Spring Hike:  Eagle Rock Trail in Topanga State Park

Sunday, April 23, 2017 at 9:00 am

Joint Event of University of Chicago Club of Los Angeles and the Chicago Booth Club of Los Angeles. Open to our friends from the Ivy League.

Towering 1,957 feet above the Pacific, and only five miles from the coast, Eagle Rock looms majestically over the canyons of the Santa Monica Mountains, with sweeping views of the surrounding peaks for miles in all directions. Our hike to reach this scenic wonder, with its cave-like “nature’s room with a view” portico, is one of the most charming in all of Malibu’s 26 miles of coastline. After meeting at Trippet Ranch, we’ll make the pleasant 800 foot ascent along a fire road over approximately two miles. We’ll pass groves of trees and sage brush, and perhaps encounter a few lingering spring wild flowers. As we reach Eagle Rock, which rises with seeming abruptness over the already breathtaking landscape, we’ll walk up its lunar, craggy sides to conquer its summit and celebrate the views. Our walk back will reward us with more vistas as we descend in to a wooded creak along the Musch Trail. Victory lunch (self-host) at the Reel Inn in Malibu will follow.

Duration and Difficulty:  4.5 mile loop with 800 feet of elevation gain and loss.  Approximately 2 ½ hours.

What to Bring:  2 liters of water, hat, sunscreen, snack. Hiking boots recommended.

Optional Self Host Lunch to Follow: Reel Inn, 18661 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265 (intersection of Topanga and the PCH)    Menu:   www.reelinnmalibu.com/

Your Alumni Leaders: Shirley Sung (AB ’05); Shao-Yi Qian (AB’ 2015 econ); David Pio (MBA/2008); Bill Sullivan (AB ’90).  

Questions: Bill Sullivan, AB ’90 (bsullivan3@sbcglobal.net; cell: 818-209-9439 day of event only)

Location and Parking:  From PCH, take Topanga Canyon Road inland for 4.6 miles to Entrada Road. Alternately, from the 101 Freeway, drive 7.7 miles south on Topanga Canyon Road to reach Entrada Road. Turn east on Entrada Road and drive up the mountain for one mile, following signs for Topanga State Park. There is a $10 day-use fee to park at Trippet Ranch, which is open from 8:00 a.m. to sunset. Free parking is available along the road just outside the park.

Special Note: Allow an extra 10 minutes to walk in to the parking lot if you want free parking along Entrada Road.

Trailhead address: 20829 Entrada Road, Topanga Canyon, CA 90290

Further Information:  https://www.hikespeak.com/trails/eagle-rock-topanga-state-park-trippet-ranch/