Los Leones Trail.
Reach one of the finest viewpoints in Greater LA
Moderate Hiking
- Distance
- 4.1 km
- Ascent
- 161 m
- Descent
- 161 m
Santa Monica Mountains
Explore Santa Monica Mountains with curated guides of the best hiking trails, trail running routes, and more. With over 23 3D trail maps in FATMAP, you can easily discover and navigate the best trails in Santa Monica Mountains.
No matter what your next adventure has in store, you can find a guide on FATMAP to help you plan your next epic trip.
Get a top trail recommendation in Santa Monica Mountains from one of our 9 guidebooks, or get inspired by the 23 local adventures uploaded by the FATMAP community. Start exploring now!
Routes in Santa Monica Mountains
Topanga Lookout
An easy hike to a stunning view of the Santa Monica Mountains.
Easy Hiking
- Distance
- 3.3 km
- Ascent
- 98 m
- Descent
- 98 m
Traverse of Santa Monica Mountains: the Backbone Trail
A complete traverse of the Santa Monica Mountains outside of Los Angeles along the Backbone Trail with terminuses at Will Rogers State Park and Ray Miller Trailhead
Difficult Trail Running
- Distance
- 106 km
- Ascent
- 3.8 km
- Descent
- 4 km
Tuna Canyon Budwood Motorway
Ridgeline run with ocean views above the Pacific Coast Highway
Easy Trail Running
- Distance
- 4.9 km
- Ascent
- 182 m
- Descent
- 182 m
Sullivan Canyon and Westridge Loop
A tough mountain run with outstanding views over Los Angeles and Santa Monica.
Difficult Trail Running
- Distance
- 15 km
- Ascent
- 562 m
- Descent
- 562 m
Temescal Ridge to Temescal Peak
A long, scenic ridgeline overlooking the ocean and downtown LA.
Difficult Hiking
- Distance
- 15 km
- Ascent
- 778 m
- Descent
- 778 m
Escondido Falls
A tall waterfall in the Malibu Hills that flows after heavy rain.
Moderate Hiking
- Distance
- 5.7 km
- Ascent
- 160 m
- Descent
- 160 m
Tuna Canyon Budwood Motorway
Ridgeline walk with ocean views above the Pacific Coast Highway
Easy Hiking
- Distance
- 4.9 km
- Ascent
- 182 m
- Descent
- 182 m
Guidebooks in Santa Monica Mountains
17 routes · Hiking
Best Hikes in Los Angeles: Coastal, Suburban, and Epic Summits
12 routes · Hiking
Best Hikes for the Family in Los Angeles
9 routes · Hiking
Best Waterfalls and Swimming Holes near Los Angeles
10 routes · Hiking
The Best of LA's Hard Hikes
9 routes · Trail Running
Trail Running Los Angeles: Best Runs in the City
4 routes · Trail Running
4 Easy Trail Runs in Los Angeles, California
6 routes · Hiking
Escape LA's Concrete Jungle on These 6 Easy Hikes
17 routes · Hiking · Trail Running