Cheeseboro Canyon to Sulphur Springs

This page describes a hike I have taken. The details on this page are not intended as a recommendation for you to take this hike. Hiking has inherent sidks and you must consider these risks and your ability before deciding on a hike. The trail information on this page is approximate and conditions, hazards, and even the location of trails will change over time. Do not rely on the details on this page for the safety of your hike. All information should be verified through other sources.

The hike through Cheesboro Canyon to Sulphur Springs takes you through some meadows and oak groves deep into Cheesboro Canyon. You hike to the Sulphur Spring which is more readily smelled then seen. Although the spring itself is not much to talk about, the hike in and out is scenic. You don't have to travel to New England to see leaves change colors in the fall, In November there are plenty of colors in the leaves of the vegetation you will see on this hike.

This is a rough description of the path which is not suitable by itself for finding your route. Use this in conjunction with a trail maps that are available from many sources. We printed a map from the National Park Service web site and use it together with a topographic map of the area.

We started from the north end of the parking lot taking the Cheeseboro canyon trail. We came to a fork with a trail leading up to the left and down to the right. We followed the right branch down into and through a stream bed (the left branch does a switchback up the hill and joins the Modelo trail).



We followed this trail through the stream bed and up the other side where we came upon another fork. The Canyon View went up to the right and the Cheesboro Canyon trail continued into the canyon. We took the left branch into Cheeseboro Canyon.



We soon reached another fork where we stayed to the left, passing a picnic area and continuing deeper into the canyon. Where the trail and the service road separated we stayed on the trail - it would eventually rejoin the service road.













Eventually we came to a sign that said Sulphur Springs trail just before the trail dropped slightly into and crossed a streambed. About 75 yards past this sign we started to smell the springs. The springs were off to the left as the trail climed over a small hill. A spur off the trail led to the edge of an eroded streambed and the springs were below.



The springs themselves were not particularly spectacular, but the foliage in November when we visited had some interesting "red"s.





After spending a few minutes at the springs we turned around and headed back.



On the return, just before reaching the picnic tables we passed on the way in, we forked slightly to the right and took the Modeldo trail back to the parking lot (we needed to consult the park service map to navigate this, if we didn't have the map, or didn't know where we were we would have just retraced our steps and taken same trail back out that we took in).

Directions to trailhead:

From the west side of LA take the 405 north to the 101 North. From downtown L.A. take the 101 North. Get off at Cheseboro Road in Agoura. From the exit you will take Palo Comado Canyon road a very short distance and turn right on Cheeseboro Road. Follow Cheeseboro Road to the National Park Service Parking lot. Park where you can in the lot. The trails start from the far end of the parking lot.

The following sites have more information on this hike:

• Cheeseboro/Palo Comado Canyons National Park Service Map and trail description.

The Hike through Cheeseboro Canyon is described in the following Hiking Guides:

• A Day Hikers Guide to Southern California, John McKinney, 1998. pp 75-76.