to the top of Bulldog, or continue along Mesa Peak Motorway to Malibu Canyon Rd and Tapia Park for a much longer ride. Overall, this trail is appropriate for intermediate riders or strong novices. However, to get to the Saddle takes a lot of work, beyond what a novice or even an intermdiate rider could manage. There are, however, a couple of shortcuts. First, you can drive up Corral Canyon Rd from the Pacific Coast Highway, but this is neither a short nor quick drive so isn't very practical unless you happen to live nearby. Another alternative is to ride to the Saddle along the Newton Motorway from Latigo Canyon Rd, a distance of 0.75 miles with about 280 feet of climbing. Technical Rating T3

Length (miles)	2.6 (From the Saddle to the Corral Canyon Rd parking area)
Climb (feet)	590
Descent (feet)	870

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[14] Tapia Spur Trail

Description This trail was closed for a number of years but was opened in mid 2003 after parts of the trail were relocated by the Park Service to make them more in line with multi-use standards. It's not a very long trail, but is a nice singletrack and completes the loop back to Malibu Creek State Park from the Backbone Trail on Mesa Peak Motorway and single track. The trailhead is deep in Tapia Park, just before the gate to the Salvation Army Camp. When you get to the gate (shown at right) turn around and ride back a hundred yards or so. The trailhead is on the left. From the Malibu Creek Park end, the trailhead has been relocated and some or all posted maps show it in the wrong location. You might have to ask a park ranger for its location. The trail itself is in good condtion and consists of a moderate climb to the peak, then a moderate descent to the bottom at the other side. Beginners will probably find it's quite challenging, but the easy access from both ends may make it a good practice trail. Technical Rating T2

Length (miles)	1.5 (not including pavement)
Climb (feet)	470 (from Tapia to Malibu Creek State Park, the opposite direction as shown on the profile)
Descent (feet)	390

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[15] Lost Cabin Trail

Description This trail probably has the most beautiful surroundings in the park with the red sandstone Goat Buttes to the north and green, rugged mountains to the south. It is very secluded with few travellers; even so, it's in fairly good shape and easy to hike. The trail starts at Crags Road just east of the M*A*S*H site as Crags Road turns north into the Creek of Doom. Lost Cabin Trail climbs slowly, reaches a crest and starts downhill. It used to be eroded and overgrown on the downhill side, but sometime in the summer of 2008 some work was done to clear up the trail. It's now a nice easy walk down to the lost cabin site.

Technical Rating NB

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[16] Forest Trail

Description This is another very pretty and very easy trail to hike. Most of it is close to the southern shore of Century Lake and is shaded by large trees, including a grove of redwood trees. It ends at the Century Lake dam. The trail is well-travelled, wide and well-maintained, a good thing because the cool and damp conditions are prefect for poison oak, which grows in most spots along the edge of the trail. It's easy to avoid the poison oak if you stick to the centerof the trail.This is a perfect trail for a hike on a hot summer day.

Technical Rating NB

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[17] Cistern Trail

Description: This trail starts few hundred yards up Mulholland from the south end of the Phantom Trail, on the other side of the highway. It leads to the Lookout Trail that forms a loop with Crags Rd in the park. Along the way are some terrific views down onto Century Lake and the mountains behind it. It is in good shape with moderate climbs. There is enough parking by the side of Mulholland Hwy that this provides a good alternative way into the park, but the steepness of this trail and the Lookout Trail to which it connects means it won't be easy for less-experienced hikers.

Technical Rating NB

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[18] Lookout Trail

Description This is a well maintained trail with a fairly smooth tread. It connects the Cistern Trail to Crags Road and has some pretty spectacular views along the way. The slope of the eastern half is a little steeper than moderate, but this provides some tremendous views of Century Lake and the surrounding mountains. The western half is not quite so steep and half the trail is in shade of tall chaparral. Overall there are few people on this trail compared to Crags Road, but there are more equestrians.

Technical Rating NB

Trail Profile      Back to the Top

The trail profile is included with that for the Cistern Trail.

[19] Cage Creek Trail:

Description At it's north end, this trail connects to the west end of the Lookout Trail and the east end of the Yearling Trail. The south end of this trail connects to Crags Road. The trail is mostly shaded and in good shape, a little rougher and steeper than the Lookout Trail. Like the Lookout Trail, there are very few people on it compared to Crags Road.

Technical Rating NB

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[20] Yearling Trail

Description This trail is completely in the open, running through the grass near the edge of a wooded area. The surface is generally smooth but horse-rutted and a little loose. All hills are gentle. This is an easy trail to find and to hike and looks to be very popular with the equestrians. On the west end it starts from the paved loop in the state park utility facility and it ends on the east at the junction of the Lookout Trail and Cage Creek Trail.

Technical Rating NB

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[21] Deer Leg Trail

Description This trail branches off from the Yearling Trail 650 feet from the west end. It runs parallel to the Yearling Trail, following along the edge of the trees before veering south and into the trees. The Lake Vista Trail forks off to the right at the first of two picnic tables. Most of the trail is shaded by oak trees or tall chaparal. The trail is wide singletrack, has a generally smooth surface, and has gentle to moderate grades. This is a great trail for an easy hike, especially in the summer where the shade will help provide relief from the heat. At the east end it rejoins the Yearling Trail shortly before the Cage Creek Trail forks off to the south. There is a short connector trail in the middle that joins the Yearling Trail.

Technical Rating NB

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[22] Lake Vista Trail

Description The bottom of this trail starts at the first picnic table on the Deer Leg Trail and begins with a short section of rocky stairs (see photo at right). After that the tread is generally more smooth, but the horse traffic makes the steeper and narrower sections somewhat loose and a little rocky. Overall the climbs are gentle to moderate. It is about 80% in the shade of tall chaparral and there is very little poison oak. After reaching the top there is a short decent that comes out to an Edison road where there is a spectacular view of Malibou Lake and the mountains behind it. This is a well-maintained, easy and pretty hiking trail and should be a good choice in the summer heat because of the amount of shade.

Technical Rating NB

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  This page last updated on September 19, 2008

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