Come join the Wilderness Adventures Section as we hike the entire Santa Monica Mountains Backbone Trail (67 miles) in eight hikes over four Saturday Sunday weekends. All outings will be one-way shuttle hikes. Our first 2026 Backbone Trail outing will be 10 miles with 2600 elevation gain on the BBT from the start at Will Rogers Park. We will first hike up the Rivas Trail and then take the High Ridge Trail over Goat Peak and past Temescal Peak. Then we will leave the BBT taking the Temescal Ridge Trail for 3 miles to our car shuttle point at the Skull Rock Trailhead. Bring water, snacks, sunscreen, and a good attitude.
We will meet initially at 7:30 AM at the Skull Rock Trailhead near the corner of Via Las Palmas and Via La Costa in Pacific Palisades. From PCH take Sunset then left on Palisades Drive, drive 3.5 miles then continue onto Chastain Parkway going 0.5 miles to a right on Via Las Palmas past a small traffic circle and then left into the trailhead parking area. From the Skull Rock trailhead, we will car shuttle 8 miles down Palisades Drive and then across Sunset Boulevard to the start at Will Rogers State Park. Carpools are encouraged.
This is a Front Country hike. A medical form is recommended, but not required. If you have one, please carry it with you. Copies of the form will be available to fill out at the trailhead as well.
