Malibu Creek Trail - Hiking

Review

Intro

Malibu Creek State Park is over 10,000 acres and covers over 30-miles of trail in the beautiful Santa Monica Mountains. This park is well known for it’s unique landscape and steep canyon walls, which are made of hard volcanic rock. 

What Makes It Great

Many films and TV shows have been shot here, and the landscape may seem especially recognizable from such films as “M.A.S.H.” and “Planet of the Apes”. Malibu Creek provides many swimming holes, and the Canyon Walls are a popular resource for bolted sport rock climbing and bouldering. The park is the most comfortable to hike in during the cooler months outside of summer, although the swimming holes in the area do make summer hikes more than bearable. The well marked trail that follows Malibu Creek is 7.9-miles roundtrip and covers some of the main sites of the park. There is about 200 ft elevation gain on one small part of the trail, but the rest is fairly level with good terrain. This is a moderate route for most, but can be made more difficult by exploring side trails. 

Who is Going to Love It

Hikers who want a fun long day will love Malibu Creek -- but so will those looking for a fun, casual day out. There are plenty of trails to explore so you can make this day as easy or tough as you like. 

Directions, Parking, & Regulations

Be sure to get a map at the ranger station to help with navigating the side trails. Also, be aware that dogs are not allowed off pavement in the Park and there is a $12/vehicle fee at the park entrance. The physical address is 1925 Las Virgenes Rd, Calabasas, CA 91302.