Topanga State Park

Topanga State Park is one of favorite places to hike in Los Angeles and is truly a natural treasure. It is one of the most beautiful parts of LA and is so diverse that you can hike over and over and keep seeing new things each time. Topanga California is an area on the west end of town, between Malibu and the Pacific ocean and the Valley. The canyon goes over the Santa Monica mountains. This hilly area is a unique sanctuary of natural life and biodiversity that (as of now) has been relatively protected. While there is some development in the canyon, most of which is from the 50's and 60's, the area is pretty sparse and there are hundreds of acres of wilderness to explore, most of which is accessible to visitors (if you are willing to hike!).

One of the great things about the Topanga state park is its diversity. Because it runs through a canyon with streams running through it, the wildlife is dramatically different from one spot to the next. While the more exposed areas feel like other areas of southern California, with the typical chaparral landscape, others almost feel like a tropical rain forest with ferns, moss, streams and vines.

The natural life is pretty well protected in Topanga and you can see rabbits, deer and other wildlife very frequently. Lizards, birds and bugs are all over the place, we didn't mean to leave them out!

So where do you go in Topanga to get started? There are literally dozens, maybe hundreds of trailheads in the area to hike, some easy strolls and some more advanced. If you drive around the area you'll find hundreds of places to explore. However, one of our favorite spots, and the most accessible, is Trippet Ranch. If you take Topanga Canyon Blvd, you turn east onto Entrada Rd and follow it as it winds up the hill. Follow the signs for Topanga state park and Trippet Ranch. There is a large parking lot and dozens of trailheads right there, including some of our favorites like Deadhorse Trail and Musch Trail.

One comment we'd like to make here is to encourage you to support the Topanga state park in any way you can. Despite being such a big, important part of the nature surrounding LA, Topanga is always under attack. With its beautiful views and proximity to Malibu, it is a developers dream. It is unfortunately only a matter of time until they make headway into "unprotecting" this natural wonder. The income for care and upkeep of the park, its facilities, trails and such is sorely suffering. And a lot of visitors don't even realize the danger the park is in. One thing that frustrates us is that you see a long line of cars along the road leading up to the parking lot, parked there to avoid the $10 parking fee. Mercedes, BMWs, Audis. Obviously these people can afford to pay $10 to park. What they don't realize is they are enjoying the resources of the park while robbing it of the funds to support and protect itself. So please people, keep Topanga beautiful and protected so that all of us, and our great grandkids, can enjoy it for decades to come. Pay for parking, donate, do whatever you can. Its important!

As you drive up and down Topanga Canyon there are many other smaller trailheads you'll see along the way. Additionally, dirt Mulholland, the unpaved portion of Mulholland between Encino and Woodland Hills runs through the northeastern part of the park. If you hike up the dirt road from either end, there are numerous trails running south down into Topanga state park. Likewise, from the south, from the south with an entrance of Sunset Blvd in the Pacific Palisades, there is Will Rogers State Historic Park which is continuous with Topanga as you hike north. Temescal Gateway State Park off Sunset and Temescal Canyon Rd. also has trails that lead up toward Topanga.

With all these trailheads and the vast number of acres to explore, you can go back to Topanga hundreds of times and not see the same thing twice. In addition, because of its rich microclimate and ecosystem, the flora and fauna here change quite dramatically through the seasons. If you take the same trail in winter and then again in spring you may notices some fascinating and beautiful changes.

So please enjoy Topanga, but enjoy it responsibly, and please support the state park in any way possible so that we all can enjoy it forever.