2 min
Overview
A moderately challenging 4.6 mile loop trail in the Pacific Palisades. This route takes you on the popular Temescal Canyon Trail to Temescal Falls (really just a small cascade, most often only a trickle). From there, the hike makes a strong but shaded ascent up to the ridge and to Skull Rock, a cool little rock formation with some excellent views of the Pacific Coast and inland (on clear days). This is a great, slightly-more-than-casual workout hike with lots of great options to extend your trip to a full-day hike, too! The Santa Monica Mountains are not lacking in trails with beautiful ocean views, but Temescal Canyon is definitely one of the more popular ones. Maybe it’s the easy parking, or the fact that you can really do whatever kind of hike you’d like here – a quick loop, a trail-run up to the ridge, or a full-day trek deep into the mountain ranges – but Temescal is definitely an L.A. hike worth knowing about. A word of warning, though – because this trail is so popular and because you can do some very easy routes here … and because it’s also located so close to some excessively wealthy areas of Los Angeles – don’t be surprised if you see people in yoga pants and expensive tops strolling in the woods with Starbucks cups while talking on their phones. I honestly think I may have passed three or four people in the lower stretches of the Canyon who were wearing perfume or cologne. Another hiker I passed was playing her workout music from speakers (what is WITH that?). If that sort of stuff bothers you, then I’d suggest heading to a trail further in the mountains, or just hiking quickly through the lower Canyon – those types thin out quite a bit once you start approaching the ridge. OK, that said – this hike starts out in the southwestern corner of the western parking area. If you’ve decided to park inside the park’s lots, just keep heading in that direction. If you parked on the street, this is on the north side of Sunset just west of the park’s entrance. Look for a large green metal gate near a metal debris
Trail Stats
7.5 km
345 m
430 m
76 m
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