Solstice Canyon Loop

This roughly 3 mile loop begins from the Solstice Canyon parking lot, located off of Corral Canyon Rd. Hike up the road at the end of the parking lot where the trailhead is. Follow the road up and when you've gone about 6/10 of a mile you'll pass the historic Matthew Keller House, which was mostly destroyed in the Corral Fire of 2007. You'll soon then pass Fern Grotto before reaching the end of the Solstice Canyon Trail at the Roberts Ranch House. A waterfall, garden, and dam were left behind at this old estate, and the waterfall will still flow with enough rainfall. Please note that dogs are NOT allowed at the waterfall.From the Roberts Ranch House, follow the Rising Sun Trail on the other side of the canyon in order to return to the parking area. You'll immediately descend in elevation as you follow the trail to the south toward the ocean. The trail offers great views of the coast and the canyon during this portion. Eventually you'll pass the old Space Tech Labs buildings stationed near the bottom of the canyon before reaching the final switchbacks that will lead right to the original parking lot.Thanks to John McKinney, The Trailmaster, for sharing this trail description. To learn more about trails in California, check out his guides at The Trailmaster Store.

Solstice Canyon Park opened in 1988 after the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy bought the area from the the Roberts family and converted the land from a ranch into a park. In 2007 the Corral Fire destroyed much of the vegetation lining the hillsides of the canyon, but nowadays growth has returned to the area and the canyon is beginning to thrive again.