Wood fern along the Hondo Canyon segment of the Backbone Trail
When the updated restrictions for Topanga State Park were announced on March 21, 2025, one of the open trails that caught my eye was the Hondo Canyon segment of the Backbone Trail.
I’d run the Hondo Canyon Trail as part of point-to-point runs from Will Rogers and the Top of Reseda, but never as an out-and-back run from the trailhead on Old Topanga Road. Done this way, the segment is about 8 miles round-trip, with an elevation gain/loss of around 1700 feet.
When the Fossil Ridge/Saddle Peak segment of the Backbone Trail reopens, extending the route to Saddle Peak will add a bit more than three miles (round trip) to the route.
The turnout for the trailhead is on the southwest side of Old Topanga Canyon Road, about 0.4 mile from N. Topanga Canyon Blvd. Please note there is fire hydrant in the turnout that must remain clear and accessible.
Purple and white Chinese house along the Hondo Canyon Trail.
The number of flowers and amount of plant growth along the trail were much more than would be expected in a “dry” Rain Year . Part of the reason, is that the previous two Rain Years were very wet. Another reason is the timing of the rain this Winter. The area received almost no rain until the end of January. Thanks to a wetter than normal February, and normal March, Los Angeles rainfall has been about normal since January 25. When it finally started to rain, it was at a time that was especially beneficial to the chaparral plants.
This year’s expansive mustard bloom continues to draw hikers to the Victory Trailhead of Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (Ahmanson Ranch). Even though it’s an invasive weed and fire hazard, when it’s in widespread bloom it highlights the terrain as only mustard can.
Yellow mariposa lily
Two of the three mariposa lilies that are found in Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (Ahmanson Ranch) are blooming at the moment. The Catalina mariposa lily is especially prevalent along the first half-mile of East Las Virgenes Canyon fire road, near the Victory Trailhead. The yellow mariposa lily isn’t as easily found. It generally blooms after the Catalina mariposa lily, and occurs in widely scattered, small patches. Its yellow is so vivid as to be nearly incandescent. Even less common is Plummer’s mariposa lily, which typically blooms during the heat of summer.
Near the beginning of a run from the Victory Trailhead the other day, a passing mountain biker commented that the fire road in East Las Virgenes Canyon was “really chopped up.” It had rained a few days before, on the Saturday of a busy Spring weekend (April 26). Following the storm, the multitude of shoe imprints and clumps of mud hardened into an irregular, scraggy, concrete-like surface. The footing is the worst near the Victory Trailhead, but gradually gets better the farther west you go on East Las Virgenes Canyon fire road.
It rained yesterday, and today, the unsettled weather produced cloud-enhanced views of the Simi Valley and Boney Mountain from the Chumash Trail.
Invasive mustard near the Chumash Trailhead
In the title photo, beyond the foothills of Simi Valley, is Boney Mountain. More than just a peak, Boney Mountain is a prominent volcanic massif at the western end of the Santa Monica Mountains.
In the photo, Sandstone Peak (3116′) — the highest peak in the Santa Monica Mountains — is on the left side of the massif, and Tri Peaks (3040′) is on the right. (Elevations are from PeaKBagger.com.)
The views from the Chumash Trail underscored the season, as did the Spring wildflowers. Like many other low-elevation areas of Southern California, a forest of black mustard covered the first few hundred yards of the trail.
Bush sunflower along the Chumash Trail.
Farther along the trail, bright yellow patches of bush sunflower amplified the scattered patches of sun, and yellow pincushion and golden yarrow added dabs of color to the chaparral.
Several species of Ceanothus are found along the trail. Hairy-leaved Ceanothus was in bloom. It is one of two local Ceanothus species that are 3-veined from the base but the only one with finely serrated leaves.
Notable for its beauty and dangerous character, this poisonous Fremont’s star lily was found about halfway up the trail.
Jogging east on the Forest Trail, I stopped to take in the sights and sounds of the early morning. A chorus of bird songs filled the canyon, oblivious to the roar of a passing jet. There was the familiar “honking” of Canada geese and the happy improvisations of a spotted towhee, but also several other birds I could not identify.
Curious to see what Merlin Bird ID would find, I started the app and watched as it matched the songs of a red-winged blackbird, yellow warbler, ash-throated flycatcher, northern house wren, and yellow-breasted chat.
Continuing along the trail, I rounded a corner where some fallen trees had been cleared and was surprised to see someone else hiking toward me.
“You know this trail doesn’t go anywhere,” He commented.
I told him I knew, but I just liked being on the trail.
Bush poppy along the Lake Vista Trail
That’s the thing, a trail doesn’t have to “go somewhere.” If you are open to what it tells you, a trail can take you on a journey beyond its start and end. On a trail, you can explore and experience the wonders of Nature and all that is around you.
The Forest Trail is one of the special trails of Malibu Creek State Park. I often include it when doing more well-known and popular routes, such as the Bulldog Loop and Phantom Loop.
Earlier, I’d used the Cistern, Lookout, and Yearling Trails to run through Reagan Ranch to the parking area near Mulholland Hwy and Lake Vista Drive. Frost covered the grass near the top of the Cage Creek Trail. I’d dressed for what the temperature would be later in the morning, and my hands complained of the cold.
From the overlook, the Lake Vista Trail winds in and out of ravines on the north side of “Lake Vista Butte” as it descends to the Deer Leg Trail. This stretch of trail is home to one of the largest populations of hummingbird sage I have seen on a local trail. The aromatic, distinctly-colored, large-flowered member of the Mint Family stands out along the trail. Also blooming on the Lake Vista Trail were bush poppy, stinging lupine, and Parry’s Phacelia.
Back on the Forest Trail, I continued to count the coast redwoods that survived the 2011-2015 drought and the 2018 Woolsey Fire. In July 2016, I counted about sixteen redwoods, some of which were multi-trunked. At that time only one tree appeared to be dead. Today, I counted six surviving redwoods.
There are three solitary trees and three multi-trunked clusters of trees. Two of the solitary trees appear to be those originally planted in the Century Lake area more than 100 years ago. One old redwood is on the Crags Road Trail, near the start of the Forest Trail, and the other is on the north side of the Forest Trail, as it nears Century Lake.
A very young, naturally germinated redwood is found near the east end of the Forest Trail. The three multi-trunked family groups appear to be intermediate in age and could also be naturally germinated.
At the moment, all of the wildflowers mentioned in my previous post can still be found, but the earliest bloomers — such as goldfields — are gradually going away.
Invasive mustard has become very prevalent, not only in the Kenneth Fire burn area, but throughout Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve. It is picturesque when blooming, but fields and slopes covered in mustard increase the fire hazard when the stalks and leaves dry out under the hot summer sun.
At first glance you might think there aren’t any wildflowers at Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (Ahmanson Ranch). The grasses, mallow, mustard and other invasives tend to crowd them out, but the wildflowers are there.
As seen in the title photo, there are a few nice patches of California poppies. Unless you have a sharp eye, you probably won’t see them from the parking lot. They like warm, west-facing slopes. If it’s early morning or chilly, their blossoms will be tightly furled to protect against the cold.
Red maids is another vibrantly-colored wildflower. Its rose-lavender blossoms stand out from the green of the grasses. Small patches of the flowers can be seen just about anywhere at Ahmanson in late Winter and early Spring.
