Keep It on the Radar

Nike Missile Hike in San Vicente Mountains

You won't find your next pair of sneakers at this Nike outlet, but you'll still need a good pair of shoes for this 4-mile (round-trip) hike in the Santa Monica Mountains. The Nike Missile Control Site, a decommissioned Cold War military outpost in San Vicente Mountain Park is your starting and ending point. The entrance is about a mile up a stretch of unpaved road. Vintage signposts explain the site's history. San Vicente Mountain's 1,950-foot elevation made it ideal for erecting a missile radar station in 1956; the project was shut down in 1968. Today the station marks a great spot for nabbing a panoramic view of Los Angeles, the Valley, and the Pacific. But first, take a hike that offers an interesting perspective of the site's advantageous location. Take a right past the picnic benches to the trailhead of the Mandeville Canyon Fire Road. After 0.5 mile, keep left at the fork to descend deeper into Mandeville Canyon, marked by the fancy pools and yards of luxe properties. Plan to hit this trek in the morning or evening—it may have been a Cold War site, but the exposed trail makes this an afternoon scorcher. When you turn around at the 2-mile point (marked by the fork in the road) the hike back up reveals the missile radar towers from across the canyon. When you reach them, make one last push to climb the stairs to the top. From here it's an incomparable 360-degree view sweeping across the valley and to downtown. On clear days you can see all the way out to Catalina Island. Rad radar.

Exit the 405 Freeway at Skirball Center/Mulholland Dr. and make a left onto Mulholland Dr. Follow Mulholland until it hits Encino Hills Dr. at the Encino Hills Overlook, and make a left to stay on Mulholland, which becomes a dirt road. Follow it for about a mile until it dead-ends. The entrance to San Vicente Mountain Park will be on your left. Dog-friendly!

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. 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
  2. Surfboards and tents for shade are set up on the beach at Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area in the Swim Lagoon Area

    Switchbacks and Swimming Holes

    Hike hard, play hard! This 7-mile out-and-back in Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area is a great workout with payoff vistas and a relaxing post-hike picnic and dip in the water.

    View
  3. Hike the Rainbow

    Catch all the colors of a rainbow at Calero County Park on this 10-mile hike currently showcasing the season’s best blooms.

    View
  4. Hike Purisima Creek Open Space Preserve

    Purisima Charisma

    Hundred-foot redwoods, a shaded canyon, and views overlooking Half Moon Bay. This 10-mile loop hike in Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve is a roller-coaster of uphill and downhill along with easygoing stretches through some of the Bay Area’s most beautiful landscape.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. People on a guided horseback tour with Central Coast Trailrides at Santa Margarita Ranch near Paso Robles

    Saddle Up with Central Coast Trailrides

    Untouched and sweeping, the mountainous scenery and deep valleys of Santa Margarita near Paso Robles are just begging to be explored. So saddle up for a scenic adventure with Central Coast Trailrides (CCT) at the 14,000-acre Santa Margarita Ranch.

    View
  2. A woman on a hiking trail with huge open space and yellow flowers around her at Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks

    Going Wildwood

    Consider this your invitation to get a little untamed. In just one walk through Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks, you can chase the sound of a cascading waterfall, duck into a shadowy cave, and soak in big hillside vistas. The mostly flat 4.25-mile loop makes wild feel wonderfully accessible.

    View
  3. Two people fly fishing on the Truckee River with guides from Reno Fly Shop

    Zen and the Art of Fly Fishing

    Learning to fly fish is one of the most fun and beautiful ways to connect with nature, family, friends, and yourself. It’s also a great way to truly experience the magic of a place. Make that place Reno Tahoe, where a fly fishing adventure with Reno Fly Shop is like being planted in a plein air painting of dreamy outdoors.

    View
  4. A woman on the overlook deck overlooking the Truckee River at Oxbow Nature Study Area in Reno

    This Way to Oxbow and Dickerson Road

    Just west of downtown Reno—tucked right alongside the Truckee River—is a nature haven for wildlife spotting and waterside relaxing. The 22-acre Oxbow Nature Study Area is ideal for those seeking solitude and a short hike. Afterwards, explore the creative hub of Dickerson Road.

    View