An easy hike for ‘intermediate beginners’ and novice hikers looking for a challenge. Great scenery, well-maintained trails, and lots of opportunities to branch out and explore. This is definitely one of my favorite trails in all of Los Angeles, and a fantastic way to introduce non-hikers to the joys of hiking.
The Basics:
For my money, one of the premiere Southern California Trails. A wide variety of landscapes, relatively easy elevation gain, and ample opportunities to explore side-trails.
- Distance: 7.16 miles round trip (6.16 without Tri-Peaks)
- Elevation Gain: 1730 ft (1400 without Tri-Peaks)
- Time: 3 Hours, at a good pace.
- Trail Condition: Very good, and very easy to follow. If you branch off the Backbone or Mishe Mokwa Trails, however, you might need to brush up your navigating skills. Or at least keep your eyes peeled.
- How to Get There: From the PCH, take Yerba Buena Road (right near the border of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties) past the Circle X Ranch. A dirt parking lot is on your left after rounding a bend.
- Map It!
The Notables:
- Sandstone Peak is the highest point in the Santa Monica Mountains.
- Views from Santa Barbara to Santa Catalina Island, inland to the San Gabriels on a clear day.
Extending Your Stay:
- Hikes to Balanced Rock, Exchange Peak and Boney Mountain are easy to add-on to this one. If you know where you’re going, you can easily head off-trail to do some exploring of your own. A bit down Yerba Buena Road, you can also visit the Circle X Ranch’s Grotto Trail.
As always, more pictures up on Flickr. And check this out! We’re now GPS enabled!
Below is a Google Earth window with my trail and waypoints. If you click on the green logo, you’ll get more details and be able to download my GPX file and snag this map if you’re interested in the trail. You’ll also get my warnings about where the nasty Spanish Bayonets are.
Mishe Mokwa Trail to Sandstone Peak and Tri-Peaks on Google Earth
I want an important part of this site to be the trail write-ups I’ve been doing for the past year over at the old site, except with more technical information and guidance buried in with my rambling observations.
So, after picking up a new GPS, I decided to test it out (and inaugurate the new site) with the Hike That Got Me Hiking – Sandstone Peak.
When I first started hiking here, I’d been doing smaller hikes in the Topanga Canyon area, and eventually I wanted to try something a bit more … mountainous. The Mishe Mokwa Trail was on the menu, and after that I was hooked.
This trail is challenging without being impossible, solitary without being desolate, and with views, landmarks, and smells that will lodge in your brain and keep calling you back. In other words, it’s the perfect hike for the hiker who doesn’t know he’s a hiker yet.Does that make sense?
If not, just know that this marks the fourth time I’ve been back on this trail – far more than any other hike I’ve been on. I went solo my first time, the second time I took two novice hikers on their first trail, and this is the hike I took my visiting family on to show them the glory of the California wilderness. Everyone finished, in varying stages of exhaustion. Even my mom.
I hadn’t been back since August, and all I had to do to get excited again was round those bends on Yerba Buena Road. As soon as I saw that sheer wall of rock against a perfect blue sky, I knew I was home again.
I pulled into the parking lot and was surprised to find only one other car there. I blamed it on the all-weekend rain predictions we’d been hearing since Tuesday, strapped on my gear and headed up.
If you’re doing this as a loop trail, the elevation gain is barely noticeable for most of the trip. Unfortunately, the first half a mile is one of those noticeable areas. About 400 feet in under half a mile. But soon you’re on the Mishe Mokwa, gently winding around and up. And you’ve got some great vistas to the east to distract you.
Most of the southern parts of the trail are through chaparral, and very open to the sunlight. Soon, though, the vegetation starts to surround you – various brushes and mosses, and unbelievably fragrant California laurel and junipers. There were several times I just had to stop and smell as much as I could.
It really is quite nice, but the extra shade does make the northern parts of the trail significantly cooler. I had my newly-traditional winter layers with me, so all was good.
Soon, I got my first sight of Balanced Rock, the impossibly large, teetering boulder that’s straight out of an old Road Runner cartoon. No picture does it justice. The upper rock is the size of a freakin’ house. And it’s just sitting there, waiting for the Big One so it can run rampaging into the nearest canyon.
You can hop off the Mishe Mokwa Trail just north of Split Rock for a short bushwhacking adventure to get to Balanced Rock and some good climbing walls nearby. You can also scramble down into the canyon below (which has a nice stream running in the spring), but the last time I saw someone come out of that canyon, 60% of their body was covered in poison oak. FYI.
I bypassed the Rock and continued on the Mishe Mokwa, passing countless windswept rock formations and a few dry stream beds.
Soon, I had my first view of other hikers – three tiny figures on the distant ridge of Boney Mountain:
I still haven’t hit up that particular peak, yet. On the list, but not for today.
Instead, I took a short spur off the Mishe Mokwa to the Tri-Peaks.
The Tri-Peaks Trail was significantly more rugged and overgrown than the Mishe Mokwa or Backbone Trails. Whereas most of the trail up to this point is fairly wide, mostly level footpaths, this was overgrown, washed out, and in need of a bit of maintenance. Unless, of course, you like that sort of thing. Which I do.
I’m used to tougher trails than this, and relished the chance to get my legs tore up by some Spanish Bayonets. And, as luck would have it, the trail fulfilled that request for me.
Soon, the trail climbed out of the brush and onto the rocky south face of the Tri-Peaks … where it pretty quickly spiraled off into several false trails. If you look a bit northeast of the face, you’ll see a small steel pole sticking up out of the mountain. It’s a USGS marker, and the way to the proper trail. A little boulder scrambling later, and you’ll be face to face with the Tri-Peaks.
The Peaks themselves are basically three large boulders, surveying everything in sight – from Thousand Oaks, Camarillo and beyond to the Channel Islands and Malibu. They’re pretty close together, and their porous surface makes for great climbing if you’re in the mood to play King of the Mountain. Or you can just relax on the nearby ledge and soak in some sun and views of distant Sandstone Peak. Way better dealing with the crowds at the beach.
Or you can do both, like I did.
While I was hanging out on the ledge, the three Boney Mountain Hikers came huffing around the bend. They had started up by the Boney Mountain Cultural Center in Thousand Oaks earlier in the day, and told me about the backcountry route from the mountain to the Tri-Peaks. In turn, I tried to get them to put in the extra miles to hit up Sandstone, but they were looking pretty tired. And so, I turned and left them as I headed back to the trail.
Stopping once to look back at the peaks, for good measure:
Soon I was back on the Mishe Mokwa, which quickly met up with the wider, more heavily traveled Backbone Trail. The Backbone runs almost 65 miles along ridge of the Santa Monica Mountains, from Will Rogers State Park in Santa Monica to Point Mugu. (link to PDF map and info) You’re not supposed to have mountain bikes on the section of the trail near Sandstone Peak, but the trail is wide and riddled with bike tracks. So just keep your eyes open for ‘em.
The trail here is exceptional and – in my opinion – far more rewarding if you take ‘the long way’ on the Mishe Mokwa to get to it. The trail hugs a ridge that drops sharply off below it, opening wide vistas in every direction. There is a short off-trail to Inspiration Point, a small memorial to a Boy Scout, perched on an exposed ledge. There’s also some more nice opportunities for climbing along the way, although that first step is a bit too steep for my tastes.
About three quarters of a mile from Inspiration Point, there’s a small sign pointing off the trail and into the forest toward Sandstone Peak. This is the sharpest elevation gain of the entire trail, with some portions undefined and on sheer rock face. Don’t feel bad about using your hands.
But also don’t feel afraid of doing it. It’s a challenge, but it’s completely doable. Today, I watched a dad shepherd his two small daughters up the mountain with very little trouble. As I was the only other person in sight, the youngest daughter waved at me from above, yelling “Hello, hiker!”
Adorable.
Seriously, if a four year old can do it, you can, too. And when you get to the top, it will be worth it, as miles and miles of southern California mountains and coastline unfurl before you, beneath the watchful eyes of Mr. W. Herbert Allen.
After that, it’s just another short scramble down to the trail. There’s a very unofficial dirt path directly north of the Peak that will get you back to the Backbone Trail. It’s also very steep and full of very loose rocks. I crab-walked down the last portion, just for kicks. And also, necessity.
And then it’s 1.2 miles back to the trailhead, and it’s all glorious downhill. I usually do a bit of trail-running here, and today was no exception. But I did stop to take a look at this intricate cairn someone had left before me:
I love seeing those things on the trail.
Oh, and the parking lot was completely full when I got back. Lazy Sunday hikers…
Web Hosting by ReadySetConnect
{ 8 trackbacks }
{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
Went on this hike yesterday and it was great.
For people who are driving inept, like myself, it’s north of the LA County limit and past Malibu. Once on Yerba Buena Rd., pass Circle X Ranch and keep going for a bit. The road is very bendy. I kept on thinking we had somehow passed it (both on PCH and YBR), but no–it’s clearly marked when you get there.
The hike itself is terrific. My husband and I did it in running shoes and we were fine. And we saw 14 lizards!
Wonderful travelogue….and a great trail sketch on Google Earth. This is one of the grand hikes of Southern California. I’ve done it perhaps 5 times, going up leading a group of 15 or so in September. The secluded plateau/valley is like a miniature Lost World, one would never know about the urban jungles on all sides, far below.
There is a “secret trail” descending down from Tri-Peaks to the saddle just north of the Peaks, it then rises to the northern ridge and escarpment of Boney Mountain where the trail from Conejo Valley comes up. On oone of my solo hikes I attempted to follow a long abandoned trail cutting off from the Mishe Mokwa just above Split Rock and leading to that ridge. Two hours later I reached the top, my legs bleeding from the brush. I met a hiker at the summit who told me about the hidden path down and then up to Tri-Peaks…..thank goodness, i could not have handled going back down through that brush. Anywway, I recommend trying that trail to anyone who gets up to Tri-Peaks.
Again….a great narrative and maps. Thanks very much.
Hey,
Looks like a great hike. I viewed it via the download option you gave. Google earth opened;however, I’m not able to send it to my GPS. They don’t offer the Google Earth Plus any more, instead, you have to pay 400 a month now to use the GPS option as well as other options. I tried saving the file as a GPX to import it to my way point manager I use, but it wouldn’t work. It kept saving it as a KML I believe. Have you thought about posting this trip on BackPacker.com? They have a great selection of hikes, but I was suprised to see that this hike wasn’t on there.Just sign up, go to your account, and you can post this trip with way points including pictures. Pretty well put together. Of course it’s no google erath, but you don’t have to pay 400 a month. That would be great!
Jaebird,
You should be able to download a GPX of the hike by clicking on the green arrow on the embedded map below the Google Earth file. It’s not the sleekest system, I know, and it’s something I’m going to try to streamline over the next few weeks. But yes, you don’t need a fancypants edition of GEarth to see these hikes!
Also as far as Backpacker goes, I actually have been submitting maps there over the past few months. I had assumed someone already crossed this classic hike off the list, but if not, I’ll have to take care of that shortly!
Thanks for getting back to me. I didn’t see that before; however, when I clicked “Download as GPX”, I used my way point manager (MacCaching) which supports gpx files, it said it wasn’t supported. I want to be able to put this on gps! I think i might go do this hike tomorrow because i’ve heard such good things. I’ll print out your guide, looks easy enough. Thanks for your help!
Jaebird
Did the hike today. It as awesome. Thank you for the great map and route.
Jaebird
This is a great description of the trail. Wish I’d read it before hiking up Sandstone Peak the other day, but it was good to read afterwards too. I’m definately bookmarking this weblog.
I did this hike today, it really is a great hike. This entire is website is great and very informative, keep up the great work! Here are what I think are the 3 best quotes from this write-up about this hike
1.
“This trail is challenging without being impossible, solitary without being desolate, and with views, landmarks, and smells that will lodge in your brain and keep calling you back. In other words, it’s the perfect hike for the hiker who doesn’t know he’s a hiker yet.Does that make sense?”
2.
“The trail here is exceptional and – in my opinion – far more rewarding if you take ‘the long way’ on the Mishe Mokwa to get to it.”
3.
“I got my first sight of Balanced Rock, the impossibly large, teetering boulder that’s straight out of an old Road Runner cartoon. No picture does it justice.”
We did this today – stunning all the way around. May be Best Hike Ever for us. Thanks for the blog and the information!
Just did part of this loop today with my three boys, two friends (all ages 2-9) and our black lab. For families, this would be a good winter/early spring hike. Today is was warmish – in the 80s, I think – and there was a bit of a breeze, but the sky was clear and the sun was baking the trail. Even on the North side of the loop, it was really hot. The kids and the dog were all miserable. If it had been just my wife and me, we would have completed the loop, but with the kids and the dog, we turned back a couple of miles into the North side of the loop. This is not said to disparage either the route or Modern Hiker. We used Modern Hiker last month to plan our Mugu Peak hike, which was a resounding success. We hiked a total of a little over 6 miles then – same kids and same dog – on an overcast and cooler day, so I thought we could handle the Sandstone Peak loop. We’ll try again when the weather is cooler.
Peter, glad you guys were able to enjoy Mishe Mokwa, even though it was hot. Yes, on hot, sunny days, there’s not a whole lot of shade on this trip – but if you get going early enough in the morning, you can still enjoy it in the summer. I’d recommend coming back here once we start getting our June Gloom – usually, the tips of Sandstone are *just* above the Marine Layer, which means you’ll get to hike in the shade the whole route, then get an amazing view as you peak your head just through the cloud line!
On Modern Hiker’s suggestion, we went on this hike, prepared to attack the whole loop. At the first marker we decided to go straight to Sandstone peak… which is sort of the climax of the hike. After the mile hike there, we hung out on the peak, and decided to forgo the rest of the hike. My suggestion: leave Sandstone for the ending. You know, something to work towards.
All in all, good hike (even if we did just do two miles there and back).
I’ve done this twice — got to the top and wrote in the book. The worst part was scrambling up that sheer rock face before you get to the top of Mt Allen. But very rewarding when you’re at the top and checking out the view.
Taking a trip in the near future to this area and I’m loving this site for hike suggestions. Coming from Canada I’m hoping to get some suggestions for maps and trail information. Any ideas? Also ..how is November weather for hikes?
Neener, weather is almost always pretty great here. In the winter, it’s more likely to rain, the skies are usually free of smog and haze, and temperatures are a bit cooler – it usually takes us LA transplants a few years before we’re actually able to tell when the seasons change here!
For late fall / early winter hikes, stick to the Santa Monica Mountains or deserts. With any luck, we’ll have a good snowpack in the San Gabriels by then. Feel free to email me if you have any more questions!
I did part of this hike this past weekend and let me tell you that it was wonderful! It is truly is one of the most beautiful hikes in Santa Monica Mountains. Thank you very much for this web-site. So far, I’ve hiked six times this summer and every time I used moderhiker.com to look up the trails! :)
planning to try this hike out…would you recommend this for us? we completed the Bishop’s Peak hike to the top a few months ago but that would probably be max effort and time. Where should we go to have dinner after? Keeping in mind of course we will probably be dirty and sweaty. :) Thanks for such informative site. It reminds me of the Hawaii Revealed book series. Very detailed.
I was planning on trying something in the Angeles National forest but when I called the Mt. Baldy ranger station they said that it’s all closed and they are deciding whether to open the unburned areas. I saw your description here and I went out today but started way too late and only went to Sandstone peak. I watched the sun setting above the clouds, then realized I should get on the trail back before I couldn’t find it! Great website, this is exactly the resource I was looking for, makes LA a lot more enjoyable. Thanks!
Yay… finished my first hike from the Modern Hiker website. Had been planning on going with a few more people who backed out at the last second, but opted to go with my dog Zoey. Got a little bit mixed up at the very end, trying to get to the top… took a little bit of backtracking, but finally made it. While I can say I’ve finished it, look forward to doing it again on a clear day to see a bit more than fog covered ocean, though that was beautiful too!
This is undoubtedly my favorite SoCal hike, and I do it every year. Baldy and San G are great, but they take too much effort, whereas with Sandstone Peak I can wake up at a comfortable hour (in the SFV), do the loop hike and the Tri-Peaks spur, and still have time for a bite to eat at Neptune’s Net down on the PCH at Yerba Buena.
FYI, the Tri-Peaks Trail was once so overgrown as to be impassable, but on my last hike here, in Spring 2009, it had clearly been recently maintained, and is now in great shape, though just a bit steep. I haven’t been able to find the “secret” trail from Tri-Peaks to Boney Mountain, but I guess I could just bushwhack anywhere from Tri-Peaks, as nearby Boney Peak is obvious.
Really nice hike. Mishe Mokwa trail is nicer than the Sandstone Peak trail, but I liked making a loop out of it (as is usually suggested). Sandstone Peak is nice, but I think exploring the other ‘peaklets’ (especially Exchange Peak and Tri-Peaks) are even better. Balanced Rock is mesmerizing; I need to go back and head over to that area for a better investigation of how stable it is!
Love this site! Got a question – can anyone help ID the rock formation in the following link? I believe it is Boney Bluff, slightly southwest of Sandstone Peak. But I’m not that familiar with the area. http://wildrye.com/?p=1484
Bummer. “C:\Users\Dave\Downloads\mishemokwa.gpx could not be imported.” Any ideas as to how to fix this problem? Or could you send the original as a “.gdb” file? Headed there Saturday or Sunday. Thanks!
Dave, I’ve never seen that file extension before. GPX is industry standard for GPS units and programs. Which program are you using?
.gdb is a Garmin file. Dave, you should try using GPS Babel to convert to .gdb if you desire, it’s a very handy program.
Aye, .gdb is the “Garmin Datatbase File” used with the Garmin Mapsource Software. Gracias to Modern Hiker for your speedy reply and to Ze, as GPS Babel converted and opened the document successfully! Thanks to both of you!
Modern Hiker,
Did you ever hike the Boney Mtn. trail? I’ve looked through your blog (albeit not extensively) to see if you reviewed it, but I didn’t find any write-ups. In addition to the great scenery, it’s as nice a workout as the Santa Monica’s offer, although the trail on the second half gets a little treacherous.
What I want to know is this: Is there a trail from the Boney peak that connects with the Mishe Mokwa trail, thereby going all the way to Sandstone Peak? I don’t know if you, or any of the readers know where to find it. I’ve looked around all four times I’ve hiked up Boney, and the once that I hiked Mishe Mokwa, but I never found a path.
And btw, great blog. I hiked La Jolla Canyon/Valley last week, inspired by your write-up. I’ve been hiking these hills for years, but it’s great to have this source for new adventures. Thanks!