A California black walnut lends a little Fall color to the chaparral on the Phantom Trail in Malibu Creek State Park.
From a run of the Phantom Loop, starting at the Cistern Trailhead on Mulholland Highway. Here’s an interactive 3D-terrain view of the 7-mile route.
Some related posts:
– Spring Fever Running the Phantom Loop in Malibu Creek State Park
– Ladyface Via the Phantom Trail and Heartbreak Ridge
– Bulldog Loop Plus the Phantom Loop
Here are a few images from a meandering run in Malibu Creek State Park on the Cistern, Lookout, Crags Road, Forest, and Chaparral Trails.
Some related posts:
– Spring Fever Running the Phantom Loop in Malibu Creek State Park
– Malibu Creek State Park: Lake Vista Ridge, the Forest Trail, and September Wildflowers
– Afternoon Run on the Forest and Lost Cabin Trails in Malibu Creek State Park
It was near dawn, and I was driving west on the 101 Freeway, going to the Wendy Drive Trailhead to do a run in Pt. Mugu State Park.
I’d just passed Moorpark Road and changed lanes to exit at Lynn Road. Suddenly, the whole car started to shake. The vibration was so intense it took a moment to realize I had a flat tire. [Expletive deleted!] I pulled onto the shoulder of the freeway and cursed again.
After decades without a flat, I had managed to have two in just three weeks. Both were early on Sunday morning and on the way to do a run. The first happened on Angeles Forest Highway while driving to Islip Saddle. That time, I was able to pull into a large turnout and change the tire. Traffic wasn’t an issue. Not so on the Ventura Freeway. The flat was on the driver’s side, and the shoulder was narrow. I called for service.
Apparently, there aren’t many roadside service vehicles out and about before sunrise on a Sunday. An hour and a half later, I was finally headed back to the San Fernando Valley.
I was first in line when Tires Buy Mark opened at 10:00. While waiting for the tire to be patched, I debated a Plan B for a run. Eventually, I decided to do an extended version of the Bulldog Loop. The run would be in the middle of the day, which wasn’t ideal, but it was nearby. It would be an excellent 16-mile run, even if a little on the toasty side.
At 11:30, I started up the short hill at the beginning of the Cistern Trail. Even though it wasn’t an unusually hot day, the temperature in the sun was already in the 90s, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.
It was slightly cooler on the trail along Malibu Creek. There was still water pooled in the creek, and I was glad the seasonal footbridge was in place. A pool near the M*A*S*H site was surprisingly large.
I expected it to be warm on the Bulldog climb, and it was. I just pretended I was on the second loop of the Bulldog 50K and continued chugging up the hill. Speaking of which… The Bulldog Ultra was the previous weekend, and a new course record was set in the 50K. Anthony Fagundes did the 29 mile course in the remarkable time of 3:30:03. This works out to an AVERAGE pace of 7:15 min/mile! His race analysis on Strava lists a split on the downhill on Mesa Peak Mtwy fire road at 5:25 min/mile. I don’t have the exact time, but on the first loop it looks like he did the Bulldog climb — from Crags Rd. to Castro Crest Mtwy — in about 30 minutes.
It took me a little longer than that to get up Bulldog. There was a noticeable drop in temperature as I worked up to the top of the long climb. On Castro Crest and Mesa Peak fire roads, the temperature was a relatively comfortable 80-something. The breeze from the ocean was intermittent, but when present, felt like air conditioning.
There weren’t many wildflowers. One interesting exception was Santa Susana tarweed (Deinandra minthornii). It was blooming on the sandstone rocks where the Backbone Trail goes through a prominent rock gateway, east of the Corral Canyon Trailhead.
The plant has a California Rare Plant Rank of 1B.2, which means it is considered “rare, threatened, or endangered in California and elsewhere…” The plant normally blooms after Winter rains. In the ANF technical notes** accompanying its description on SMMflowers.org, B. A. Prigge & A. C. Gibson describe how the plant may produce out-of-season flowers in the Summer, following a wet rain season with late Spring precipitation.
Here is an interactive, high-resolution, 3D terrain view of a variation of the Bulldog Loop that starts at the Cistern Trail. The notations assume the route is being done counterclockwise. An optional out-and-back on the Forest Trail is shown as a red track. Two routes are shown for crossing Malibu Creek in Tapia Park. One route uses a trail that rock-hops across the creek, and the other the bridge on Malibu Canyon Road, near the Piuma Road junction.
The option on Malibu Canyon Road requires crossing the highway twice. There is a pedestrian walkway on the east side of the bridge and a traffic light and crosswalk at Piuma Road. The trail that crosses the creek directly can be a little tricky to find because of other use trails in the area. When there is heavy rain, the flow may be too high to cross the creek safely.
Today, I decided to use the highway. There was a never-ending line of cars headed to and from the beach. It probably would have been faster — and safer — to use the trail. After crossing the creek on the highway bridge, and before doing the climb on the Tapia Spur Trail, I topped off my water at a faucet in the Tapia Day Use Area. Later, I also grabbed a quick drink at the water faucet next to the restrooms at the main Malibu Creek State Park parking lot.
From the main parking lot, it’s about 1.4 miles along Crags Road to the bottom of the Lookout Trail, and from there another three-quarters of a mile back to the Cistern Trailhead on Mulholland Highway.
Some related posts:
– A Displaced Bridge, Exceptional Backbone Trail Views, and a Card Table Along the Bulldog Loop
– Forest Run
– Best Trailhead to Start the Bulldog Loop?
– Bulldog Loop Plus the Phantom Loop
**A Naturalist’s Flora of the Santa Monica Mountains and Simi Hills, California by Barry A. Prigge and Arthur C. Gibson
One of the e-mountain bikers commented, “That’s a lot of water!”
The three of us had arrived at the bank of Malibu Creek at the same time. There was a lot of water. The crossing must have been a real monster during some of this year’s storms, but this morning the creek was slow-moving and maybe 30-40 yards across. The main concern getting across would be slipping on the algae-covered rocks along the bottom and taking an unintended bath. I waded in.
How did I find myself wading across Malibu Creek on this brisk March morning? I was doing a convoluted variation of the Phantom Loop, enjoying the Spring scenery, and going where the trails and terrain took me.
What is the Phantom loop? For me, it’s any loop that starts at the Cistern Trailhead on Mulholland Highway and ends at the Phantom Trailhead on the other side of the highway. Or vice versa. And since it’s a loop, it could start/end at any trailhead on or near the loop.
There are many ways to complete this loop. Here’s an interactive 3D-terrain view of the shortest version I’ve done (7.3 miles), and here is a longer variation (24 miles).
My run started on the Cistern Trail shortly after dawn. I’d run through Reagan Ranch and then up the Lake Vista Trail to the overlook for an early morning view of Malibou Lake. From the overlook, I’d continued east on the Lake Vista and Deer Leg Trails, enjoying the blooms of the Ceanothus, Hummingbird Sage, and bush poppy along the way.
Just before the Deer Leg Trail descends from the crest, I stopped at another overlook to take in Malibu Creek’s stunning terrain. From the viewpoint, I could see the coast redwoods along Century Lake. A few of the tall trees survived the 2011-205 drought and the 2018 Woolsey Fire, including one young naturally germinated tree. Now we’re in a rare wet cycle. The past two years are among the wettest on record for Los Angeles — good news for the remaining trees!
From the overlook of Malibu Creek, I ran down to the Yearling Trail, turned right (east), and in about a hundred yards was at the top of the Cage Creek Trail. I followed this short trail down to Crags Road and Malibu Creek.
I thought there was a chance the seasonal bridge on the way to the M*A*S*H site might have already been reinstalled. It hadn’t, but a pile of limbs and logs spanned the gap across the creek.
From the matchstick bridge, I turned around and ran east on Crags Road, past the Cage Creek Trail and Century Lake, and then down the road to the junction of High Road and Crags Road.
When doing the Phantom Loop, I usually continue east under the oaks on High Road to the Grassland Trail. But this morning, in keeping with today’s theme, I headed across the bridge — in the direction of the Visitor Center — and looked for a sign marking the start of the Chaparral Trail.
Only about a half-mile long, this obscure trail starts about 60-70 yards northeast of the Visitor Center and links to Mott Road/Century Mtwy, near Crags Road. It has unique views of Planet of the Apes Wall, Malibu Creek, and Goat Buttes. When I reached the trail’s end, I turned left on the road and followed it to the flooded crossing on Crags Road.
Wading into a stream is always a bit awkward. I decided to follow a rocky shoal where the water was about calf deep. As expected, the rocks were rounded and slimy. I didn’t have poles and the footing wasn’t the best, but I managed to get across without incident.
In a few steps, I was headed east and back on the route of the “standard” Phantom Loop. In about a tenth of a mile, I forked left off the main road and onto the Grasslands Trail.
I’m always surprised how quickly the squishiness of wet running shoes and socks goes away. (Today, I was running in Hoka Challenger ATR 7s with Injinji socks.) By the time I reached Mulholland Highway, my shoes and socks had air-dried and felt more or less normal. Crossing Mulholland Highway, I walked east a few yards and continued north on the North Grasslands Trail to the Liberty Canyon Trail.
I hadn’t run far in Liberty Canyon when I came to the Talepop Trail. It had been a long time since I had done the Talepop – Grasslands (Las Virgenes Fire Road) Loop. The hills were green, the sun shining, and the temperature perfect for running. What better time than now to get on it again? With the cool conditions, I had plenty of water to do the extra three to four miles and wouldn’t have to make a side trip to De Anza Park.
The loop was as pretty as I remembered it. Initially following an undulating ridge, the Talepop Trail eventually winds down to the grassy valley to the east and intersects Las Virgenes Fire Road. A left (north) turn here goes to De Anza Park; a right turn traverses classic oak grassland and leads back to the southern end of the Liberty Canyon Trail.
After completing the Talepop Grasslands loop, the remainder of the run followed the usual route of the Phantom Loop. It continues about 1.5 miles north on the Liberty Canyon Trail, but before reaching the trailhead, it jogs left (west), goes over Liberty Creek, and around to a short trail that connects to the Phantom Trail at a group of eucalyptus trees. My route in this area can be viewed by using our high-resolution, interactive 3D viewer and zooming in on the area near the Liberty Canyon Trailhead.
The Phantom Trail goes west up a canyon and then turns south, eventually reaching Mulholland Highway near the Cistern Trailhead. Once out of the canyon, the main trail crosses a use trail several times, so care must be taken to stay on route. The use trail more or less follows the ups and downs on the crest of the ridge, while the main trail switches from one side of the ridge to the other, avoiding unnecessary elevation gains.
The last time I ran this segment of trail — October 2023 — it was VERY overgrown (video). This time, thanks to the work of SMMTC volunteers, nearly all of the trail had been cleared. Many colorful wildflowers were in bloom on this stretch, including Ceanothus, Encelia, Wishbone bush, California poppy, owl’s clover, and paintbrush.
Here are a few photos (and notes) from the trail run, including some of the wildflowers seen along the trail.
Some related posts:
– Bulldog Loop Plus the Phantom Loop
– Redwoods, Raptors, and the Phantom Loop
– Malibu Creek State Park Scenic Loop
The photograph above was taken a few steps off the Backbone Trail, between the Corral Canyon Trailhead and Mesa Peak Motorway fire road. Also in the area was a set of table and chairs that might be used for an ocean-view card game or a lunch break.
These scenes were about halfway through a variation of the Bulldog Loop that starts/ends at the Cistern Trailhead on Mulholland Highway. The route follows the Cistern, Lookout, and Cage Creek Trails down to the Crags Road Trail, just east of where it crosses Malibu Creek.
A permanent bridge used to span the creek, but after being washed out several times in Winter floods, a “seasonal” bridge was put in place. The seasonal bridge is removed when there is a threat of flooding, such as during the rainy season.
This morning, the temperature in the canyon was in the mid-thirties. That was cool enough that I didn’t want to get wet, and I hoped the removal of the bridge had been delayed. But several days of rain were in the forecast, and as I neared the creek, I could see the bridge now lay alongside trail.
A log spanned the creek where the bridge once stood. Using a suitable stick as a hiking pole, it was easy to cross the log, stay dry, and continue the loop.
Some related posts:
Best Trailhead to Start the Bulldog Loop?
Bulldog Loop Plus the Phantom Loop
After the Woolsey Fire: Bulldog Loop
I took a few tentative steps into the dense brush and stopped. It was just too overgrown. I backtracked a few feet to the overlook at the top of Lake Vista Trail and reconsidered. If it was this overgrown all along the ridge, it was going to take a long time to get to the summit.
I was trying to get to the top of “Lake Vista Butte,” a high point along a prominent ridge of volcanic rock that stands between Reagan Ranch and Malibu Creek. The ridgeline and summit provide a unique perspective of Malibu Creek, Century Lake, Goat Buttes, Malibou Lake, and much of Malibu Creek State Park.
I dove back in, walking on top of a dense mat of dried deerweed and then working around a thicket of laurel sumac. Even if it was buried in a tangle of chaparral, it helped to know there was a path along the ridge. As I worked east along the ridgeline, the path would briefly emerge, only to disappear under another mass of scrub and brush.
In places, enterprising orb-weaver spiders had constructed intricate webs across remnants of trail. Their artwork was easy to spot in the morning sun, and even though their webs blocked the trail, they could not be disturbed. At least the spiders were out in the open. A rattlesnake could be anywhere in the rocks and brush and might not be kind enough to give a warning.
The route along the ridge wasn’t technically challenging, but like the spider’s web, required patience to complete. Low in the sky, the morning sun complicated the route-finding, making it more difficult to see sections of the trail and link them together. Far outweighing these inconsequential difficulties were the exceptional views of Malibu Creek State Park’s crags, canyons and mountains while traversing the ridge.
As often happens, the return to the Lake Vista Trail took less time than the ascent. Back at the overlook, I began retracing my steps down the Lake Vista and Deer Leg Trails and over to the top of the Cage Creek Trail. I was headed down to Malibu Creek to check the condition of the Forest Trail.
The Forest Trail is the “Walden Pond” of Malibu Creek State Park. Bordered by Century Lake on one side and the steep slopes of a rocky butte on the other, it is a contemplative place and one-of-a-kind habitat. It is home to towering coast redwoods, sprawling live oaks, sweet-smelling California bay, and water-loving California sycamores. Deer, ducks, bullfrogs, herons, hawks, falcons, and other wildlife may be seen here.
Fallen trees have been accumulating on the Forest Trail for months. On my last visit, following T.S. Hilary’s passage, another large oak had fallen near the beginning of the trail, making it unusable. Today, I was happy to find that the trees had been cleared, and the Forest Trail could be followed to its end at Century Lake Dam.
Here are a few photos taken along the way, including some wildflowers that usually don’t bloom this time of year.
Some related posts: Exploring the Lake Vista Trail and Ridge, Malibu Creek State Park Redwoods: Fighting the Drought