Eagle Rock from Trippet Ranch
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.
We started our hike in the Trippet Ranch parking lot of Topanga state park. We found the trailhead in the southeast corner of the lot at a sign listing the distance to various points of interest. This is a very rough description of the path we took, not suitable for retracing our steps. Trail maps are available for purchase at the gate where you paid to enter the Topanga Park parking lot at trippet ranch. Another good description of this hike is available on the USC web site (see link to the USC Daily Trojan near the bottom of this page).
We followed the rail about a hundred meters to the nature center, passed south of the nature center then turned south and followed the nature trail until we came to a fire road. We followed the fire road east to junction on a ridge where it intersected with anothe fire road heading from the soutwest to the norheast. If we crossed this ridge we would have followed a trail down into Santa Ynez canyon. Instead we followed this larger fire road northeast along the ridge, stopping to enjoy the view at several overlooks.
We were able to see eagle rock, some distance before reaching it. In the photo below you can barely see two people on the rock, giving you some idea of its size.
Eventually we came to Eagle Junction, where a fork to the left would take us to Eagle Spring. We kept to the right at the fork, but still along a main road, and headed up to Eagle Rock. A much smaller trail at this junction went left down into the woods toward Musch Camp. We would be taking this path on our return.
Our parth to Eagle Rock would eventually loop back behind the rock and came up from the other side.
After spending some time on the rock we retraced our steps back down the trail we followed in until we reached Eagle Junction. Instead of retracing our steps, we could have taken a slight longer route continuing on the trail past Eagle Rock, then making the first right after the rock and following that trail by Eagle Springs, back to Eagle Junction.
Once we returned to Eagle Junction, we took a sharp right onto the msaller path to Musch Camp (this was the path mentioned on our Left as we hiked up to Eagle Rock). This path decended along a stream bed and there were several side trails that branched off of this trail. Having a map of the park was useful here because of the side trails.
We rested for a few minutes when we reached Musch Camp. We then crossed the road and continuted toward the trail back to the Trippet Ranch parking lot. Shortly after crossing the road and continuing on the trail out of Musch Camp, the trail back to Trippet Ranch is the first trail off to your left and it is easy to miss (GPS coordinates for the junction are listed below).
We followed the trail back to the Trippet Ranch parking lot and concluded our hike. The total length of the hike was approximatey 5.5 miles for the loop.
Directions to trailhead:
-
Directions: From downtown L.A.: west on the 10, north on PCH (3 or 4
miles) to Topanga Canyon Blvd. Go right for a few miles thru the town
of Topanga. Just north of the town take a right on Entrada. Once on
the road, take a left at every street intersection about 1.1 miles to
the entrance of
Topanga State Park. (20825 Entrada Road, Topanga, CA).
As of October 2002, there was a $2 per vehicle entrance fee to the park.
Approximate coordinates (in decimal degrees)
- 34.09319 North, 118.58733 West - Trailhead at Trippet Ranch Parking Lot
- 34.10403 North, 118.57261 West - Eagle Junction
- 34.10715 North, 118.57059 West - Eagle Rock
- 34.10320 North, 118.58396 West - Musch Camp
- 34.10215 North, 118.58498 West - Trail back to Trippet Ranch (easy to miss)
Eagle Rock is in the following Hiking Guides:
- A Day Hikers Guide to Southern California, John McKinney, 1998. pp 91-92.
The following sites have more information on Eagle Rock:
- Take a Hike [Hike #1]from the USC Daily Trojan