After two cold and rainy weekends, we had some beautiful weather this weekend. We took advantage of the day to hike the Overlook Mesa trail in Topanga Canyon State Park. The panorama below shows a 180 degree view looking south along the trail to the overlook. Click on the photo to view a larger version.
The trail starts at the parking area at the Topanga Canyon State Park. After a short climb, the trail follows a peak that runs between the Topanga Canyon to the West and the Santa Ynez Canyon to the East. In all, it’s a little over three miles from the parking area to the overlook. There isn’t much of an elevation gain in total, but the trail has quite a bit of up and down, so it ends up feeling like you’ve climbed a good sized hill. The views along the way and at the overlook are well worth the effort.
The overlook sits a the end of the ridge about 1500 feet above the ocean. From there, you get quite a panoramic view. Looking south-east you’re treated to a view of the sweep of the Santa Monica beaches. In the distance, you can see Venice Beach and Catalina Island. Unfortunately, you also get a pretty good view of the LA smog.
