Marja C.

Love this amazing trail. It leads to multiple hikes all in the mountains. We are so blessed to live in Westlake Village where these trails are in our back yard. We did Circle x to Sandstone and it was an incredible journey. My husband and I felt so accomplished after hiking 6 miles and climbing 3,000 feet in elevation. We were also able to sign the composition book once we were at the top!!

Thuy T.

This is a very good moderate hike. Wouldn't recommend for beginners unless you like challenges. I thought this hike was a good challenge for me. On the way back to the car, I wanted to give up a few times. Total time for our hike took about 2 hours total. We arrived at 10:15 and finished at about 12:30pm. I would recommend for you to come early since the parking lot is small. When we got there, there Were still some spots left. Be careful if you're heading to the grotto, there's lots of rock climbing. But trust me, it's worth it. Make sure you are wearing comfortable shoes that you can rock climb with. If you are using the GPS here, keep driving until you see the Circle X Ranch sign, if you don't see it, just keep driving. It'll be on your right. Note: Bring bug spray!!! I regretted not bringing any. There are these HUGE fat ugly flies that bite you. I'm telling you, they are fat, not scared of people! I really hated them on the way back. Actually hate insects in general... I also heard some rattle snakes on the way back at where the high dead grass area. Try to stay on the trail and be careful with your dogs. We went on 6/21/14 and The Grotto didn't have much of a waterfall. There was still some water but since we're in a water drought, if you want to see more water, come after a rain season. To me, it was fine, it's not like I'm going to swim in it. Overall I would say the hike had 70% shade. The 30% would be killer if you don't bring plenty of water, sunblock and I would recommend a hat, mostly in the summer. The view is very mice throughout the hike. I really enjoyed it for the most part. The hike back to the car almost killed me. My dog name Taco barely made it. We had to pour some water on his belly since he was getting very tired, he almost gave up and we had to carry him some of the way back. But then again, he has very short legs since he's a dachshund mix at about 25 pounds. Again, bring plenty of water! I would recommend AT LEAST 2 bottles a person. Stay hydrated everyone! Make sure you bring extra water for your dogs too & give them plenty of breaks in the shade. The ground gets very hot during the summertime. Last of all, HAVE FUN!!!

Jensen L.

Drive through the long, winding canyon roads of the Santa Monica mountains and you'll eventually come across Circle X Ranch. The drive alone provides you views of the stretching valleys and the ocean in the distance. It makes you feel far away from the urban landscape of Los Angeles. Circle X Ranch has a dirt parking lot right at the entrance. Make your way down the dirt path to find the The Grotto trail. The trail is 1.3 miles and it takes less than an hour to get to the grotto. The path to the grotto isn't really much of a challenge, but it is fun. It just goes downwards until you finally hit the grotto. The beauty of this trail is being surrounded on all sides by the towering peaks of the mountains, coming across streams that turn into waterfalls, looking over cliffs to get views of the canyon, and climbing up and down to explore the boulders surrounding the grotto. The path will eventually just start following the stream. You'll know you've hit the grotto when stream goes through these huge boulders. I spent a good amount of time hopping between boulders and climbing them. Watch your step because you could fall down into the shallow pools of the grotto. There are actually two grottos: One is at the bottom of the boulder path and I'll leave the other one as a surprise to find. Once you find them, the grottos become a good place to just relax and take everything in.

Adela T.

My boyfriend and I decided to hike this trail this past weekend it was absolutely Gorgeous! We met with a Ranger at the Circle X Ranch to start our hike and he was very helpful and even provided us with maps and some tips on avoiding snakes. We began the trail through the whisper of dry shrubbery on both sides of us. It was certainly an extremely dry summer and no Campfires are allowed anywhere at this time of year. It was so quiet that you could seriously hear them whispering. Truly lovely! As we kept on going through, the trail became quite narrow as it trailed around a mountain. There are some beautiful cliffs that you can stop and take photos at and some beautiful trees along the trail as well. The terrain is extremely rocky, so wear comfortable shoes that can grip. We noticed lots of Spider Webs along the trail and snake holes so be careful where you Step and place your hands. My boyfriend slipped at one point and nearly place his hands over a Web with a Spiral web down at the bottom. They are pretty huge and quite scary. The fun began when we finally reach the Grotto. There is even a spot where you can rope climb down into the grotto. Bring your own rope! What an exciting rock climbing adventure! We must have spent over an hour just climbing the rocks and enjoying views of larger mountains and the rocky terrain around us. I love this hike! I can't wait to go back. We could have spent our whole day hiking these trail. Warning: The hike back is an uphill climb and can be quite difficult in the heat. Make sure you take lots of water! I kept telling myself that If I didn't keep going, a snake was going to come out and bite me! That helped! I made it to my car and passed out in my trunk. YES, I was that tired! Great hike but if you are not used to the uphill climbs, it can be challenging! Remember, every time you notice you are going downhill at steep inclines, you must know that at some point, you will have to go back up! Love this Hike!

Kay D.

Absolutely GORGEOUS! I came here with my husband to do the grotto trail hike, and it was so scenic and so lovely and so amazing. The ~3 mile round trip hike was fairly easy, but become more difficult with some bouldering/scrambling near the end by the grotto (the trail ends before you reach it and you have to forge your own path). This hike is best right after a good rain or when there is still water in the creek, because otherwise the grotto can dry up, which is less than exciting. If you want to avoid the crowds, come early! This trail is extremely popular; as we were leaving a group of about 25 obnoxious pre-teens were making their way to the grotto. You have been warned! I highly recommend this area; there are various hiking trails all around. There is a campground right next to the grotto trail head, but it looked extremely lackluster. We came just for a day hike, as should you!

Adam H.

My son, and two married friends took this hike. It is a very nice little hike, with very relaxing views and a cool groto to hang out around. We hiked in a bottle of red wine and each had a cup while sitting around the groto and allowing my son to explore. I recommend this as a challenge to your young ones. You need at least 1 adult to every two kids, and you need to maintain full control once you get down around where the stream is flowing under the boulders. There are areas where a child could slip down between the rocks and fall pretty far into shallow pools and rocky crevices. I highly recommend this park for camping, hiking, and relaxation. Its a short drive from Camarillo and is a great physical activity for young ones.

David S.

This is a really easy hike to find. Other the other side of Malibu just entering Ventura and with large signs. The only part that was confusing is the paying for parking or not. We did not pay. Lol. The hike is just over 2.5 miles and most of it covered from the sun. It is also not very steep of difficult. The semi hard part comes at the end when getting over and around large rocks. Luckily it rained a few weeks ago and the steam and waterfall was still going.

Kat B.

This review is specifically for the Grotto hike. The drive is worth the trail. Plenty of water on the trail since it just rained. Suggestion for fun: wear shorts and a whole outfit that dries real quickly. Keep hiking until the boulders gets really big. Explore around everything. The fun part was finding a waterfall and being able to take your shoes off and go around behind the falls. Be carefull of the rocks, it can get slippery if you have been on water. I took a few knocks and bumps but its doable. This hike is short but lots of fun and will works the upperbody if you boulder hop. Gook luck.

Vitto V.

This is a pretty easy to moderate 6 miles hike (round trip) . On a clear day you get a beautiful view of green Malibu mountains during hike. At the end of your trail you reach the Grotto. Here there are lots of cool rock climbings to do. Explore and spend time relaxing on the rocks, having a snack break. However, so sad no waterfalls this year because of the little or no rain we got this year in LA. There are some little ponds here and there in Grotto but no major waterfall as it should be. Still, it was fun to explore the Grotto.

Dana B.

This was an extremely beautiful hike. It is a pretty easy trail but bring water because it gets pretty warm (especially in the summer!) I have not been in the winter or after a rain so unfortunately The Grotto was completely dry. :( However if you hikes but further (slightly off the trail) you can find a natural spring with water coming from in. I was lucky to see a fee different animals in the water including salamanders, a water snake (not poisonous) and various water bugs. It is beautiful and I would definitely recommend it for a relatively easy hike. Last little side note... The trail is mostly downhill on the way there and therefore uphill on the way back. Be prepared! :! If you have not tried these yet, I also recommend Escondito Falls and Corral Canyon (go off trail to get the full experience! ;) )

Debbie H.

This is a challenging hike. So when you get here you're going to laugh at me and think I"m a joke because It starts off easy- all down hill and you got lots of shade on it too and there are some rocky parts so do bring the hiking shoes to avoid turning an ankle. Once you reach the Grotto 1.3 miles in- it is dried out right now and there is just a stream of water in it so you get the best work out by climbing the rocks at the end. Damn that was an adrenaline rush for me because it's these big boulders with drops to broken limbs most likely. It's once you get passed the climbing like a ninja across these boulders to get to the bottom of those rocks that you find a cave! Yes a CAVE/The Grotto with water and at this time of the year a stream is coming out of it. Before you go all the way down you can climb half way down the rocks in the middle and find the cave best place to see how big it is inside. I was all by myself at the Boulder part and I went in for the photographs but I was very afraid. It's the cold breeze that creeps up your spine when your in it all alone and it's dark in there as the sun was heading down the mountain side. So if there was an animal in there I have no idea but I didn't go in further for that reason. I think during the winter season there is a heavy water flow through here and you most likely can't get passed the big rocks without them being slick. So go now for some rock climbing its soooooo much fun. The campground itself is closed, not sure why but it is and it's not heavy in traffic at all - loved that! The way back to the car is where you climb and it's a great leg work out. Unfortunately my cave pics came out crapy and you will have to go see for yourself. ;P Getting here was a pain the butt. Here's what to look out for..... 1.) Don't follow yelps maps directions I ended up in a residential neighborhood far away. 2.) You will lose signal in here-your GPS will tell you that you have arrived at your destination when you actually end up at someone's house, ignore and keep going. 3.) You will pass two ranch's before hitting this ranch. 4.) Come after a rainfall if you want to see the waterfall, but if you want to do the rock climbing to the cave go now it's just a stream right now and you can go in there...it's dark in there. Climb in between the rocks at half way point through the boulders to get best view of it. Once at the bottom you can get to it too but the climb to the bottom and back up is tough and you can really hurt yourself. With no phone service in the area too...is something to think about. OH and big plus- you can get to Mishe Mokwa Trail from here. Take the turn off at Canyon trail split and you can go to the peak. :)

Sat T.

Reverse adventurous hike. You initially drive all the way to the top of the mountain and hike down to a cave. Then you hike back up to your car. The cons are that when you're coming back up you're already tired. The pros are that you have no other choice but to keep hiking up. It's not too hard of a hike but you do have to jump over and climb some big rocks so you have to be a little more flexible than on an average hike. It can also get a little confusing with the rocks as there's no set visible trail. The cave is really pretty, a little smelly but overall good. And you might have to walk through a swarm of bees at a point. They don't sting unless you bug them. The long drive up to the trailhead is another adventure. It's such a pretty sight, especially on a slightly cloudy day. Since you're so high up, chances are you will be above clouds. It's a lot of small twisted roads so I wouldn't want to a backseat passenger on that drive but if you're the driver or front passenger you're going to fall in love with the view.