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 Reporter |
Summary: Just when I thought I'd seen it all in the Santa Monica Mountains this hike is a real gem and even reminded me of views in the Grand Canyon at times. Another spectacular section of the Backbone Trail this hike includes staggering views of pink colored sedimentary rock formations. Proceed over the creek near the Topanga trailhead and up steadily thru beautifully shaded live oaks and a sloping green meadow. Before long you will come to a wonderful pink gorge down on the right and you can take a side path down to it past a small waterfall. Once back at the main trail you will begin switch backing up the steep south slope of Hondo Canyon thru a lovely oak forest and then a deep chaparral forest. Along the way you will enjoy breathtaking views of sedimentary rock formations known as the Sespe Formation. If you are feeling adventurous keep on hiking all the way up to Saddle Peak which has ocean views and adds another mile or so to this route. Trailhead: The trailhead with street parking is off Old Topanga Canyon Road 0.4 miles just before the junction with Topanga Canyon Blvd. The Hondo Canyon trail is part of the Backbone Trail. If you want to do a car shuttle a good idea would be to hike downhill from the upper traihead which is located located at mile 0.60 on Saddle Peak Road (0.6 mile east of Stunt Road). (Lat:34.0927126060473 Lon:-118.608010294907) Trail Guides for Hondo Canyon: Afoot and Afield in Los Angeles by Jerry Schad (Wilderness Press) Best Seasons: Year-Round User Groups: Hikers, Horses, Ranger Contact: California State Parks, (818) 880-0350 Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Eric Altizer, who has posted 13 other hikes on this site Trail Reviews Page 1 of 5 Submit your own review 
Reviewed by mike d on 2/20/2010 hiked it right after the heavy rains this month and ended up getting all muddy and stepping in the river but this is normally a great trail. the entrance has a sign and usually has a few cars parked nearby. you generally don't see many other folks out, but there might be a few at the beginning. the first part is the best, with a small stream, some open views of hills, and a large rock structure with a nice view of the valley. after a few miles it turns into switchbacks with woods/brush all around you. the end is nice when it opens up and has an excellent view at the end but you'll sweat getting up. this part is great for a long secluded walk through some decent scenery... one of my nearby favorites. 
Reviewed by Chris on 2/15/2010 First few minutes were pretty muddy, despite no rain for about six days, but that was a torrential downpour, so I imagine it's usually dry. My wife and I enjoyed the hike, but wouldn't do it again, primarily because the surrounding foliage is always blocking your view. It's close on the sides and meets right overhead. Kind of like hiking through a wooded tunnel at times. When the view did open up, it was amazing. After 1 hour 45 minutes climbing up switchbacks, we turned around, not knowing if we were close to the top or not. Entirely pleasant, but not if you're looking for great scenery the whole time.
Reviewed by Ro on 12/9/2009 Hiked the trail again for 2 hours after the 12/7 rain. Love the sights and smells on the trail but very muddy. Will come back again after this week's storm...would be fun to do some stream crossing.
Reviewed by Ro on 12/7/2009 Started this hike at 2:30 p.m. Sat 12/5 with friends Eddy, Lisette, and Estuardo. Look for a small sign entitled, "Backbone Trail" from Old Topanga Road and past a concrete bridge as mentioned in previous postts. Nice ascent/uphill hike. Brush along the way but you get treated to nice shaded areas as you proceed further along the trail. Roundtrip is roughly 8 miles. Would definitely go again, perhaps for a trail run or more extensive hike.
Reviewed by EZ REM on 10/4/2009 Just hiked it today. Found the trail head marked with "Backbone Trail" very easy. Was a gorgeous day! The first curve of the trail we saw a family of deer. With the little one. Took our time and enjoyed the scenery especially on the rock face a third of the way up. Can't miss it. A bushy tail squirrel followed a bit later up the trail as we met a GeoCacher hiker along the way. For those who do not know (we didn't) GeoCaching is a huge community of "treasure hunters" by GPS coordinates. The "treasures" are hidden along trails and interesting sites to boost the environmental awareness for these places. We had a blast exploring and helping him find his "treasures". Was a great day and turned out to be 5 hours as we took our time! RECOMMEND!!
Reviewed by Gwyn on 9/13/2009 Great day today for a nice long hike. Getting here was pretty easy, and parking a cinch, since it wasn't at all crowded. A little overcast so the weather was perfect. Took Joseph's advice and started at Old Topanga Rd up to the Lois Ewan Overlook then back. Be prepared to sweat. This way is all uphill (4.3 miles). The trail is very easy to follow and mostly shaded. I wish some of the shrubs, poison oak, branches weren't in the way sometimes. Had to dodge alot of them. Next time I would probably wear longer shorts or pants because I got a few scratchs from the infringing shrubs along the way. Took 4 of us about 2hrs to get to the overlook then down about 1hr 45 min. Took one 15 min break. Beautiful views. Would definitely come ba
Reviewed by vtashore on 7/13/2009 Hiked with my wife and 2 boys (5 and 10 yrs.) on July 12th. Trail was very hot and very dry. No running water anywhere along the canyon, but LOTS of poison oak, starting to infringe on the trail in places. Not much of a payoff for my boys who like water crossings and broad views, but the top of the hike was nice and shaded at least.
Reviewed by Joseph on 6/24/2009 My fiance and I did this hike today. Great hike. But it's especially great if done a particular way. First off, start at Old Topanga Rd. From bottom to top this hike is 3.6 miles. (we're still wondering where the 2.12miles came from). Right before the road at the end turn right onto the Fossil Ridge Trail for some really neat finds. (This will add 0.6 miles to your hike) Then make a left and walk a tenth of a mile to the Lois Ewan Overlook. This is a great reward for 4.3 uphill miles. Then its back on down the trail for a grand total of 8.6 miles and a great workout. 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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
