Best the Crest

Hiking Castro Crest in the Santa Monica Mountains

A walk along the spine of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in Malibu is especially good when the days are cool and the skies so clear. Add a jaunt down into Malibu Creek State Park, and you’ve got a 7.5-mile out-and-back challenge that rewards you with wonderful views, not to mention a bit of rock-scrambling fun. After parking in the Backbone Trail’s Corral Canyon parking lot, start with a quick diversion: Take the Backbone Trail about 0.5 mile to the east to a Zionesque playground of sandstone slabs and pockmarked boulders where you can enjoy sweeping vistas of Corral Canyon down to the Pacific Ocean.

Then head back to the lot and start up Castro Motorway (a dirt fire road) along Castro Crest 0.8 mile to Bulldog Motorway—a steady incline that gains about 500 feet. The actual Castro Peak (2,825 feet) stands on private land behind the gates here, so it’s illegal to summit. Don't be bummed out. You'll still be rewarded with another epic view, this time of Malibu Creek State Park far below, before you head 2.5 miles down Bulldog. Ignore the spur trails and turn back when you reach the end of the descent, or continue to the old MASH set, 1.5 miles farther. Then comes the big push back up the 1,000 feet you descended. Head back down Castro Motorway to the trailhead. Consider taking this hike in the late afternoon for an extremely beautiful and rewarding sunset finale to your workout.

To get to the Backbone Trail’s Corral Canyon trailhead and the no-fee dirt parking lot, take the I-10 west to Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy. 1) north. After 16 miles, turn right on Corral Canyon Rd., which winds up the mountain and ends at the lot. Dog-friendly only on Castro Mtwy. section.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Bear Hug

    This 5.5-mile loop through Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park explores one of the newest segments of the acclaimed Bay Area Ridge Trail, one redolent with trees ranging from madrone and manzanita to buckeye and blue elderberry (with a bubbly post-hike bonus).

    View
  2. Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles

    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields.

    View
  3. Bikers and walkers on the Bay Area Ridge Trail with the Golden Gate Bridge behind them

    National Park City Walk

    See San Francisco the way locals do by hiking the Presidio, a national park right in the city! Wooded trails, secluded beaches, and epic views of the Golden Gate Bridge feature on this 5.5-mile out-and-back on the Bay Area Ridge Trail. It’s a lovely slice of the City by the Bay.

    View
  4. Bucks Up!

    Come on in, the water is beautiful. Whether you like swimming, kayaking, stand-up paddling, or heading out on a bigger boat, Bucks Lake is a high mountain haven that’s easy to access, blissfully uncrowded, and surrounded by sandy beaches, picnic areas, pines, and aspens.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Coming Up Roses

    Looking to spice up your hiking life? Give your partner a rose—Mount Rose! The 10-mile out-and-back peak hike goes up to one of the grandest views in all of Lake Tahoe. Get ready f

    View
  2. Two kayakers on Upper Klamath Basin on tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures

    Zen & the Art of Kayaking

    It’s the most meditative and relaxing experience you’ll ever have on a kayak. Yes, you read that right, a Zen experience on a kayak. It all happens in beautiful Klamath County when you head out on a guided tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures.

    View
  3. Lake Nacimiento
    Sponsored

    Savor Summer in Paso Robles

    Ready for the “Great California Road Trip”? Keep it real and rolling in bucolic and beautiful Paso Robles. This down- to-earth destination has everything you need to enjoy the coolest experiences.

    View
  4. A Rose in the Pines

    A crackling fire, a bottle of wine, a bubbling Jacuzzi tub with a waterfall … now the big question: Marvin Gaye tunes or not? In the morning (ahem) it's breakfast in bed and a leis

    View