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 Reporter |
Summary: Walk around the imposing gate and down a short paved access road to the canyon floor. Head right for 3.5 miles though a lovely wooded canyon bordered by a seasonal creek, and shaded by lovely sycamore, oak, and willow trees. The first couple of miles moves very gradually uphill, with the last mile or so gaining most of the elevation. The sound of the birds as I walked this canyon was shear joy. Near the turn around point, a 180 degree hair-pin turn in the trail, some interesting reddish colored rock formations border the right side of the trail. This trail doesn't have any show stopper sights or even a lot of diversity, but if I lived closer to this trail, I would certainly make it my morning walk! Trailhead: From the 405 Freeway, exit on Sunset going towards the beach, turn right on Mandeville Canyon, left on Westridge Road, left on Bayless, and finally left on Queensferry Road. Park near the gate. Note that parking is very limited. (Lat:34.07368 Lon:-118.50688) Trail Guides for Sullivan Canyon: Day Hikes Around Los Angeles by Robert Stone (Day Hike Books, Inc.) Hike Los Angeles Volume 1 by Dennis Gagnon (Western Tanager Press) Best Seasons: Year-Round User Groups: Hikers, Dogs, Bikes, Horses Ranger Contact: Los Angeles Parks & Recreation (213) 473-7070 Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Jim Zuber, who has posted 105 other hikes on this site Trail Reviews Page 1 of 2 Submit your own review 
Reviewed by OB1 on 6/13/2008 Enjoyed this hike, but won't hurry back to do it again. Pleasant uphill up the canyon (having to stay alert for bikers, who for the most part were very courteous), the missile site was interesting to see once, and an easy downhill stroll down the fire road made for a nice bit of weekend exercise. 
Reviewed by Tim L on 5/25/2008 Very beautiful trail, especially for a challenging trail run. Jogged the whole loop in 1.5hours. The hilliness and near-constant uphill of the Sullivan fire road & single track could get annoying, especially in hot weather, but once you turn around and descend back through the canyon the scenery is spectacular...like Rustic Canyon without the crazy overgrowth. One of the nicest easily accessible hikes south of Malibu.
Reviewed by JimZ on 4/27/2008 We had a pleasant time on this lovely hike along a small creek with large sycamore trees overhead. We saw lots of wildflowers and even a colorful king snake. The only downside was the large number mountain bikers zooming past us on some rather narrow sections of the trail. This trail would be best done very early before the mountain bikers hit the trail or on a weekday. 
Reviewed by Hiker Chicks on 1/10/2008 Six of us did the whole loop in this perfect cool weather, just a few days after the rains. (We've done it before on a blazingly hot day--yikes!) Started with the hard uphill part. Loved the water in the creeks, the color of the leaves, the smell of the wet soil. Definitely a five star hike.
Reviewed by Mike on 4/2/2007 Great hike up to Mulholland on top of the Santa Monica mountains! Can see the Valley and LA in each direction. Be fit - pretty tough hike. And for a climax - got growled at by a mountian lion on the way back down and deep in the Sullian valley around 6-ish. Big one too! Go with buddies and watch your back. Gotta love LA!
Reviewed by roland13x on 7/24/2006 As described...not too many grand visuals, but it was a really nice hike. There are plenty of side and ridge trails to explore as you go. Wasn't too crowded at all with only a few bikers seen on the fireroad. We did come across a cougar who was clearly as tired from the heat as we were. Use caution though and make sure you hike with a buddy. Also, there were lots of bees nests in the cliff sides (and in some tree holes). They were rather aggressive at times.
Reviewed by Steve on 9/29/2005 I rode this tonight (mtn bike) from the trailhead off Queensferry. About 2 1/2 miles up, I saw a large cat (actually, I heard it first, then spotted it on the hill). I'm pretty sure it was a mountain lion, due to its size. Please be careful on this trail at night--go with a friend if you must. The LA County Ranger told me that it's a good idea to have a whistle and mace at night on this trail. He also told me that if the cat attacks, I should use my bike to defend myself. FYI.
Reviewed by JCV on 9/23/2004 To make a loop, here's what you do. Park as above, on Queensferry. Start up the trail, and keep an eye out on your left for a steep trail leading up after about a half mile (?). This goes to Sullivan Ridge - steep climbing and switchbacks, ends under a telephone pole on paved access road to Sullivan Ridge fire road. Go right - you'll see signs for Camp Josepho off to your left. Go past gate, either on singletrack up to left, or sticking to fire road. Hike maybe 2.5 miles (?) until you see a trail leading off down to the right. This leads back down to Sullivan Canyon and the hairpin described here. Take it to the end, downhill, and you'll be back where you started. This loop took me 3.5 hours. Fun hike, lots of elevation gain on singletra 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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||