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| Parker Mesa Overlook |
The Los Liones Trail is a popular recreational trail located
a few miles north of Santa Monica California, just off Pacific Coast Highway.
Most people use this trail to connect to the Paseo Miramar Trail and continue
on to the Parker Mesa Overlook. From the locked gate on Los Liones Drive,
you're looking at about a 7 mile round trip to the overlook and back.
The first mile of the Los Liones trail is the steepest, but
its shaded and the grade is relatively gradual. This section is a single track
trail. After a mile, you'll come to the fork for the Paseo Miramar Trail.
Make a left and continue uphill for an additional 2.4 miles to the Parker Mesa
Overlook. The Paseo Miramar Trail is extremely wide and well-maintained. The
trail is almost entirely uphill and there is absolutely no shade, so bring a
ton of water. You will pass several
small spur trails, but you can just ignore them. Just stay on the wide trail
and follow the signs to the overlook.
The overlook at the top is absolutely worth the climb. You
can see all of Los Angeles and a stretch of beach south all the way to the
hills in Rancho Palos Verdes. After a well-deserved rest, just turn around and
head back down exactly the way you came in.
For those of you looking for a really brutal hike, you might
think about taking the spur off of Miramar trail for the E. Topanga Fire Road
and heading north all the way to Eagle Rock. I’ve never personally done this
section, so I can’t vouch for it. A round-trip
hike from gate at the Los Liones trailhead to Eagle Rock is 14 miles.
Directions:
From Santa Monica, head North on Route 1, Pacific Coast
Highway. After passing Will Rogers State
Beach, make a right onto Sunset Blvd .
Go ¼ mile make a left onto Los Liones Drive.
Continue approximately ½ mile on Los Liones road to the metal gate
adjacent to the Latter Day Saints church. There is free parking and several
public restrooms along the right side of Los Liones Road. Enter this address into your GPS and it will
lead you directly to the trailhead:
575 Los Liones Dr
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| Mountain biking on the Paseo Miramar trail |
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| Los Liones Trail |
