Stairway to Weirdness

Hiking to Murphy's Ranch in Rustic Canyon

Here’s one to put in your Stranger Flings file: a hike that’s also a peek into the history of several Angeleno residents and their ties to the Third Reich. This weird chapter lingers in what remains of Murphy’s Ranch in Rustic Canyon, once the 1930s and ’40s lair of Norman and Winona Stephens and various other Nazi sympathizers.

The 3.85-mile (round-trip) hike starts on the Sullivan Ridge Fire Road in Pacific Palisades, where you’ll spot an iron gate and an opening in a chain-link fence on your left. Enter and find yourself looking over a seemingly endless staircase that will take you down to the canyon floor. Watch your step as you descend about 200 feet on steep, warped stairs. When you reach the bottom, head left and you’ll begin seeing the graffiti-marked remnants of the Nazi hideout.

While much of the former compound was demolished in 2016, you can still explore some crumbling ruins among the oak and sycamore trees. Continue walking along the main path to pass concrete gardens now overgrown with grass. Keep going to reach the largest structure still standing, the boarded-up concrete powerhouse. Once you’ve snapped enough pictures, head up the adjacent stairwell, turn right, and climb the next stairwell to find yourself at the massive water tower.

Take one final flight of stairs back to the fire road and head back the way you came to leave this strange relic behind and return to the here and now.

From Sunset Blvd. in Pacific Palisades, turn north on Capri Dr. and continue about 0.6 mile until you reach Casale Rd. Look for parking in the residential neighborhood. On foot, proceed west on Casale to the start of Sullivan Ridge Fire Rd. After 0.4 mile, you’ll reach a gate across the road. Enter through the gate and continue to the trail described above. Dog-friendly!

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. Golden Gate's Blue Heron

    Golden Gate Park’s Blue Heron Lake is home to birds of many feathers, turtles lounging on rocks, visitors from afar, and locals who love this urban oasis in San Francisco. Try the "Boats and Breakfast" rowboat or pedal boat deal.

    View
  3. Rio Del Mar-velous

    Rio Del Mar State Beach in Aptos might be one of the best places for a treasure hunt. Its location between two other beaches makes for a good stroll featuring a spectacle of wildlife as you search the sand for sea glass and seashells.

    View
  4. Hiker taking a photo of sunset at Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve

    Sunshine and Skyline

    Head to Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve for a 4-mile out-and-back hike on the Bay Area Ridge Trail that offers a front-row seat to spectacular sunsets.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Gentle Giants

    Some people visit national parks to marvel at the iconic sights, while others come seeking solitude in nature. With visitation on the rise, it can be hard to find both. But in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, this pair of trails offers both....

    View
  2. Walking the Los Angeles River Trail Through Frogtown

    Frogtown Strutter’s Stroll

    Don’t go dismissing the Los Angeles River as merely a 51-mile concrete channel. It’s a genuine urban artery that links real neighborhoods, and its riverside bike/ped paths endear i

    View
  3. Griffith's Golden

    With over 4,200 acres and hundreds of trails, Griffith Park is the gold standard. Opt for the lesser-hiked northwestern end of the park and visit the 2.25-mile Skyline and Oak Canyon loop from Travel Town.

    View
  4. Sponsored

    Fall for It All in Reno Tahoe

    The best kind of getaway? Less time on logistics, more time on memory-making. Jackpot! You’ve got Reno Tahoe.

    View