Satwiwa to Tri-Peaks

Overview

Most readers of this site will no doubt be familiar with Boney Mountain. The high point of Boney mountain is Sandstone Peak, which is a focal point for some of the best hiking on the west end of the Santa Monica Mountains. The Mishe Mokwa Loop to Sandstone is one of the classics of SoCal hiking, and Modern Hiker has long touted it for its numerous virtues. In addition to that particular classic, there is a lesser known route that reaches the Tri-Peaks formation that is every bit as much of an adventure. It’s also a bit of a leg-buster, as the route up the north side of Boney Mountain will earn you more than a few chocolate chip cookies. View toward Boney Mountain before the fire This route passes through the Satwiwa Cultural area, which features a network of leisurely trails while also connecting to Sycamore Canyon and the route up to Danielson Monument. From Danielson, the comfortable fire roads vanish before a steep, rocky, badly eroded, and occasionally even slightly treacherous social trail through tall chaparral takes over. After an exciting and slightly nerve-wracking schlep up this rocky trail, you arrive at a rounded summit of volcanic rock on one of the three peaks in the Tri-Peaks formation, where you will find an access trail to some really awesome caves/slots on the north side of the formation commonly referred to as Tri-Peaks (it all gets a bit confusing sometimes). Satwiwa Cultural Area before the fire Start out from the trailhead at the dead-end of Wendy Drive and drop down a brief slope over a usually dry creek to enter the Satwiwa cultural area trail network. This trail winds pleasantly for a brief stretch before giving you a honest warm-up on a steep slope. After this slope, you’ll emerge atop a gently rolling grassy area that looks an awful lot like the Shire following some good Spring rains. Keep to the left at the junction and wrap around a hillside to pass the old windmill that’s a holdover from the days when this area was a ranch. This is a pleasant spot to pause and enjoy the rolling gra

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