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 Reporter |
Summary: Always bring the ten essentials on a day hike. I began this hike at 2:30 pm thinking I had plenty of time to get back by dark. Wrong! This would have been an interesting situation had I not had my trusty Photon flashlight handy. Hey night hiking is actually a lot of fun if you are prepared. Enough said. This hike has a terrific payoff at the end of a long climb in the way of panoramic views and dramatic sandstone formations. Do bring map and compass for this hike otherwise you might not know which way to turn at trail junctions. At the dirt parking area find the trailhead to the left with a sign "High Stunt Trail". Follow along this trail next to a creek and make a left at the trail junction. Follow the Stunt High Trail across a service road then across Stunt Road two times until it hooks up with the Backbone Trail. Note: walk down to the right each time to find the trail again across Stunt Rd. Turn left onto the Backbone Trail going to Saddle Peak. Trailhead: From the 101 Freeway exit Las Virgenes Rd. heading south towards Malibu. Make a left turn on Mulholland Highway about 5 miles then turn right onto Stunt Rd. Take Stunt Rd. 2.9 miles to a turn out on the right hand side. Find the trailhead with a sign that says "Stunt High Trail" to your left. (Lat:34.09493 Lon:-118.64743) Trail Guides for Saddle Peak from Stunt High Trail: Afoot and Afield in Los Angeles by Jerry Schad (Wilderness Press) Best Seasons: Fall, Spring, Winter, User Groups: Hikers, Dogs, Bikes, Horses, Ranger Contact: Santa Monica Mountain Conservancy (310) 589-3200 Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Eric Altizer, who has posted 13 other hikes on this site Trail Reviews Page 1 of 2 Submit your own review 
Reviewed by DLF on 1/1/2010 I liked this hike so much I did it 2 days in a row. The first time I went with a buddy and we started at the bottom of Stunt High Trail at mile marker 1 on Stunt Rd. It was very challenging with a variety of scenery. You barely even notice the road except of course when you cross it twice. Not a lot of signage, just walk to the right. We kept a pretty good pace with very few stops and made it to the peak in about an hour and 20 minutes. Since we got a late start, it was dark before we made it down. I would highly recommend this hike. 
Reviewed by AH on 9/28/2009 Before I begin, I must qualify my response as being in no way tied to the number of stars I gave this hike. I feel that by rating a hike with a certain quantity of stars I am attaching a false, numerical, and objective value to an experience that is extremely personal and subjective. That being said, I found it annoying that I had to cross Stunt Road twice. The road seems to function only as a place where men rev their motorcycles to soothe their gnawing insecurities. Other than the road crossings, the view from the top is pretty and the gentle climb through the chapparal is a nice workout.
Reviewed by DD on 12/10/2008 If you are looking for a challenging hike, this is not the hike for you. It is more of a short stroll, not steep or long. The view at the top was nice, but noisy from the traffic on Stunt Road. I made the summit in 1.5 hours, but it was an enjoyable day.
Reviewed by MPK Meander on 7/1/2008 Hotter than a firecracker, but beautiful. Made it to the summit on our second attempt - we apparently walk WAY slower than the rest of you! Could stand still on the summit and hear the pods on the pea chaparral popping open and throwing seeds everywhere. Can't even imagine how the bike tracks got where we saw them. 
Reviewed by jen on 5/30/2008 after having our last hike result in a helicopter lift, this was a pleasant surprise. very straight forward hike with little effort and huge payoffs! we started at the 2.9 mile point and hiked in on backbone then followed the sign to saddle peak. we stopped and bouldered a bit on the gorgeous rock formations then continued on and followed the right split off to an amazing 200 degree view of the pacific. i'd say its about 45 min to 1 hr to the ocean lookout if you don't stop to boulder.
Reviewed by EW on 5/18/2008 Wonderful hike, but it was a hot day, so the trail was quite hot. Thankfully there is quite a bit of shade. We did the hike from the 1.0 mile marker on Stunt Rd. It took 4 1/2 hours total, which was a little longer than it would normally take due to the heat. Great rock formations at the top and good views.
Reviewed by KL and KW on 5/10/2008 This was an amazing Hike!!!! We started from the Stunt High Trailhead which seemed longer than 6 miles roundtrip but was still incredible. It took us a total of 5 hours to get to the peak and back. We stopped to take pictures a few times and took about 15 minutes at the peak to eat a little something. We followed the directions from this website and they are pretty acurate. you do have to cross Stunt Rd. twice and you turn right both times. There aren't very many signs though. It hooks up with the backbone trail but there's a sign pointing toward Saddle Peak. When you get to the top, the last part of the trail forks, just take the one that looks like it goes up instead of down. Amazing rock formations and tons of wildflowers!!
Reviewed by BB on 3/8/2008 A great hike. One of my favorites. Only problem is that the directions to the trailhead are wrong. The trailhead is 1.0 miles, not 2.9 miles from Mulholland Highway. Notice: Traveling in the backcountry can be hazardous. You are responsible for informing yourself about these hazards and taking necessary precautions. Information on this web site comes from volunteer reporters and may contain errors or omissions. A current guidebook and proper equipment are essential for safe enjoyment of the hikes posted on this site. Keys: California Hiking, California Trails, California Hikes, Los Angeles County Hiking, Los Angeles County Trails, Los Angeles County Hikes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||