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. Afternoon on the Island

    What is it about tiny islands in the middle of lakes? There’s something that just draws you in. It’s even more fun when getting there is half the adventure because you have to reach it by canoe, kayak, paddleboat, or a ranger-guided boat tour!

    View
  2. Hiker in the forest at Mount Sutro in San Francisco

    San Francisco's Middle Earth

    No need to travel to New Zealand to visit Middle Earth. San Francisco’s Mount Sutro Open Space is practically Hobbiton—a hidden “shire” in the middle of the city. Okay, maybe not quite as magical, but still an incredible place to take a hike in city limits.

    View
  3. A group of people clamored around the summit marker at Mission Peak in the Bay Area

    Your Mission Is Less Crowded

    Mission Peak is one of the Bay Area’s most popular mountains, with many hikers climbing every weekend. Skip the crowds with this 6-mile loop up the less-traveled southern route.

    View
  4. Hike top Angel Island Mount Livermore San Francisco Bay

    Good Heavens

    The 4-mile hike to the top of Angel Island offers Bay-mazing scenery. Some people claim you get a five-bridge view: Richmond-San Rafael, Bay, Golden Gate, San Mateo-Hayward, and Dumbarton bridges.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

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. 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
  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. Woman hiking down the stairs to Coast Royale Beach in Orange County

    Secluded Royale

    Panoramic coastal views and a killer leg workout combine on this 2.7-mile (round-trip) out-and-back hike to secluded Coast Royale Beach in Orange County

    View