![]() This stretch of the Backbone Trail goes from Old Topanga Canyon, behind Topanga Elementary School and down to Topanga Canyon Blvd., connecting the longer Hondo Canyon and Fossil Ridge sections of the trail with Dead Horse Trail in the Trippet Ranch area of Topanga State Park. “Henry Ridge is the shortest segment,” Doug explained. The book offers shorter alternatives for less ambitious hikers, including a quick but dramatic four-mile, out-and-back hike up 3,111-foot-high Sandstone Peak, the highest mountain in the range, and and some longer options, with side-trips to points of interest. Most have elevation loss or gain, but a few are surprisingly gentle. Some segments of the Backbone Trail require a full day, others are short. The terrain also becomes more scenic and wild on the western end of the mountains, but also more challenging to hike in some areas. “Mountains with an east-west orientation are very rare,” Doug said, pointing out that hikers on the Backbone Trail can keep the sun behind them on an east-west walk, something that’s rare for mountain trails. The Chamberlins recommend tackling the trail as a series of day hikes, and their favorite approach is traveling east to west. Mountain bikes can traverse much of the trail, but have more limitations than horses. Equestrians can travel most of the trail-some segments are too steep or narrow. Dogs on leash are permitted on National Park Service, some Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (SMMC), and Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) segments. The Backbone Trail crosses a patchwork of federal, state and local parkland. The last two parcels were acquired in 2016, finally creating a contiguous, nearly 70-mile-long trail. The concept for the Backbone Trail was approved by the California legislature in 1974, four years before the SMMNRA was created by an Act of Congress. The trail itself has a history as convoluted as any of its segments. They also catalogue the types of features, including ocean views, oak woodlands, meadows, and provide information on geology, native plants and animals, and local history. ![]() Each segment includes information on the amount of shade, elevation loss and gain, trail access, and amenities like restrooms and drinking water. “You can look from the trail over 1,000 square miles of ocean-literally,” Doug explained.įor their book, the Chamberlins break the trail into 20 segments, using practical divisions-like the places where the trail crosses major roads-as boundaries. They described towering rock formations, pristine oak and California bay laurel woodlands, and mountaintop views of Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean. The Chamberlins celebrated some of the amazing aspects of the trail at the talk. “One you can practically have in your own backyard and in your spare time.” “Not a huge adventure, full of peril and exotic wonder, but a pocket-sized adventure,” Caroline said. That first walk became the start of an amazing adventure. “Doug kept complaining someone should write a book,” Caroline added. Their first Backbone Trail walk began with a New Year’s resolution in 2010 to get in shape. “We enjoy hiking together, the solitude of nature,” Caroline said, explaining how they became Backbone Trail experts. The Chamberlins call the trail one of LA’s “best-kept secrets.” The Backbone trail stretches along the spine of the Santa Monica Mountains from Will Rogers State Park in Pacific Palisades to Point Mugu State Park in Ventura County, traversing some of the most precipitous, remote, and unspoiled parts of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA). The authors of the guide were at the National Park Service Visitor Center at King Gillette Ranch on September 8, to offer exactly that kind of encouragement, and to share some of their experiences on the trail. That’s encouraging and inspiring for anyone who would like to try the trail, but who needs a little guidance on how to start. The Chamberlins have walked the entire trail multiple times, but they describe themselves as “typical SoCal hikers,” or in other words, ordinary mortals and not Olympic athletes. Husband and wife hiking and writing duo Doug and Caroline Chamberlin are the authors of The Complete Hikers Guide to the Backbone Trail, the first guidebook for the 69-mile long trail through the Santa Monica Mountains. In fact, you may have already hiked some of it without even knowing you did. Guidebook reveals the Backbone Trail has something for everyone.
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