This short hike offers a nice variety of canyon and ocean scenery, and is not as well traveled as some of the other trails in the eastern Santa Monica Mountains.
We’ll enjoy a great “lollipop” outing in the northeastern corner of Topanga State Park starting at the Viewridge Trailhead for Santa Maria Canyon. We’ll connect up with The Summer Hill Ranch Trail — a short and easy loop that curves around a low-rising hill dotted with coastal live oak trees.
Highlights during this stroll through a wooded canyon include ocean views and a sturdy bridge that will take us across Santa Maria Canyon.
After crossing the bridge we’ll take Summer Hill Ranch trail to the Canyon Overlook. Here, either at a picnic table or atop a sandstone outcrop, you can enjoy excellent views of Topanga Canyon’s trademark geology and of Santa Maria Creek. For the rock scramblers there are caves and crevices to explore (while us chickens watch from the picnic bench).
Hike will be about 3 miles with 550 ft total ascent. Hike is rated as EASY. See the hike rating guide at https://www.hikingwithdean.com/hike-rating-guide/
It’s short, but offers a nice variety of canyon and ocean scenery, and is not as well traveled as some of the other trails in the eastern Santa Monica Mountains.
Directions
From Highway 101: drive south on Topanga Canyon Blvd for 3.7 miles. Turn left on Viewridge and drive 0.5 miles to the end of the road.
From Pacific Coast Highway: head north on Topanga Canyon Blvd. for 9 miles and turn right on Viewridge.
Park by end of street. There is plenty of street parking
The Organizers and members in this group are not professional leaders, guides, or mountaineers. The function of the member or organizer is only to organize the trip. Each person who shows up for a trip/meetup (and their guest or guests) is responsible for his or her own safety. By attending a hike, or any other event organized by this group, you are acknowledging that you and any guests that you bring are aware of the risks, dangers and hazards associated with the activity and freely accept and fully assume all such risks, dangers and hazards, and further agree to release and discharge the Organizers, Members of the Hiking With Dean Meetup Group from and against any and all liability arising from your participation in the group activities per the ASSUMPTION OF RISK AND LIABILITY WAIVER.
