Overview

The scenery in this area is spectacular and there are fantastic trails here from which to view it. In a catalog of giants, the preeminent trail is the Backbone Trail, composed here of the Piuma Ridge and Saddle Peak Trails. From the BBT high above the valley floor there are great views of Calabasas Peak to the north and Topanga Ridge to the north-east. From the valley floor and most other trails, you can also see Saddle Peak to the south. The major starting points are on Stunt Rd at the Cold Creek Trailhead, across from Calabasas Peak Motorway, and at the Lois Ewan Overlook at the top of Stunt Road, where it becomes Saddle Peak Road. With a little planning and two or more cars, you can construct some spectacular shuttle hikes, although out-and-back hikes are just as good as the view on the way up is very different from what you see on the way down!

Three trails shown partially on this map, Calabasas Peak Motorway, Red Rock Road and Topanga Ridge Motorway/Trail, as shown fully on the next map to the east, Old Topanga. Also, the BBT continues across Malibu Canyon Road and up Mesa Peak Motorway on the next map to the west for Malibu Canyon State Park.

Unhappily, the beautiful Cold Creek Canyon Trail is closed until further notice to keep the creek from becoming contaminated with the destructive New Zealand Mud Snail.

Official Websites

• Backbone Trail
• City of Calabasas
• Mountains Restoration Trust
• Los Angeles County Trails

Trailheads, Parking and Features

a. Calabasas Peak and Cold Creek Trail parking on the shoulder of Stunt Road, 1 mile south-east of Mulholland highway. Map and Directions.
b. The Lois Ewan Overlook at the top of Stunt Road where it becomes Saddle Peak Road. Map and Directions.
c. Piuma Road, about 500 yards (0.3 miles) from Malibu Canyon Road, the trail is on the south side of the road near a telephone pole. Even though the shoulder of Piuma Road is very wide, it is marked with no parking signs. Map and Directions.
d. Parking in the Tapia Park lot on the west side of Malibu Canyon Road. There is a fee to park here. Map and Directions.
e. There is no parking on Piuma Road where the Backbone Trail crosses it. Map and Directions.
f. On the shoulder of Stunt Road at or near where a trail emerges.
g. There is parking for a few cars at the bottom of the Cold Creek High Trail on Cold Canyon Road. Map and Directions.
h. Cold Creek Trail west end at McKain Road. Map and Directions.
z. Locked gates. The Cold Creek Canyon Trail is closed to the public and there is no access.

Trails

Download the GPS tracks to help you find your way. This GPX file contains tracks for all the trails in this area.

[1,2] Backbone Trail - [1]Piuma Ridge Trail and [2]Saddle Peak Trail T2 to T5 , NB

Description These two well-traveled trails may be the premier section of the Backbone Trail, if there is such a thing. Starting from Malibu Canyon Road, the first 500 yards of Piuma Ridge Trail is along the south side of Piuma Road before it dives into the bushes and almost immediately crosses Cold Creek. (Even though the shoulder of Piuma Road is very wide here, there is no parking!) Piuma Ridge is a nice trail with mostly good tread (T2 to T4 ), but things get even better when you cross Piuma Road onto Saddle Peak Trail. The trail is well shaded by tall chaparral; even so the views are increasingly spectacular as you climb, especially when you approach the Stunt Rd/High Trail connector and look north at Calabasas Peak and northeast at Topanga Ridge as seen in the panorama photo at the top of this page. The most rugged spot is near the top (photo at right) where it cuts though some amazing rock formations and accounts for the T5 rating. Overall, about half of the trail rates T2.5 .

The Stunt High Trail is shown on the elevation profile because a popular hike is to start near the bottom of Stunt Rd at Cold Creek Trail, then take Stunt High Trail up to Saddle Peak Trail, and continue to the top.

Technical Rating T2 to T5 , NB

Trail Profile      Back to the Top

 [3] Cold Creek High Trail (AKA Great American Trail) T4 , NB

Description This old, little known trail is a gem in the rough, climbing moderately from Cold Canyon Rd to Stunt Road. The first and last few hundred yards are shaded by large trees; the middle is mostly low chaparral and grasslands. There is one shaded and moist section about 1.25 miles from the bottom with poison oak, but it's been easy to avoid whenever I've been on the trail (your mileage may vary!). The tread is mostly okay, but there are a few spots that are pretty rugged and/or steeper, plus in a couple of spots it is partly or completely washed out. There are great views of the surrounding mountains and the valley below. Overall the trail feels very remote even though you can often see signs of civilization in the valley. There are a couple of short spur trails that will get you further up the hills for even better views. If this trail is too short for your hike, you can continue about 300' to the east from its top along Stunt road to get to the Stunt High Trail.

There is parking for two or three cars at the bottom on Cold Canyon Rd and much more at the top on Stunt Rd. The recommended route, to get the best views, is to go up first and return downhill, but only if you have a small group that can fit in the limited parking. For such a narrow road, Cold Canyon Rd has a surprising amount of traffic. The alternate designation "Great American Trail" comes from the name of a bank that once owned the land it crosses.

Technical Rating T4 , NB

Trail Profile      Back to the Top

[4] Cold Creek Trail T1.5 , T4 , NB

Description This trail leads from a large parking area on Stunt Road, through the Meadow Loop to McKain Rd. It's most used to get to the bottom of the Stunt High Trail, a very popular climb. From Stunt Rd to the bottom of the Stunt High Trail, Cold Creek Trail is very broad, firm and even T1.5 . There is lots of shade under a canopy of huge oaks, and it runs alongside the perennial Cold Creek. Humboldt lilies have been spotted growing on the banks of the creek here! Beyond the bottom of the Stunt High Trail, Cold Creek Trail is no longer tree-shaded and becomes very rocky and rutted in places T4 .

Technical Rating T1.5 , T4 , NB

Trail Profile      Back to the Top

[5] Lower Stunt High Trail, [6]Upper Stunt High Trail, [7]Stunt Rd to Backbone Trail Connector T2.5 , NB

Description As you can see from the map, the very popular Stunt High Trail consists of three segments - Lower, Upper and Connector to the Backbone Trail. The trail climbs from the Cold Creek Trail to the Backbone Trail, but many people continue up the BBT to the top or all the way to the Lois Ewan Overlook at Saddle Peak Road. (If you do continue up on the BBT, make sure not to miss the turn onto the Stunt High Trail on the way back down!) The trail is largely shaded with high chaparral, and it faces north so you are further protected from the sun. As you climb, the view of Calabasas Peak and Topanga Ridge just gets better and better. The trail crosses Stunt Road twice and the road delineates the various trail sections. When climbing the trail, it continues about 200' to the west from where the lower segment emerges onto the road.

Stunt High Trail is a moderate steepness with mostly a firm tread but has some rutted and rocky sections.

Technical Rating T2.5 , NB

Trail Profile      Back to the Top

The Stunt High Trail elevation profile is shown with that of Cold Creek Trail above.

[8] Cold Creek Canyon Trail T2.5 , HO

Description This trail is closed to the public as of April 2012. It runs through the Cold Creek Canyon Preserve, an area being maintained by Mountains Restoration Trust (MRT), and has been closed to prevent infestation by New Zealand mudsnails, a serious problem in the Santa Monica Mountains and elsewhere. The tiny snails can travel from stream to stream on the boots of hikers. Until a way can be found to keep hikers and their boots out of the streams, this trail will remain closed.

It's a real shame the trail is closed because it's really pretty. When it does open again, you need a free permit to use it, and unless you're a member of MRT, you need to start at the top and turn around at the bottom and hike back up. That's because the gate at the bottom is locked, but MRT members are given the combination so they can get out. You can get a permit by phoning the MRT. The trail is well maintained and is well shaded by tall chaparral. It crosses Cold Creek at least twice, which is why there's such a concern about the NZ mudsnails. Along the way you'll see some old vehicles and the remains of an old hermit dwelling, built of sandstone. The steeper sections of the trail have steps on them.

Technical Rating T2.5 , HO

Trail Profile      Back to the Top

[9] Meadow Loop - Meadow Trail, Yucca Trail and Deer Grass Trail (AKA Cold Creek Valley Preserve) T2 NB

Description This 0.7 mile trail loops around an area covered by grass and chaparral that has beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. There are some small hills, but overall there's not a lot of climbing. The loop is made up of three trails: the southwest segment is part of the Cold Creek Trail, the Meadow Trail makes up the western section, the northern section is the Deer Grass Trail and finally the south-east segment is the Yucca Trail. Whew! There are some short spurs that lead to Stunt or McKain Road with nearby parking.

Technical Rating T2 NB

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[10] Calabasas Peak Motorway, [11] Red Rock Rd and [12]Topanga Ridge

Description These trails area described on the Old Topanga Trails page.

Calabasas Peak Motorway
Red Rock Road
Topanga Ridge Trail and Motorway

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This page was last updated February 21, 2017

Thanks for looking at Steve's guide to trails in Ventura County, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) and other locations.