Into the Grotto

Halloween isn't just about hunting for candy. Go in search of a mossy grotto hidden in the Santa Monica Mountains, and your reward will be even sweeter. The grotto, embedded in igneous rock piles, is reached via Point Mugu State Park's Grotto Trail, a strenuous 2.7-mile out-and-back hike, not to be taken lightly. After a half-mile scramble under low-hanging manzanitas and gnarly oaks, followed by some steep switchbacks quickly slithering into and out of the canyon below, you'll venture through an oak grove, where the cave's waterfall suddenly becomes audible. At this point the trail merges into a dried-up riverbed and you'll have to do some careful maneuvering over and down some challenging boulders—a bit of a precarious descent on the rocks that make up the grotto's ceiling. Here you'll drop right into the entrance of the murky cave. The upper level, that is. The grotto is multilayered, so bonus points if you can get down to the very bottom level! The grotto itself is ominous in all its echoey, slimy glory—its walls are covered in a fluorescent green algae, its muddy pools are home to frogs, and there are creepy corners and caverns within the cave that no light ever reaches.

TIP: The trailhead is situated at the Circle X Ranch group campground. Make reservations online if you'd like to tent-camp overnight ($35/night, reservations required). Dog-friendly!

The Grotto Trail is open sunrise to sunset, year-round. Dog-friendly!