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 Reporter |
Summary: From the gate, follow the service road that runs along the right side of the creek. Bear right at the dirt road that takes you up to the 2 odd looking buildings that house the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. To the right of the second building, take the Rising Sun Trail. This trail heads up the ridge, with great views of the ocean, then drops down into the somewhat mysterious Tropical Terrace. This is actually the ruins of a home build in the 1960s, and burned in 1982. There are exotic plants, lovely pools, a 30 foot waterfall, and a hidden statue of the Virgin Mary just before you cross the creek heading into the ruins. This is really a fun place to explore! You can carefully scramble up the rocks on an extremely steep trail to get above the waterfall to a number of lovely pools. The return route is a pleasant shady service road that runs parallel to the stream. If not for all the construction (see trailhead info), I would have rated this hike at 5 stars. Trailhead: Head north on Pacific Coast Highway from Malibu Canyon road to Corral Canyon Road and turn right. About a quarter mile up, you will see the gated entrance to Solstice Canyon. At the time this review was written (Sep 2002), the canyon was closed for some improvement work, scheduled to be completed in June of 2003. I parked on the right side of the road at a dirt turnout about another quarter mile up Corral Canyon, then slipped through the left side of the fence at the Solstice Canyon entrance. I didn't see another person on the weekend I went, but you might get kicked out on a weekday if the construction is still going on. (Lat:34.03489 Lon:-118.7445) Trail Guides for Solstice Canyon Loop: Day Hikes Around Los Angeles by Robert Stone (Day Hike Books, Inc.) Afoot & Afield In Los Angeles by Jerry Schad (Wilderness Press) Day Hikers Guide to Southern California by John McKinney (Olympus Press) Best Seasons: Year-Round User Groups: Hikers, Dogs, Ranger Contact: National Park Service 805-370-2301 Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Jim Zuber, who has posted 104 other hikes on this site Trail Reviews Page 1 of 10 Submit your own review 
Reviewed by Bebrief on 12/15/2008 Hiked the loop yesterday, 12/14/08. Beautiful clear day in the low 60's, high 50's. We did the hike in reverse hitting the terrace and then the ridge line. I'd suggest doing it that way, as then you look at the ocean for your entire descent. You could even make out Catalina. We encountered a dozen or so people on the way to the terrace but only three or four on the ridge. Excellent hike, hiking up to the ridge is the only strenuous part. I imagine the creek and waterfall are roaring after last night's/today rain. It's a nice bonus that you don't have to pay for parking. The hike took about two hours at a leisurely pace including time to explore the terrace. Great place for a picnic.
Reviewed by LN on 11/12/2008 I hiked Solstice Canyon on a very clear day last weekend. Although the trail is still recovering from the last year's fire, I can see that in the next year, it will grow back beautifully. The hike up Solstice is very easy and the sound of the stream after the recent rain is relaxing. Going down, I took the Rising Sun Trail which I recommend doing downhill so that you can catch the ocean views (as well as Catalina!). I would definitely do this hike again and also check out the Dry Canyon trail as there is a 150' waterfall. Definitely hike this in cool weather as Rising Sun is not shaded at all.
Reviewed by Andrew on 8/11/2008 Hiked on Aug.10,2008. Took Rising Sun trail counter clockwise. It was an awesome trail. Trail was well maintained. Ruins and waterfall amazing and fun to explore. There is suppose to be a 150ft waterfall on the trail right before the parking lot...but its seasonal. 
Reviewed by girljo on 7/14/2008 Hiked on July 12, 2008 counterclockwise from the parking lot. The trail is all visible since the 2007 fires burned all the trees/tall bushes down. Kind of eerie seeing 8- foot burned trees trunks sticking up from the scrub. You can now see the ruins (and burned partially palm trees) as you descend the switchbacks into the canyon. I liked it better when it was slowly revealed through all the brush. Still a beautiful, easy hike. 
Reviewed by A. Tiongco on 6/13/2008 Open date: June 20th 2008.
Reviewed by Phuddy on 5/3/2008 This is one of the best hikes in Malibu (and can take dogs). We did this in October 207 - it's closed now and I can't wait for it to reopen. I thought it was easy. Somehow we missed the statue however! We did this hike - didn't see snakes or have any ticks. Two thumbs up. It's shady too over a part of it!
Reviewed by Natascha on 5/1/2008 A trail with great views and a sense of mystery. It took a long time to find it again but to our astonishment it is closed until June.
Reviewed by avivA on 3/11/2008 National Parks Service has extended the park closure till June 20, 2008. Current info is at this website: http://www.nps.gov/samo 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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||