The Grotto near Malibu
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 Grotto Hike is a short hike approximately 3.5 miles round trip starting from Cricle X Ranch just nort of the Ventura County line near Malibu. The Grotto Trail decends ultimately into a narrow canyon with sttep rock walls. The floor of this canyon at the Grotto is composed of giant boulders, sitting atop a cavern (the Grotto itself) with a pool fed by an stream that runs underground beneath these rocks.
This is a rough description of the path we took, not suitable for
retracing our steps. Trail maps are available at the Circle X Ranch
ranger station.
Starting from the Grotto trailhead we decended along
the Grotto trail past a junction with the Canyon View Trail (we went
straight, remaining on the Grotto trail).
Soon we decended and
crossed a dry stream bed then ascended and walked about two tenths of
a mile through an open meadow before decending once more to our left
along the canyon wall.
At the base of the canyon we headed slightly uphil through another pasture and then decended gradually until we reached an open grove of small trees near a streambed (dry at the time we hiked it - also we had to remember where we joined the stream bed since some in our group missed this trail on the return).
We turned left and headed downstream until we reached a small pond.
We continued about a hundred meters further down along the path and reached the rock formations above the Grotto.
Once on the ledge above the grotto, facing our over the ledge, we saw a hidden trail heading up to our right (we had to go down over a couple of boulders before heading up). This trail only went up about 20 feet then immediately dropped down into the grotto. The trail is steep and tricky and clearly is not for everyone, and many in our group chose to wait on the ledge instead of proceeding. Once into at the base of the ledge, we got to see the features that are truly described as the grotto: a pool of water entering a small cavern where the stream feeding the pool orginates.
We explored the area around the cavern for a little while, took some pictures, then returned to the rest of our group and hiked back out to Cicle X Ranch following the same path we took in.
Directions to trailhead:
-
From the west side take Pacific Coast Highway north to
Yerba Buena Road (about a mile north of the Ventura County Line). Turn right onto
Yerba Buena road and follow it 5.4 miles to the Circle X ranch ranger
station. (Note: the MapQuest link above is to the intersection of PCH and Yerba Buena Road - once there it is still 5.4 miles to the hike location).
If you are coming from the San Fernando Valley, take the Westlake exit off the 101 freway. Take Westlake Blvd south and it will become Highway 23. Follow highway 23 to Mulholland Highway and make a right. About a mile later make a right on Little Sycamore Canyon. Little Sycamore Canyon will turn into Yerba Buena road. Follow Yerba Buena road to the Circle X Ranch Ranger Station (Note: the MapQuest link above is for the point where Little Sycamore Canyon turns into Yerba Buena Road).
Once at Circle X ranch you may pick up a trail map from the rack next to the dorr of the ranger station. Then follow the dirt road the the left (when facing the front of the ranger station) and follow it to the day use parking area. If your car has poor suspension, park at the Circle X ranch ranger station and walk down the road to the trail head.
Approximate coordinates (in decimal degrees)
- 34.10976 North, 118.93740 West - Circle X Ranch
- 34.10849 North, 118.93655 West - Trailhead
- 34.09855 North, 118.92749 West - The Grotto
The Grotto Hike is described in the following Hiking Guides:
- 101 Hikes in Southern California,Jerry Schad, 1996. pp 19-20.
- California WaterfallsAnn Marie Brown, 2000. pp 322-324.
- Day Hikes in Ventura County: 43 of the Best,Robert Stone, 1999..
The following sites have more information on the Grotto:
- The Grotto at InsideVC.com
- Grotto Trail at localhikes.com