Castaic Lake Trail Loop via West Launch Ramp

Castaic Lake is a man made reservoir located 41 miles north of downtown Los Angeles, CA in the town of Castaic. Made up of two bodies of water, separated by a 425-foot dam, Upper and Lower Castaic Lakes have a combined 29 miles of shoreline forming the Castaic Lake State Recreational Area. The small “lower lake”, also known as Castaic Lagoon, is open seasonally and reserved for swimming, and s...

The Saint Francis Dam Disaster National Monument, established in 2019, memorializes the site where the Saint Francis Dam, built by famed engineer William Mulholland, collapsed in 1929, tragically killing more than 400 people in the middle of the night as a 150+ foot wave of water crashed through the valley below. The site is not well marked, yet, can be accessed easily via the north end of the...

Take the I-5 exit North of Castaic, CA at Templin Hwy. Turn onto Golden State Hwy heading the only direction it goes from the exit, North. When it dead-ends in a few miles at the National Forest Gate, you are at Frenchman's Flat.You can camp here, or hang with the day hikers. Heading North along the river will take you to some excellent fishing water downstream of Pyramid Lake. For a slightly m...

Mentryville: Pico Canyon Trail is an out-and-back trail that takes you past scenic surroundings located near Stevenson Ranch, California.

The Towsley Canyon Loop can be done in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise loop. The clockwise path starts with a gradual ascent through Wiley Canyon and steep descent into the Towsley Gorge while a counter-clockwise route starts with a steep climb out of Towsley Canyon and a gradual descent back to the parking area. I recommend the clockwise route, after parking in one of the free parking ...

This is part of the Pacific Crest Trail. If you're through-hiking or sectional hiking, you'll have to hit it eventually. Try and avoid it in the late summer or early fall because of heat, and gnats. Find a way to check the bug report, we got marauded by gnats 90% of the way (early October) and apparently my DEET must have expired. The gnats almost ruined the experience. Park on the road below t...