Trail Distance: ~7 miles
Elevation Gain: ~1,000′
Terrain Rating: Moderate
Hike Time: 3.5 hours
Trailhead: Los Liones Canyon Trailhead, about 20 min from Santa Monica. Street parking available, no permit required.
Los Liones Trail is one of the more beautiful coastal trails in the Santa Monica Mountains, right off the Pacific Coast Highway. With easy access from West LA, it’s a good morning or late-afternoon hike. The dust and sun can get brutal in the summer, so I wouldn’t recommend doing this hike in the middle of the day.
After you park your car, go through the well-marked gate and up the path until you see a sign for Los Liones Canyon. Take a slight left and follow the dirt path all the way up. There are a few switchbacks and some shade in this first section.
Soon after a little over a mile, you will reach a viewpoint with a bench overlooking the ocean. This is a good point for a water break and some photos. If you want to continue on, keep left and follow the trail. The terrain is unshaded at this point and can get brutally hot in the summer heat! The trail keeps pretty wide for the last 2 miles or so until you reach the Parker Mesa junction. It’s a beautiful out look and on a clear day you will get some views of LA.