4 min
Overview
On the southern end of Point Mugu State Park, the oft-crowded Sycamore Canyon Campground provides beautiful, shaded spots with easy access to the Pacific Ocean beaches, as well as access to the sprawling trail network in the State Park and the greater Santa Monica Mountains. This region was hit hard by the 2013 Springs Fire, and the campground itself was damaged by mudslides following the fire, but the area is recovering nicely and most of Serrano Canyon itself was spared the worst of the fire damage. Hiking this trail not only takes you into a surprisingly quiet corner of this popular park, but it also gives you the chance to see both regions in fire recovery as well as how the region looked before the Springs Fire came to town. The trek begins at the day-use parking area inside Sycamore Canyon Campground. Follow the paved campground road 0.2 mile north to the gated Big Sycamore Canyon Fire Road. Pass the gate and ignore the Scenic Trail on your left, staying on the Big Sycamore Canyon Fire Road as it gently meanders through its namesake canyon. When these photos were taken, it was in late 2015, a few years after the fire and when Southern California was still in a severe drought. Since then, we’ve had at least one solid year of above-average rainfall, and even here you can see that many of the plants were already bouncing back from the flames. As you move further north in Big Sycamore Canyon, you’ll see more trees that were spared, as well as lots of native oaks that have already resprouted and begun to recover. Stay straight at the junction with the Overlook Fire Road at 0.6 mile and the Fireline Trail at 1 mile. At 1.3 miles, you’ll reach a three way junction where Big Sycamore Canyon Fire Road continues to the north and the Serrano Canyon Trail branches off to the east. Say goodbye to the fire road for now and hop into Serrano Canyon — and get ready for what seems like an entirely different hike. Here, the fire road is replaced by a more hiker-friendly single track trail. You’ll hop across the seasonal ar
Trail Stats
13.9 km
262 m
272 m
2 m
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Photos
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