This short, but steep, day hike near Los Angeles will give you island vibes in the Spring while the grass is still green. The 2-mile trail includes some short class 3 scrambles but can be skipped by hiking the dirt trail around most of it, and will only take a couple of hours so it’s a good option if you’re looking for a quick, short, booty-blasting outdoors workout with a little spice.
HIKE TO: Ladyface Mountain TRAILHEAD: Dirt pullout on Kanan Road just before the Silver Creek Road Junction & marker 2.60 ROUTE: Ladyface Peak Trail MILES: 2 miles out and back TIME: 1 hr one way if you're taking your time DATE I WENT: 2/13/22 DIFFICULTY: moderate ELEVATION: 2,031 ft / 619 m ELEVATION GAIN: 1,178 ft HIKE PERMIT: no LOCATION: Southern California
I’ve been curious to check out this ridge hike on the outskirts of Los Angeles for well over a year, but I hear it’s a popular local spot and since it is so short and located all the way in the valley, I’ve put it off. Well, Superbowl Sunday seemed like the perfect day to get after it since everyone is indoors… and we were the only ones there for the afternoon/ sunset!
The hike starts off on the obvious trail from the dirt parking area and splits off with a junction right away. Head up the steep trail to the left for about 400 ft to reach the ridge. Once you are on the ridge, the trail is fully exposed and can get extremely warm so even though it’s a short hike, make sure you hydrate!
This hike is 1 mile each way with 1,178 ft of elevation gain and has about three very short class 3 scramble sections which make it a fun and unique hike, different from your typical LA hikes; however, there is also a trail to bypass most of the scrambling if you aren’t comfortable in climbing rocks… but where’s the fun in that 😉
You can stay on the ridge the whole time, a hiking trail most of the time, or switch it up and alternate between the two. The scrambling is very easy if you’re into that stuff, but choose your own adventure and stay in your own comfort lanes.
We started the hike at 3:30 pm, took our time at a leisurely pace, and reached the first (false) summit in 48 mins. From here, you can see Ladyface Mountain just ahead.
Ayumi and I planned for a sunset hike, but we got to the summit too early. We hiked during a winter heatwave with temps in the 70s-80s but as soon as we reached the summits, the wind picked up so we ended up hiking back earlier and got rewarded with beautiful sunset views.
Hiking down was a bit slippery even with my approach shoes (which were unnecessary IMO – hiking shoes will suffice). We took more of the hiking trail down than the ridge and got back to our car at dusk.
Overall, this makes for a quick outing with beautiful views for the experienced hiker, or maybe a fun little challenge for a novice hiker and kids!
Have time for more outdoor activities while you’re out here? Go for a horseback riding adventure in Agoura Hills!
Thanks for reading!
I’d love to hear your thoughts, questions, and recommendations in the comments section below.
& please don’t forget to practice LEAVE NO TRACE.
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Woah! This looks like a pretty fun lil’ outing. And what a sunset!
You’d love it! Great short workout if you’re in the area 🙂
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