Since the Palisades Fire broke out on January 7, it has burned nearly 24,000 acres across Pacific Palisades and several neighborhoods along Pacific Coast Highway. Many of those acres were populated by homes and other popular hiking trails throughout the Santa Monica Mountains. Firefighters continue to make progress extinguishing the Palisades Fire, which was 63% contained as of Tuesday afternoon.
But it will take months to realize the scale and scope of the damage it has caused. Although there is still no clear verdict on how the Palisades Fire started, it is possible that it occurred somewhere near Skull Rock.
To get a better picture of the devastation, I compiled a list of affected trails, determined using the CalTopo mapping tool. By comparing their maps and fire tracks with maps of local hiking trails, I determined which trails were in the burned area. That being said, just because there is a trace in the burned area doesn't mean it has been completely destroyed. We will learn more about the specific conditions of each trail in the coming months, as well as when trails might begin to reopen.
Charred trees cover the hillside along the Temescal Canyon trail, which is closed due to the Palisades Fire.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Several parks and public lands remain closed within the Santa Monica Mountains. Topanga State Park and Will Rogers State Historic Park, both damaged by the fire, remain closed to the public.
All parks and trails in the Santa Monica Mountains and in fire evacuation zones managed by the Mountain Conservation and Recreation Authority are closed until officials determine it is safe to re-enter. That includes Temescal Gateway Park, Fryman Canyon Park and Betty Dearing Trail, Franklin Canyon Park and Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve. Additionally, according to the National Park Service, Paramount Ranch and Solstice and Cheeseboro Canyons are closed.
Finally, if you decide to hit the trails, consider local air quality measurements.
Trails that burned in the Palisades fire
- San Vicente Mountain to Gizmo Peak via Dirt Mulholland Drive and Farmer Ridge Fire Road: This trail runs along the northern edge of the fire's northeast flank. Several sections appear to have been burned. The windy 1.2 mile portion of Mulholland north of Gizmo Peak that creates a loop trail with Farmer Ridge Fire Road is outside the fire perimeter.
- West Mandeville Fire Road
- Mandeville West Ridge Trail
- Garapito Canyon Trail: The first 2000 feet of this trail appear to have been burned. The remainder, leading south to the Backbone Trail, did not burn.
The Los Leones Canyon trailhead is also closed due to the Palisades Fire.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
- Murphy Ranch Trail
- Sullivan Canyon Fire Road
- Sullivan Ridge Trail (including Old Staples Loop)
- Garden Land Trail: Most of this trail appears to have been burned.
- Inspiration Stitch Loop
- Backbone Trail: The first seven miles, starting at the Will Rogers trailhead, appear to have been burned. Then there is an 8.7 mile segment northwest of Temescal Peak that runs west past Eagle Rock and Musch Trail Camp that appears unburned. Then, near Saddle Peak, the trail runs along and near the western flank of the fire. Heading west from near Piuma Road, the trail is unburned.
- Rustic Canyon Trail (including waterfalls)
- Bone Canyon Trail
- grass path
- Rivas Canyon Trail
- Temescal Canyon Trail
The Temescal Canyon trailhead is closed due to the Palisades Fire.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
- Temescal Ridge Trail (including Skull Rock)
- Welcome Trail
- Goat Peak via High Point and Rivas Ridge Trail
- Potrero Canyon Circuit in George Wolfberg Park
- Los Leones Trail (written on some maps as Los Liones)
- Paseo Miramar Trail: Known as East Topanga Fire Road on some maps; includes the Parker Mesa overlook.
- Trailer Cannon Fire Road
- Santa Ynez Canyon Trail – Most of this trail was burned. The last third of a mile, near Trippet Ranch, appears to be unburned. There is a 0.6 mile trail that branches off this route and takes hikers to Santa Ynez Falls. The last half of that road appears to have not burned.
- East Topanga Fire Road: Most of this 4.9 mile road is burned, outside of the last 0.55 miles ending at Trippet Ranch. It includes the first two miles, which on some maps are called Paseo Miramar.
More than 500 steps lead down and up from Murphy Ranch in Rustic Canyon in Topanga State Park, photographed in August 2022. According to a Times analysis, both the Murphy Ranch Trail and the Rustic Canyon Trail burned in the Palisades Fire .
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
- Tuna Canyon Trail Budwood Highway
- Big Rock Lateral and Big Rock Motorway from Tuna Canyon Trail
- Tuna Canyon Trail Hearst Tank Highway
- Topanga Lookout Trail: The fire burned just south of the parking area and appears to have burned near the top 1,600 feet.
