Solstice Canyon, Malibu CA

• 5-star hike
• 2.5 to 6.1 mile options
• Easy/medium difficulty | Gain 310 to 1,800 feet
• Malibu CA | Los Angeles Region
• Driving Directions: Trailhead


Hikers taking in the scenic coastal canyon from Rising Sun Trail.

Located just off the Pacific Coast Highway on the shimmering Malibu coastline, Solstice Canyon is a wildly popular hiking route that has something to offer for all levels of fitness and interests.

Enjoy the partly shady, wide and flat Solstice Canyon Road which remains within earshot of the nearby creek as you make your way to the back of the canyon to a small waterfall. Extend your walk with a return trip up and down Rising Sun Trail as you marvel in the canyon vistas and distant ocean views. Or double your trail length on the Deer Valley Trail which loops around the hills on the Western canyon flanks, affording even more great scenery.

Canyon Loop & Deer Valley, Canyon Loop, Canyon Out & Back.

The shells of several homes remain in the canyon as reminders that in California wildfires have always been a threat. Half way up Solstice Canyon Road you'll find the Keller house - defiantly rebuilt in stone in 1903 after the first dwelling succumbed to fire after only two years. Further back in the canyon are the foundations of the ruined sprawling Roberts' house built next to a small waterfall. Another fire took the house in 1982, but the waterfall remains for hikers to discover.

Canyon Loop & Deer Valley 5★
6.1 mi, Loop, Medium, Gain 1,800ft
Trailspotting Map at AllTrails

Canyon Loop 5★
2.8 mi, Loop, Medium, Gain 660ft
Trailspotting Map at AllTrails

Canyon Out & Back 4★
2.5 mi, Out & Back, Easy, Gain 310ft
Trailspotting Map at AllTrails

When the trailhead parking lot fills up early due to the trail's popularity, some folk choose to find parking close to Route 1 and walk up the road to the trailhead, adding an extra half-mile each way. If you have the option to arrive early you can avoid this. The park's posted opening time is 8 am, but on the day I visited it was open much earlier.


A house of stone, built to withstand inevitable wildfires.


The flat and wide Solstice Canyon Road.

Tangents:
• Trail Links: Official
• Public Maps at AllTrails: Canyon Loop, Canyon & Deer Valley
• Facebook Group: Comment on this article

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