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Summary: This hike has an amazing variety of sites and smells including strange geologic formations, frothy streambeds, tar pits and many different plant communities. The Tataviam Indians used the naturally occurring asphalt for healing purposes and to seal their basketry. At about the 0.9 mile you will encounter a slot like canyon called the Narrows which contains layers of nearly vertical rock formations. After the passage through the narrows stay left, then after another 200 yards stay left again and climb the switchbacks to the left that is called the Towsley Canyon Loop Trail. Topping out at 2450 feet, the trail begins a steep winding descent and includes breathtaking views of lush hillsides and canyons as it heads into Wiley Canyon. Joining a dirt road turn left and head down the canyon. After almost a mile of hiking take the Canyon View Loop Trail to the left which traverses over a summit and takes you back down to Ed Davis Park by the ranger station. Trailhead: Take the Calgrove exit from the Golden State Freeway (Interstate 5). Turn west back under the freeway and take the Old Road south to Ed Davis Park at Towsley Canyon. Drive 0.6 mile west on the graded entrance road to reach the picnic area and nature center. Park your car in the dirt lot to the right and then proceed up the graded road towards the floodplain of Towsley Canyon. (Lat:34.35685 Lon:-118.55792) Trail Guides for Towsley Canyon View Loop Trail: Afoot and Afield in Los Angeles by Jerry Schad (Wilderness Press) Best Seasons: Fall, Spring, Winter, User Groups: Hikers, Bikes, Ranger Contact: Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (805) 370-2301 Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Eric Altizer, who has posted 13 other hikes on this site Trail Reviews Page 1 of 7 Submit your own review 
Reviewed by Ro on 11/30/2009 Hiked Towsley Cyn Sun 11/29 at 2 p.m. w/ my friend Nick. This trail offers quite a bit of variety...great views of the valley, the 5 freeway, tar pits, water worn rock formations (did a little bit of harness-free rock climbing!), and stream crossings. Would definitely hike again!
Reviewed by CK1 on 10/9/2009 Have hiked this trail twice before with family (3 kids & wife). We've hiked the trail clockwise ending with the Narrows. Personally, I think the views at the top are a little underwhelming, but what I like most about this trail is the variety of terrain you hike through (e.g. shaded forest to open incline up to summit with some interesting trees down switchbacks to a canyon with a seasonal stream).
Reviewed by William on 9/13/2009 I just hiked this loop today, it was the perfect day for it because it was a rather cool day in LA today and there was a nice breeze the entire time. It was a nice short hike with some nice views of the surrounding mountains. I saw some cool natural tar pits that are fun to see and brings the kid out in you again as you see them bubbling. There were some interesting rock formations at the bottom of the canyon where the riverbed is. Nice for a work out and a quick escape from LA. Only took me 3 hours with some breaks at tar pits and a 20 minute lunch. On a hot day it would be little different story. Sunscreen and H2O is a suggested.
Reviewed by HMR on 8/24/2009 Saturday morning we took our 3rd hike this year on the longer loop trail. Not very busy (we didn't get started until 9:30 a.m. and it got a little hot at times). We did encounter a healthy rattle snack on the back side of the loop - he gave us a very nice warning so we could watch him slither away to safety. There seemed to be a lot more tar than the other three times. Just watch out for the bikers!
Reviewed by TC on 8/21/2009 Hiked the loop counterclockwise yesterday with my 12 year old son late afternoon, 4 pm ish. Shortly after we began, saw a coyote crossing the path ahead but no rattlesnakes. Enjoyed the hike, some very nice view of the valley below and encountered several bikers. I plan on doing again with my other children.
Reviewed by HMR on 7/8/2009 Enjoyed hiking this trail on Sunday. Just make sure you get there early at this time of year, unless you enjoy the heat! Still a few flowers around. Great climb! Do watch out for the mountain bikers - Almost got run over on a very narrow stretch of the path. Lots of lizards running around.
Reviewed by RK on 6/21/2009 Nice hike and the view from the top is awesome. You get to see the 5 fwy and there are plenty of vista points along the path also. Watch the trail though. I saw 2 snakes crossing the path, if you leave them alone they won't bother you.
Reviewed by MARZ on 6/10/2009 Great review but the stats are a bit off - I do this regularly for exercise and according to the GPS it's anywhere from 5.3 to 5.6 miles and the VI is no more than 1,400ft depending on where you park. The only negative on this trail are the growing number of mountain bikers in the late afternoon - most of them don't seem to concerned with sharing the trail and don't realize that it wasn't built or maintained for bike traffic. Otherwise a great hike, make sure you download your geocaches before you go! 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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||