Malibu Creek State park and it’s 8200 acres are located in the Santa Monica Mountains and is considered the recreational crown jewel of the area. There are miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, along with rock climbing and horseback riding opportunities.
Most of the mountain biking is considered moderate to advanced throughout the park and adjacent mountains, but if you are looking for an easy to moderate trail, I have one for you and it comes with a little bit of Hollywood history.
The park opened in 1976 to the public after being owned by a few famous owners who reluctantly parted with their parcels and Hollywood studios who used the park in multiple movies and TV shows where movie magic created landscapes from westerns to sci fi space thrillers.
My friends Brian and April aka, Magellan and Greyhound, wanted to try out mountain biking in Malibu, California. This out and back trail to the M*A*S*H set seemed perfect. It’s less than five miles with around 500 ft of climbing, on mainly wide fire roads and a little scenic single track. Plus it has some very fun features to explore.
The trail is fairly well marked and at about 1.5 miles in you’ll see a small park sign on the left and the remains of a bridge that is now just a cement slab.
Depending on the time you go, there may be water in the creek. Crossing logs with bikes is always fun. Adds to the adventure.
After crossing the creek you’ll stay to the right and travel along a partially shaded trail that takes you right to the M*A*S*H set. The trial is fairly easy but there are some roots and rocks to navigate.
After the first beautifully restored ambulance, go a little further and you’ll see the main part of the site with a few more vehicles to explore and of course the famous sign post.
The M*A*S*H signpost is an iconic piece of television history and a perfect photo opp location. This replica was replaced in 2019 after the Woolsey fire tore through this area the year before.
To get to this section of the park, enter off of Las Virgenes road. If you don’t have a California State park pass it’s $12 for the day of $3 an hour.
You can also explore the Century Damn named after 20th Century Fox. There are two ways to see the Damn, but unfortunately you can’t make a loop out of it.
We had fun checking it out and climbing up the rocks to check out the view.
For a detailed map, check out the Alltrails link below.
https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/rock-pool-and-century-lake-trails-ef41d48
Depending on the time of year, this trail can get really warm, so plan accordly.
Let me know if you made it out the the site. I’d love to hear about your experience.
See ya on the trails!
Jan