Father’s Day Ideas: Exploring the Outdoors! - Hiking Trails and Beaches
Photo taken by Natalia Radcliffe
~ Natalia Radcliffe ~ With May ending, Father’s Day is coming up soon! It’s the perfect excuse to honor and celebrate fathers or father figures in your lives. As Father’s Day falls on a Sunday, why not give them a Father’s Day weekend, rather than just one day?
If you are looking for a western-themed escape in a temperate area close to many different things to do, check us out at Prospector Ranch! We have a Conestoga covered wagon for those who love unique historical-looking places, a vintage 1972 Airstream for a blast from the past, or a Safari tent for those who have an itch for camping out under the stars in rustic comfort.
If your loved one enjoys exploring the beauty and peacefulness of the outdoors, we recommend to include some hiking trails and beaches in your Father’s Day weekend itinerary.
As we are closer to the beach, we have more moderate temperatures, and often have cooler temperatures than other more inland places in Southern California. Therefore, even on more warmer days as we jump into the summer months, it could still make nice weather for strolling outdoors on a hike or walking along the beach.
To get ideas flowing, we’ve featured some handpicked trails near Prospector Ranch that owner Meggan Kimberley herself enjoys to traverse, and beaches team members recommend.
Hiking Trails
This trail is about 67 miles long, spanning from the Ray Miller trailhead on one end to the Will Rogers trailhead on the other end.
It has a lot of different scenery, ranging from majestic mountain views to ocean views.
To hike the whole trail takes multiple days, but there are shorter sections to hike if you don't want to commit to traversing the entire 67 miles.
If you're looking to start on the trail from Prospector Ranch, the nearby places of Will Rogers State Historic Park or Point Mugu are places to hop on.
Backbone Trail to Sandstone Peak and Mishe Mokwa Trail Loop
This trail is located at the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and loops around.
It’s a moderate hike, spanning about 5.7 miles.
The Echo Cliffs not only make for beautiful views, but are also a popular spot for rock climbers. The scenery from the top of Sandstone Peak and Inspiration Point can have some beautiful views as well.
Sycamore Canyon is another great place to hike. Owner Meggan has often explored this area, both on horseback and on foot with her dog.
Some of its trails go down to the ocean, where you can get some beautiful aquatic views and the refreshing feel of the marine air and soothing sounds of crashing waves.
Rancho Sierra Vista National Park
This area has different trails to explore, ranging from easy to more challenging.
The Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center is part of the park.
This is another trail to explore, located in Agoura Hills.
When hiking this trail you can experience views of the local cities down below, while having the feeling of being in nature. Two in one deal!
This hiking area is located in Malibu, and the trails range from easy to challenging.
A popular spot to visit is the Solstice Waterfall. You can also see the remains of the
Keller House and the Roberts Ranch house while hiking toward the waterfall.
The Grotto
It’s located in the Santa Monica Mountains, and is about 2.5 miles. It's a one way trail, so you'll be going back along the same path you went in on.
At the end of the hike is the Grotto. It consists of a small waterfall that falls off of a rock into a small enclosed pool of water below. There are places to explore around the area before heading back.
For more information, you can visithttps://www.hikespeak.com/trails/grotto-hike-malibu/ and https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/grotto-trail
Beaches in Malibu About 1 Hour or Less From Prospector Ranch
Fun Facts:
Its waters are a little colder than other Los Angles Beaches.
It’s popular for swimming and body surfing, but is known for having a rough surf and riptides.
Fun Facts:
It’s made up of a number of cove or cliff-foot strands known as “pocket beaches”.
Can be crowded during the summer. During off seasons, it's perfect for those who love solitude.
Fun Facts:
The historic Surfrider Beach located in this area was one of the places where surfing culture first developed.
For history buffs, the Adamson House and Malibu Lagoon Museum are places to visit to learn some history behind the area and the city of Malibu.
Fun Facts:
On a clear day, you can see the entire Santa Monica Bay and distant Catalina Island.
One of the amenities that it offers, a hiking trail, leads to a beautiful view of an ancient coastal bluff sand dune.
Fun Facts:
It’s the first real beach in Malibu.
Though it’s one of the most popular surfing spots in the area, the waves break over cobblestones and the reef so it’s not an ideal swimming spot. Besides surfing, people also like to visit the beach for scuba diving, fishing, and sunbathing.
Background picture on thumbnail by -MayaQ- on Pixabay.
