• About
  • Blog
  • Working together
  • Testimonials
  • Contact

Girl Gone Travel

Girl Gone Travel

North America, Travel
/
March 8, 2017

Hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains, California

Enjoyed this post? Give it some love and share!
Share

With every trip to Los Angeles, I understand more and more the allure, the affection, and why so many of my East Coast friends and family have escaped to its warmth. This latest trip was extra special because I had my husband and kids with me, something which always makes travel to anywhere more fun.

On my last visit, I was able to connect with a lot of local friends who showed me the best of their neighborhoods. I invite you to check out Los Angeles from a New Yorker’s Point of View for a list of these must-see areas.

On this trip, we had a small list of suggestions, but mainly did a lot of exploring on our own and found a few more gems in the process. Most importantly, on this trip, I got to take part in my favorite activity: hiking.

Ahhh, the outdoors!

I feel like the point of California-living is being outdoors. But if you aren’t from there it might not be as natural a thought. You will find yourself outdoors plenty, whether at an eatery or by the pool bar, but what I’m talking about is heading out into nature.

Los Angeles is expansive and has a lot of pockets of nature to explore. We kicked off our first day with hike to the Parker Mesa Overlook in Topanga State Park, along a trail in the Santa Monica Mountains.

There are a few trails on Los Liones Canyon (main entrance says Los Leones) for any skill-level, and the only recommendation I would make besides figuring out which trail to take, is to prepare for the weather.

Ready for action!

The week before we arrived we were told the weather was rainy – not great for that trail as it can be muddy and the rocks can be slippery and dangerous. On the day we hiked, it was sunny and clear. Perfect, except the trail is only partly shaded and it can get really hot as you’re hiking up. It’s really the only thing that made it feel a bit more difficult for us.

Overall, the trail itself wasn’t tough for our family, we’ve done more challenging ones. The trail got more crowded as it got later in the day though and even though dogs are not allowed, not everyone seemed to follow this rule. We hiked the 3+ miles up to the overlook and they did not disappoint.

From the 1500+ feet elevation we could see all of Santa Monica Bay, Catalina Island, Downtown Los Angeles, and even the snow on the tips of the San Gabriel Mountains. Next time I would plan a much earlier hike or wait later for the sunset.

This particular hike is about 7.3 miles in total round trip, and it can take an average hiker about 3-4 hours. There are a few other, more extensive hikes to choose from. The trail is lush and serene, and every so often the breeze would carry a soft scent of flowers blooming. They caution to beware of rattle snakes who like to bathe in the hot sun, but they are more afraid of you and will try to avoid you if they can, and we never saw one – to the disappointment of our boys. We did see a lot of small lizards though!

There is plenty of parking at the bottom of the trail and public bathrooms which are clean and bright. Bring a picnic and plenty of water. Best hiking period is between March and November.

Not a bad way to start the day!

Another, much shorter trail is the Corral Canyon Trail, a 2.5 mile loop which will lead you to beautiful water views. We didn’t do this trail, instead headed over to Malibu Seafood (right next to the trail base) where we basked in the joy from our earlier hike and indulged in all kinds of yummy seafood, such as mussels, swordfish sandwiches, flounder and seaweed salad.

This popular eatery is only opened in the afternoon, where they serve the morning catch to hungry visitors. We were lucky to be there on a weekday as we heard that weekends is a hectic experience.

After lunch, we sat along the rocky beach and took in all the awesome of that moment.

I am convinced that from this moment on all my visits to Los Angeles will include several hiking excursions. Till now, I’ve limited my California hiking to the national parks, but clearly, as this trip proved, I have been missing out.

For more info on the Corral Canyon Trail and other fun California hikes, check out some of my favorite resources for the area: All Trails, Modern Hiker, Hikespeak, as well as the National Parks Services website.

 

Related

Enjoyed this post? Give it some love and share!
Share
Pin this Post
Share this Post
Carol Cain

Brooklyn native Carol is happiest when on an adventure, whether close to home or farther away. She is a small business owner and travel writer. In addition to creating Girl Gone Travel, she is the Founder and Principal of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. She's mom to three wonderful sons and wife to a handsome Irish/Scot. She lives, works, and plays in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of NY.

You May Also Like...

Christmas Tree Hunting in Long Island, NY

December 12, 2008

Fort Tryon Park, Washington Heights, NY

December 10, 2008

Winter afternoon in the Bronx Zoo, NY

December 16, 2008

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Previous Post
Coastal Maine escape without the crowds
Next Post
Road Tripping in Los Angeles

Categories

  • Asia5 Post(s)
  • Caribbean17 Post(s)
  • Central America4 Post(s)
  • Europe54 Post(s)
  • North America318 Post(s)
  • Oceana1 Post(s)

About me

Hi! I'm Carol! I am an award-winning travel blogger, a keynote speaker, and the Principal and owner of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. I a wife to a handsome Irish/Scot and a mom to 3 sons. Welcome to my blog where I share stories of my travels and professional public relations insights and advice. Thank you for reading and for your support!

Carol Cain

Contact

  • caincarol@gmail.com

Follow @girlgonetravel

Rainy Sunday night bliss. ❤️ Feeling grateful. Rainy Sunday night bliss. ❤️ Feeling grateful.
A perfect little roadtrip idea: Clifton Springs, N A perfect little roadtrip idea: Clifton Springs, NY to explore all the good reads available at the cutest little bookstore, @sulfurbooks. 

With its airy feel, with cozy reading nooks and friendly vibes, I could’ve easily spent hours here. Instead, I walked away with some new reads and excitement for my return.

📍Clifton Springs is a 45 min drive from Rochester and a little over 30 mins from Penn Yan, NY. 

#fingerlakes #smallrownny #newyork #roadtrip #booklover
And the mural is complete! This year, @travisjcain And the mural is complete! This year, @travisjcain was invited to participate in MuralFest hosted by @communityartselmira. His theme was in honor of the Seneca Indigenous culture and their remaining influence on the Finger Lakes and so much of North America. 

In the mural you will see depictions of a turtle at center, which is sacred and is believed to be the protector and nurturer of life. The 13 moon cycles is the traditional lunar calendar. Also depicted are long houses, traditional foods such as corn, and an eagle, which serves as a messenger to the Creator and a protector of the Haudenosaunee.

The mural is already marked by the impact of all the rain we had since he started, but today he, @liamcain._ , and @toniiocain worked throughout the day in this very hot sun to complete it. And I couldn’t be prouder or love it more! 

If you want to see the mural in person, it is located on the railway wall along Washington Ave. and Lake St. in Elmira, NY across from the old Big Lots parking lot. 

Congratulations to Travis and all the artists!

#murals #streetartist #elmirany #artist #muralist
Mi gente Latinx e inmigrante : tu felicidad, tu é Mi gente Latinx e inmigrante : tu felicidad, tu éxito, y tus esperanzas y sueños positivos hacia el futuro también son expresiones de revolución. El propósito es crear desesperación, confusión, intimidación, y tristeza. Y sí, existen. Sufrímos con nuestras familias, amistades, y comunidades. Pero, coño, nuestra gente somos resiliente y capaces de más de lo que se imaginan. Movamosnos adelante con la cara alta, dignidad, y coraje. 
…………..

My Latinx and immigrant people: your happiness, your success, and your positive hopes and dreams for the future are also forms of revolution. The purpose is to create despair, confusion, intimidation, and sadness. And yes, they exist. We suffer with our families, friends, and communities. But, above all, our people are resilient and capable of more than you can imagine. Let us move forward with our heads held high, with dignity, and courage.

#latinx
Things that make me happy: the sound of rain on th Things that make me happy: the sound of rain on the metal roof. So calming. 

#countryliving #fingerlakes #newyork
A moment in this little life I’ve created and lo A moment in this little life I’ve created and love so much. 

#fingerlakes #newyork #lakelife

Copyright © 2025 Girl Gone Travel | Privacy Policy | Copyright Notice