Malibu Creek State Park – A Pocket of Paradise in the Santa Monica Mountains
Malibu is well known by many locals and tourists as one of southern California’s most famous beach towns. Unlike other SoCal cities, Malibu is a more quiet coastal town with smaller shorelines and a less party-like atmosphere. Making it a wonderful destination for those looking for a peaceful getaway down the Pacific Coast Highway.
Another appealing Malibu feature is what lies just on the other side of the highway – the Santa Monica Mountains. Towering tall above the waves, these mountains paint a picture perfect scenery to this lovely oceanic town.
However, many don’t initially think to venture into the mountains when planning a trip to Malibu. And we don’t blame you. Going up into the mountains is definitely not a common thought when you’re thinking of a beach trip.
Just 15 minutes north of Pacific Coast Highway, in the Santa Monica Mountains, is the stunning forested park known as Malibu Creek State Park. A must see addition on your next trip down the coast.
Details/General Info – Malibu Creek State Park
Malibu Creek State Park is located in the depths of the Santa Monica Mountains, situated in a beautiful countryside full of green rolling hills and lush forested scenery.
This place feels so incredibly immersive, it’s surprising that it’s just a short 15 min drive from the Malibu Pier and from the city of Thousand Oaks. A convenient spot for those looking to escape into nature without a long commitment to driving.
Nearby accommodation would be best in Malibu or Thousand Oaks. Although Santa Monica may be the best location for overnight lodging since there is tons to do around downtown and hotels are more affordable.
The park contains awesome views of the Conejo Volcanics which cover a large section of the Santa Monica Mountains. These are one of several along the California coast that erupted from a strong shift of tectonic plates below the surface.
As you first step into the park, you will see a variety of tall rocky mountains, sprawling valleys, and (as the name suggests) the beautiful Malibu Creek that runs through the park.
Visitors come to Malibu Creek State Park for a multitude of reasons. Hiking being the most common activity. You can also camp, fish, bird watch, and even swim.
This is also the site of where the finale of the TV show M*A*S*H was shot, which you can see located along Crags Road, the main hiking trail through the park..
No matter what time of the year, there’s always something to enjoy at Malibu Creek State Park.
Park Information – (prices and times subject to change)
- Open every day from 8am – 10pm (generally dusk till dawn)
- Parking Fees:
- All day – $12/vehicle
- 3 hrs – $9.00/vehicle
- 2 hrs – $6.00/vehicle
- 1 hr – $3.00/vehicle
- Visitor Center Hours – Saturday & Sunday 12pm – 4pm
After you pass the fee station at the entrance, you can park at 4 different parking lots down the road. The last one at the bottom is the largest and most used.
If you’re looking to hike the Rock Pool Trail, this is where you will park unless you’re instructed otherwise by the rangers. There are bathrooms and water spigots to fill your water containers at the bottom of this parking lot and right before the trail.
Rock Pool Trail – Hike Details
- Distance: About 2 miles roundtrip (including both the actual trail and Crags/High Road)
- Elevation: 200 ft
- Route Type: Out and back
- Difficulty: Easy
- Time to Complete: 1-2 hours depending on if you swim or not
The Rock Pool Trail is the most hiked trail in Malibu Creek State Park. The trail takes you through the center of the park and is overall a very easy trail to complete. We might even call it a “nature walk.”
However you call it, the views and scenery along the way are gorgeous. Enough to where we’ve trekked this path more than a few times just in our 2 years of living in Los Angeles.
Another reason for it’s popularity is the fact that you can swim! Dubbed the Rock Pool Trail, because…well you guessed it, the rocky pool found at the end of the trail.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:
- While short in length, we still recommend hiking shoes or some form of protected footwear as the path gets rocky towards the end
- Consider these 3 performance day hiking shoes if you’re needing a pair
- Bring an ultralight daypack with enough water, snacks, and these other top daypack essentials to keep you going
- For hot and sunny days, don’t forget sun protection – wear sunscreen and/or a sunhat
- See these 5 awesome hiking hats if you’re looking for something with extra sun protection
- Don’t forget your bathing suit & towel if you plan on swimming!
See below map of Malibu Creek State Park and the outline of the entire trail.
The official start of the Rock Pool Trail is on the very left of the map.
The First Portion of The Rock Pool Trail
Once you’re all packed, head to the bottom of the parking lot and cross the road. On the other side, you’ll find a small staircase and a path that takes you down to the creek. Cross the bridge over the creek to start on Crags Road.
As we already mentioned, this hike is very easy. This first section takes place along Crags Road & High Road which are actually flat dirt roads used for the ranger vehicles.
FYI – While you could consider this first portion as part of the hike, it’s technically not the Rock Pool Trail yet. The official start of the Rock Pool Trail is just past the visitor center. Although, since you have to walk this stretch of road to reach the Rock Pools, many just consider this whole path from the parking lot to the pools as the “Rock Pool Trail.”
As you hike down the dirt road, you’ll see off to your left an impressive valley of rolling hills, rocky mountains, and scattered trees. Along with Malibu Creek running alongside your path.
And to the right are tall grassy mountains with some flowers and dense foliage. All while walking underneath a lovely canopy of oak trees, providing a wealth of shade during the hotter months.
The views of the valley are very picturesque, we stop at least a few times just to take it in.
We both found the landscape to be as epic as the intro scenes of a Jurassic Park movie! It’s easy to imagine dinosaurs roaming the grasslands with pterodactyls flying high over head. Or maybe that’s just us? Naw. You’ll see.
Check Out The Visitor Center
After 2/3 of a mile, you will reach a junction. Head left and you’ll see ahead of you another bridge going over Malibu Creek.
To see the visitor center, go across the bridge to find the center on the right.
This is also where you’ll find a bunch of picnic tables, great for a quick break, or even lunch assuming you brought some food.
If you want to skip this, then make a quick right before the bridge to continue onto the Rock Pool Trail.
For those visiting on the weekend when the visitor center is open, you can go inside to learn more about the park, wildlife, and the fauna of the area. However if they’re closed, there’s a small swinging patio bench outside the building you can still enjoy. It’s something, right?
We somehow managed to spend almost 30 minutes sitting, swinging, and childishly giggling while enjoying the scenery. I don’t know about you but swing-sets always make me feel like a kid again.
The Second Portion of the Rock Pool Trail
If you saw the visitor center, head back the way you came across the bridge and make your first left to get back on the Rock Pool Trail. This is where the trail “officially” begins!
As your start down this trail, the path becomes more narrow and more rocky. I guess more like an official hiking trail!
Follow it down till you’re closer and more level to Malibu Creek. From here forward, the trail takes you deeper in between the canyons and alongside the more stronger flowing creek.
Continue straight the rest of the way, following the creek, until you reach the rock pool soon after.
Reaching the Rock Pool
Once you arrive at the Rock Pool, you’ll see a fairly large body of water surrounded by green trees and tall rocky, porous cliffs. These rocks sit above and around the pool, which makes sense why it’s called the Rock Pool.
A beautiful oasis hidden in the Santa Monica Mountains.
Feel free to swim if you don’t mind the murky waters. There’s a small opening of land around the edge of the water where you can set your stuff down.
In the summertime, this place can get fairly crowded. Last time we were here, the area was filled with bags, coolers, and people lounging about. We even saw some climbing up on top of the large boulders and jumping into the pool below.
We chose not to swim during our visit due to the crowds. But it doesn’t mean we wouldn’t want to come back a different day for a chance to try out the water in this beautiful area of Malibu Creek State Park.
Outside of the Rock Pool, you can roam around the surrounding area to see other parts of the creek. There’s some good spots to sit, relax, and enjoy the meditative sounds of the water rushing by.
There are also numerous extensions to this hike if you’re looking to trek some more. Grasslands Trail and Century Lake are good add-ons to the Rock Pool Trail.
Once you’re ready, head back the way you came to get back to the parking lot.
Don’t Miss Malibu Creek State Park on Your Next Visit to Malibu
While we love the beach, there’s just something we love about greenery. Forests, mountains, cacti, you name it. We’re just drawn to the greens of nature. Malibu Creek State Park is a wonderful place that satisfies all that and more.
The Rock Pool Trail takes you through some of the best features of the park. Come during the warmer months and get a chance to swim and cool off in the refreshing waters.
If you have the time, we recommend you explore more of the other trails the park has. We haven’t found a trail yet that we haven’t loved.
From the green grasslands, to the rocky mountainsides, and even the steady creek, this park truly is a pocket of paradise.
It’s shocking how you can find scenery like this just outside the coastline! We hope you have the chance to visit during your next trip out to Malibu. You’ll be happy you did.
For other hikes in the Santa Monica Mountains, check out our favorite spot along Backbone Trail about 30 minutes away. Expect to see amazing views of the coast from atop the mountain peaks, as well as climbing about the unique rocky landscape.
Let us know if you’ve been or if you have any questions in the comments below!
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