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 Reporter |
Summary: Just when I thought I'd seen it all in the Santa Monica Mountains this hike is a real gem and even reminded me of views in the Grand Canyon at times. Another spectacular section of the Backbone Trail this hike includes staggering views of pink colored sedimentary rock formations. Proceed over the creek near the Topanga trailhead and up steadily thru beautifully shaded live oaks and a sloping green meadow. Before long you will come to a wonderful pink gorge down on the right and you can take a side path down to it past a small waterfall. Once back at the main trail you will begin switch backing up the steep south slope of Hondo Canyon thru a lovely oak forest and then a deep chaparral forest. Along the way you will enjoy breathtaking views of sedimentary rock formations known as the Sespe Formation. If you are feeling adventurous keep on hiking all the way up to Saddle Peak which has ocean views and adds another mile or so to this route. Trailhead: The trailhead with street parking is off Old Topanga Canyon Road 0.4 miles just before the junction with Topanga Canyon Blvd. The Hondo Canyon trail is part of the Backbone Trail. If you want to do a car shuttle a good idea would be to hike downhill from the upper traihead which is located located at mile 0.60 on Saddle Peak Road (0.6 mile east of Stunt Road). (Lat:34.0927126060473 Lon:-118.608010294907) Trail Guides for Hondo Canyon: Afoot and Afield in Los Angeles by Jerry Schad (Wilderness Press) Best Seasons: Year-Round User Groups: Hikers, Horses, Ranger Contact: California State Parks, (818) 880-0350 Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Eric Altizer, who has posted 13 other hikes on this site Trail Reviews Page 1 of 4 Submit your own review 
Reviewed by yeah mon on 7/7/2008 great hike, started at old topanga rd and went up to old radio tower. uphill the whole way. saw lots of lizards, and birds. no water falls, no water at all. very dry. bring lots of water you will need it. overall spectacular scenery. will do it again!!
Reviewed by OB1 on 6/13/2008 I enjoyed this hike very much, did it as an out-and-back from Topanga road which turned it into an 8.4 mile excursion. Not a single other person on the entire route when I went on a weekday, which was nice. The meadow is very dry right now, though I imagine in spring it must be very nice through there. Startled a deer grazing in the field right near the beginning. Once getting to the steadily climbing switchbacks, the shade is much appreciated, and the views up the canyon are undeniably spectacular. Next time I do this I'll leave a little earlier and add on Saddle Peak to the trek.
Reviewed by SC on 5/3/2008 Hondo Canyon Trail in great shape. Saw big rattlesnake crossing path in section between start and metal gate (about 1.5 miles in) so keep lookout. If you continue on Fossil Ridge Trail another 0.6 mi to Mulholland Motorway, be advised it has become very overgrown with grasses, so you cannot see where you're putting your feet down. 
Reviewed by Roger on 3/31/2008 This may be one of the most amazing hikes in LA! A few important corrections though: 1) the trail head is on Old Topanga Road, .3 of a mile from the Topanga rd./Old Topanga Road intersection. It's on the west side of the road just past a small bridge. 2) the hike is 3.6 miles to Stunt Road (just below the radar station). You can do an additional .7 of a mile to a lookout and make it a 4 miler (each way). So, it's nearly double the length stated in this article. I am in decent shape and was able to do it in 2.5 hours. it's uphill, moderate the whole way to the top, but very, very pretty. Good coverage from the sun. Bring water and energy bars. Put it in low gear and keep on grinding!!!
Reviewed by L. Yang on 3/2/2008 Nice hike. But I'd like to correct the GSP position. Trailhead (mentioned in the summery): Lat:34.09715 Lon:-118.61596 is 0.6 mile north of the Backbone trail post sign. The backbone trail post sign is near a concrete bridge and a horse Xing sign(Lat: 34.09278, Lon: -118.60831).
Reviewed by KevinR on 2/23/2008 Nice hike. Difficult to find due to lack of any sign. MUDDY today, but water is running and the air was fresh so a little mud is no biggie.
Reviewed by jig on 2/13/2008 = This is a great little trail to try at different times of the year. It's about a 25 minute hike from Old Topanga to the pink rocks and much farther to get to the top. SometimesDepending on when you go, it is It has rained a lot here in L.A. the past month and so the creeks were flowing. The sound of running water. Lots of happy frogs too. I found a really cool waterfall yesterday and plan to go back to see if I can find some more cool spots. In summer it can be hot though and I've heard about the rattlers but have never seen any. You can work up a sweat in the summer.
Reviewed by Isha on 2/8/2008 I took my girlfriend on this hike last weekend after it had rained, the bottom of the trail was a bit muddy, and right away you have to cross a creek, but theres enough sticks and stones to balance your way over. We originally thought this would be short, but ended up hiking all the way to saddle peak, quite a trek, (approx 10 miles round trip)but a rewarding view of the ocean at the top, when you reach stunt road, climb over the little molehill on the other side of the road and theres the ocean. The waterfalls are much more like extremely steep streams, on slick rock, but no free fall. The solitude of this hike was great, and i highly recommend it. 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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||