Eagle Rock, the most impressive landmark in all of Topanga State Park, will afford us an airy perch overlooking the upper watershed of Santa Ynez Canyon and the ocean beyond. We will eat, drink and explore on this impressive sandstone rock covered with crevices and caves.
We begin hiking at Trippet Ranch, walking north on a paved driveway about 100 yards to where the Musch Trail slants to the right across a grassy hillside.
On that trail we’ll plunge into the shade of oak and bay laurel trees. After contouring around a couple of north-flowing ravines, we rise to meet a trailside campground at the former Musch Ranch.
Beyond the campground, Musch Trail climbs through sun-baked, fragrant chaparral.
After many twists and turns we will reach a ridgetop fire road at Eagle Junction. We begin to see Eagle Rock looming over ravines plunging south toward the sea. The rock, a sandstone outcrop pitted with small caves, is a good example of the 15-million-year-old Topanga Canyon Formation that crops out in various parts of the Santa Monica Mountains.
We’ll return to Trippet Ranch via the rolling East Topanga Fire Road. Hike is about 5 miles.
Bring a sack lunch and we’ll take an extended break on Eagle Rock — we’ll make a picnic out of it!
