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There's actually 2 ways you can take to get this cave. If you want to have a real hike and visit the cave you can start over at the Reseda entrance up to the Mulholland drive trail. That route is on the All Trails app and it's almost a 3 mile in & out hike. If you want to get here just to snap some pics in and around the cave you can drive up to the end of Vanalden. Once you heading up the trail it's maybe 0.15 of a mile and there's a path to the left that leads to the cave. The time I went to visit the cave it wasn't as dirty as mentioned in other reviews, but I know some local hike groups come around and do trail cleanings so that might have happened here recently. But the cul-de-sac at the top of Vanalden is clearly a hang out spot for high school kids and young college students so there's a good chance you'll see trash and white claw cans on the side of the road even though there's a trash bin before the trail. Overall it's a cool spot to take some picture, and with the trail from Vanalden being so short if you have time in the day you can head over to nearby West Hills and also check out the Caves of Munits which has a short 1 mile in & out route to that cave.
PLEASE BE CAREFUL!!!! I went with my niece on Saturday and it was kinda cool , I personally hated it because of all the trash and graffiti ohh well I still think the nature is amazing, and wanted to go with my nephew too, so I took him on Sunday. It was around 1 pm , we made it to the cave when we woke up a bobcat!!!! First we just heard the growling and I turned around and tell my nephew to run to my car! I honestly didn't know what to do in the situation so I just decided to run after him we run up the hill and my nephew got tired when he slowed down and we heard the bushes and we freaked out, gladly the hike is short and we made it out safe . Was soooo scary, my lesson is don't wake up wild animals lol my nephew is still shocked
Cool secluded spot. No one was there when I went, probably because it is difficult to find. Someone was looking for over an hour. NOTE: it is more of a left turn than it is a "fork in the road" as you can see in one of the pictures I posted. My friend and I left some signage for those going soon from this post. It should be just under a ten minute walk up from Vanalden. If you've reached the top and see a wide dirt trail, you've gone too far!
I regret to report I was one of the few that didn't reach the cave. With all the litter and glass on the ground, I must have made the wrong turn and missed the main path. I read other reviews how easy it was to hike there, but some parts of my path was quite narrow and made me a bit nervous. I referenced back to other reviews with pictures and was able to locate the part I was supposed to make a turn, but just got turned off with all the trash leading up there, I decided to turn back. Maybe I'll try again in the future. I'll bring a garbage bag with me next time to pick up some litter and try to make the experience for others better.
This is a short hike like about 0.6 mile round trip. It's free parking and no restroom in the area. When you hike in this trail, you will run into a split. Go left to Vanalden Cave. If you go right, then that will take you to Vanalden Vista. There is trash all over the place, so that's a bit disappointing. Other than that, I wouldn't drive out here just to do this hike, I would combine it if you're going to be in this area. As always, pack accordingly to the weather and have fun.
Easy hike. Easy parking. Cave has evidence of homeless camps: old shoes, clothes, graffiti & broken glass.
DON'T BRING YOUR DOGS. It's on-leash dog friendly, but there are shards of glass EVERYWHERE. I was so worried they would hurt their feet. :( DIRECTIONS (see my pics, too): Enter to the right of the Santa Monica Mountains sign. There's a little path between the red diamond sign and the END sign. Follow the upward path for about 0.1mi. You'll notice that the path will split--keep an eye out for it because you might miss it! If you miss it, the continued upward path will lead you all the way to Mulholland (as we found out from some other lost hikers haha--ladies, you were SO CLOSE to the cave :( keep reading!). The path on the left might have some brush or trees blocking the way, and it's a little narrow, but you're going the right way! You'll be led down to flat-ish area and will notice a handful of graffiti on trees. Follow the graffiti trees, and curve right. It's less of a path than what you've been on, but you'll see the cave if you keep right! On a hot day, there are TONS of bugs. Cave and graffiti itself are pretty cool to behold, but it's a pretty quick look around. There's a TON OF TRASH and BROKEN GLASS everywhere. So watch your step. In combination with the actual hike being so short, you'll probably be walking around for about 0.5mi total from start to finish, maybe a little more if you get lost. At the end of the day, it was cool to see, but I probably won't be back. There are other hikes out there with better views and a better accompanying workout.
We star our hike Sunday morning around 6:00 am, we We park in Top Of Reseda Trailhead the parking is free. It was my first time looking for the hidden cave, it was easy find it with out JPS we walk for about 45 minutes followed Mulholland road follow directions to the Vanalden trail it was a little challenging because there are not signs in the trails to many ways but we did it . The cave have graffiti all around like other places . It was only me and my friend we take some nice pictures.
This small cave may get a bad rap but I still think it's worth a visit. It may be a short hike but you can still miss it if you don't know where you're going. When you reach the fork at the 0.1 mile point you will need to take a sharp left and descend into the canyon. Shortly after that you will need to hang a right and the trail will dead end into the cave. The cave was deeper than I envisioned. Inside you'll get to view modern-day petroglyphs and pictographs along with some scattered trash. Before visiting the cave I recommend extending your hike by continuing up the mountain along Vanalden trail. Pass the dirt road and head toward the water towers. That will not only extend the distance of your hike by a mile but it also allows you to experience some pretty great views of the valley. That way you can visit the cave on your way back down.
Just heard about this place so we went to check it out yesterday. Here's how it played out. From Ventura Blvd, go south - drive to dead end of Vanalden and park. Free Parking on the street -- restrictions are No Parking 9PM-6AM (basically only overnight). Huge pepper tree is there to greet you with signage about the area. Walk beyond the tree and take the beaten path to start your adventure. It took us about 10 minutes to hike in. Difficulty is about 2/5... Would be fun for older kids, smaller kids might need some help in some places. Some parts of the path are narrow along a steep hillside, but most of it is safe... just use common sense. A few minutes in, you will come to a split in the path, go off to the LEFT. Continue on a few minutes more and you will see a rock wall with spray painted writing and arrows pointing to the right.... You are almost there. You have a choice here... the RIGHT for "advanced" hikers (steep climb up only to go down another steep hillside), LEFT is for "beginners". (once you get to the rock wall go right). And there's the cave! You can tell that many people have made their way here and would 'hang out'. Lots of markings on the walls. Remnants of a fire in the cave... Lots of pretty plants to see, saw a lizard and a random palm tree in the foliage. Also saw an interesting plant growing out of the rock wall. ONE STAR OFF: some people are disrespectful and leave their trash. Watch out for broken glass. Not sure what the two sets of latex gloves were used for. @_@ If you collect bottles and cans [CRV] ... $cha-ching$ ... You hit the jackpot!! Bring a bag (or two) to haul it out!! We checked it out for a bit then hiked back to the car. It was a nice little hike, worked up a sweat and had a nice time in nature! Oh, and we were the only ones there in the late morning. =) Will definitely do it again... (and I'm bringing a bag and gloves to collect the CRV!! -- lunch is on me!)
First off, I don't think this is considered a "Park", but that was the best choice available. I originally read about the cave on boingboing.net. I grabbed some friends and we set out exploring. You take Vanalden (Chevron station on the corner, just south of the 101 by Tampa) all the way south until it dead ends. There is plenty of street parking, and the trail head is marked by a sign. The hike is very simple. I would rate it 2 / 5 difficulty. We only took the trail as far as the cave, so I'm not sure what to expect after that. The carvings in the wall are cool (and creepy). Definitely makes for a good "non-la" activity. Estimated hike time: 40 minutes, round trip. Here is a link to some pics we took of the cave: http://wlriv.smugmug.com/gallery/2570247#135290947 and here is the link to the post on boingboing: http://www.boingboing.net/2007/03/04/vanalden_cave_in_tar.html
The cave itself is pretty cool, the face carvings left behind are awesome. Trail is short and easy. My wimpy dog (7 lb chihuahua) and my 3 year old had no problem here. Street parking is plentiful. Some walls are covered with moss and interesting plants. Its a cool place, but.... Joy M was not lying about the trash!!! Cans everywhere. Not sure I would come back (its far from me). I did, I'd think twice before bringing my toddler back here again. You can read more on my blog here: http://tothenextadventure.wordpress.com/2012/12/26/vanalden-cave-trail-in-tarzana/
I'll probably update this review if I go back another time. The trailhead is right at the end of Vanalden Avenue so it's really easy to find with free street parking which is always a plus. At several points the trail splits in two and there are NO signs or markings whatsoever. The trail we ended up taking was 1.5 miles to a lookout point on a fire road. We sadly missed the fork that would take us to the cave(s) because that turn was very nondescript. The way we took was a decent hike with a nice view at the end but there was a lot of trash, beer bottles, and cigarettes along the way. I can't wait to give it another go and take the .5 route straight to the caves. Make sure you research all the trail turns before heading out!
9 months ago
There's actually 2 ways you can take to get this cave. If you want to have a real hike and visit the cave you can start over at the Reseda entrance up to the Mulholland drive trail. That route is on the All Trails app and it's almost a 3 mile in & out hike. If you want to get here just to snap some pics in and around the cave you can drive up to the end of Vanalden. Once you heading up the trail it's maybe 0.15 of a mile and there's a path to the left that leads to the cave. The time I went to visit the cave it wasn't as dirty as mentioned in other reviews, but I know some local hike groups come around and do trail cleanings so that might have happened here recently. But the cul-de-sac at the top of Vanalden is clearly a hang out spot for high school kids and young college students so there's a good chance you'll see trash and white claw cans on the side of the road even though there's a trash bin before the trail. Overall it's a cool spot to take some picture, and with the trail from Vanalden being so short if you have time in the day you can head over to nearby West Hills and also check out the Caves of Munits which has a short 1 mile in & out route to that cave. read more
5 years ago
PLEASE BE CAREFUL!!!! I went with my niece on Saturday and it was kinda cool , I personally hated it because of all the trash and graffiti ohh well I still think the nature is amazing, and wanted to go with my nephew too, so I took him on Sunday. It was around 1 pm , we made it to the cave when we woke up a bobcat!!!! First we just heard the growling and I turned around and tell my nephew to run to my car! I honestly didn't know what to do in the situation so I just decided to run after him we run up the hill and my nephew got tired when he slowed down and we heard the bushes and we freaked out, gladly the hike is short and we made it out safe . Was soooo scary, my lesson is don't wake up wild animals lol my nephew is still shocked read more
5 years ago
Cool secluded spot. No one was there when I went, probably because it is difficult to find. Someone was looking for over an hour. NOTE: it is more of a left turn than it is a "fork in the road" as you can see in one of the pictures I posted. My friend and I left some signage for those going soon from this post. It should be just under a ten minute walk up from Vanalden. If you've reached the top and see a wide dirt trail, you've gone too far! read more
I regret to report I was one of the few that didn't reach the cave. With all the litter and glass on the ground, I must have made the wrong turn and missed the main path. I read other reviews how easy it was to hike there, but some parts of my path was quite narrow and made me a bit nervous. I referenced back to other reviews with pictures and was able to locate the part I was supposed to make a turn, but just got turned off with all the trash leading up there, I decided to turn back. Maybe I'll try again in the future. I'll bring a garbage bag with me next time to pick up some litter and try to make the experience for others better. read more
6 years ago
This is a short hike like about 0.6 mile round trip. It's free parking and no restroom in the area. When you hike in this trail, you will run into a split. Go left to Vanalden Cave. If you go right, then that will take you to Vanalden Vista. There is trash all over the place, so that's a bit disappointing. Other than that, I wouldn't drive out here just to do this hike, I would combine it if you're going to be in this area. As always, pack accordingly to the weather and have fun. read more
8 years ago
Easy hike. Easy parking. Cave has evidence of homeless camps: old shoes, clothes, graffiti & broken glass. read more
DON'T BRING YOUR DOGS. It's on-leash dog friendly, but there are shards of glass EVERYWHERE. I was so worried they would hurt their feet. :( DIRECTIONS (see my pics, too): Enter to the right of the Santa Monica Mountains sign. There's a little path between the red diamond sign and the END sign. Follow the upward path for about 0.1mi. You'll notice that the path will split--keep an eye out for it because you might miss it! If you miss it, the continued upward path will lead you all the way to Mulholland (as we found out from some other lost hikers haha--ladies, you were SO CLOSE to the cave :( keep reading!). The path on the left might have some brush or trees blocking the way, and it's a little narrow, but you're going the right way! You'll be led down to flat-ish area and will notice a handful of graffiti on trees. Follow the graffiti trees, and curve right. It's less of a path than what you've been on, but you'll see the cave if you keep right! On a hot day, there are TONS of bugs. Cave and graffiti itself are pretty cool to behold, but it's a pretty quick look around. There's a TON OF TRASH and BROKEN GLASS everywhere. So watch your step. In combination with the actual hike being so short, you'll probably be walking around for about 0.5mi total from start to finish, maybe a little more if you get lost. At the end of the day, it was cool to see, but I probably won't be back. There are other hikes out there with better views and a better accompanying workout. read more
6 years ago
We star our hike Sunday morning around 6:00 am, we We park in Top Of Reseda Trailhead the parking is free. It was my first time looking for the hidden cave, it was easy find it with out JPS we walk for about 45 minutes followed Mulholland road follow directions to the Vanalden trail it was a little challenging because there are not signs in the trails to many ways but we did it . The cave have graffiti all around like other places . It was only me and my friend we take some nice pictures. read more
5 years ago
6 years ago
This small cave may get a bad rap but I still think it's worth a visit. It may be a short hike but you can still miss it if you don't know where you're going. When you reach the fork at the 0.1 mile point you will need to take a sharp left and descend into the canyon. Shortly after that you will need to hang a right and the trail will dead end into the cave. The cave was deeper than I envisioned. Inside you'll get to view modern-day petroglyphs and pictographs along with some scattered trash. Before visiting the cave I recommend extending your hike by continuing up the mountain along Vanalden trail. Pass the dirt road and head toward the water towers. That will not only extend the distance of your hike by a mile but it also allows you to experience some pretty great views of the valley. That way you can visit the cave on your way back down. read more
7 years ago
14 years ago
Just heard about this place so we went to check it out yesterday. Here's how it played out. From Ventura Blvd, go south - drive to dead end of Vanalden and park. Free Parking on the street -- restrictions are No Parking 9PM-6AM (basically only overnight). Huge pepper tree is there to greet you with signage about the area. Walk beyond the tree and take the beaten path to start your adventure. It took us about 10 minutes to hike in. Difficulty is about 2/5... Would be fun for older kids, smaller kids might need some help in some places. Some parts of the path are narrow along a steep hillside, but most of it is safe... just use common sense. A few minutes in, you will come to a split in the path, go off to the LEFT. Continue on a few minutes more and you will see a rock wall with spray painted writing and arrows pointing to the right.... You are almost there. You have a choice here... the RIGHT for "advanced" hikers (steep climb up only to go down another steep hillside), LEFT is for "beginners". (once you get to the rock wall go right). And there's the cave! You can tell that many people have made their way here and would 'hang out'. Lots of markings on the walls. Remnants of a fire in the cave... Lots of pretty plants to see, saw a lizard and a random palm tree in the foliage. Also saw an interesting plant growing out of the rock wall. ONE STAR OFF: some people are disrespectful and leave their trash. Watch out for broken glass. Not sure what the two sets of latex gloves were used for. @_@ If you collect bottles and cans [CRV] ... $cha-ching$ ... You hit the jackpot!! Bring a bag (or two) to haul it out!! We checked it out for a bit then hiked back to the car. It was a nice little hike, worked up a sweat and had a nice time in nature! Oh, and we were the only ones there in the late morning. =) Will definitely do it again... (and I'm bringing a bag and gloves to collect the CRV!! -- lunch is on me!) read more
20 years ago
First off, I don't think this is considered a "Park", but that was the best choice available. I originally read about the cave on boingboing.net. I grabbed some friends and we set out exploring. You take Vanalden (Chevron station on the corner, just south of the 101 by Tampa) all the way south until it dead ends. There is plenty of street parking, and the trail head is marked by a sign. The hike is very simple. I would rate it 2 / 5 difficulty. We only took the trail as far as the cave, so I'm not sure what to expect after that. The carvings in the wall are cool (and creepy). Definitely makes for a good "non-la" activity. Estimated hike time: 40 minutes, round trip. Here is a link to some pics we took of the cave: http://wlriv.smugmug.com/gallery/2570247#135290947 and here is the link to the post on boingboing: http://www.boingboing.net/2007/03/04/vanalden_cave_in_tar.html read more
3 years ago
14 years ago
The cave itself is pretty cool, the face carvings left behind are awesome. Trail is short and easy. My wimpy dog (7 lb chihuahua) and my 3 year old had no problem here. Street parking is plentiful. Some walls are covered with moss and interesting plants. Its a cool place, but.... Joy M was not lying about the trash!!! Cans everywhere. Not sure I would come back (its far from me). I did, I'd think twice before bringing my toddler back here again. You can read more on my blog here: http://tothenextadventure.wordpress.com/2012/12/26/vanalden-cave-trail-in-tarzana/ read more
11 years ago
I'll probably update this review if I go back another time. The trailhead is right at the end of Vanalden Avenue so it's really easy to find with free street parking which is always a plus. At several points the trail splits in two and there are NO signs or markings whatsoever. The trail we ended up taking was 1.5 miles to a lookout point on a fire road. We sadly missed the fork that would take us to the cave(s) because that turn was very nondescript. The way we took was a decent hike with a nice view at the end but there was a lot of trash, beer bottles, and cigarettes along the way. I can't wait to give it another go and take the .5 route straight to the caves. Make sure you research all the trail turns before heading out! read more
8 years ago
First off, skip the cave. Seriously, it's not impressive and it stinks (people party in there, for sure!). Instead, take the long trek up the hill, on what looks more like an earthquake fissure than an actual trail, to the fire road and keep going in any direction. Trust me on this one. You can get one heck of workout and it's gorgeous! It links up to the Marvin Braude Mulholland Gateway Park (entrance at Reseda) https://www.yelp.com/biz/marvin-braude-mulholland-gateway-park-tarzana?osq=vanalden+cave I've mountain biked many times on Dirt Mully from where paved Mulholland Drive ends all the way to Topanga Canyon - so it was a treat today to actually explore that area by two feet. Just remember, it's very exposed. Bring LOTS of water, sunscreen and a sun hat. read more
8 years ago
10 years ago
This cave is way cool, dirty yes , but the art work and the cave itself is so worth it. To get to the trail type in 34.134666,-118.563017 After the pepper tree the first fork take a left! There was a blue arrow on a rock showing you the way, but it has since faded. We missed it the first time and ended up going every other route, also fun and beautiful. read more
11 years ago
A truly hidden gem. We were the only other group at this trail because there are a few other trails in this area. I absolutely love how secluded this trail is and it's also a short trail to the Vanalden caves. As all the other yelpers mentioned lots of graffiti but overall a nice short hike! The hike can be extended for those hardcore hikers. Use this trailhead coordinate for the correct location: 34.134666, -118.563017 because the address listed on Yelp will take you to the wrong hiking trail. For more information on this hike I would suggest checking out Hikespeak.com read more
8 years ago
16 years ago
The cave is bigger than I thought it would be and very cool. The area around the cave is wild and pretty and has some cool graffiti art on the rocks and trees. And there was a rope hanging from a tree outside the cave that was a lot of fun to swing on. All in all, a fun way to spend an afternoon. The hike is easy for anyone in relatively good shape, but would be difficult for a very small child. read more
10 years ago
This short hike was on my hiking bucket list. Its about a mile, maybe less, to the cave. I went on a Sunday morning and the one thing I loved about it was that there was no one there but us. The hike is short but has some inclines that had us out of breath a few times. The trail is marked with arrows on the ground that made it easy for us to find the cave. Beware of a lot of flies, and little harmless lizards. The parking is street parking and at the end of a residential block where you would enter to begin the hike. If you want to go on a hike with a beginner to see something new and cool, this is a good idea. It not too hard or easy, quick, and still a decent exercise. Enjoy :) read more
7 years ago
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12 years ago
It was sort of a cave, mainly there was just trash and whippit containers everywhere, but that's fine. Still a great little area that feels further from the sounds of the city than it really is. read more
9 years ago
I've been to the cave a few times, it was a cool little spot. It's nothing special but it's great to go there at least once to check it out or if you don't feel like doing much hiking. I'm only giving this place 3 stars due to the last visit there was so much more broken glass bottles when we got to the cave, damn people gotta ruin a nice little area for hikers. I wish someone can clean the area up. Bring your dog at your own risk because my BFs dog got a couple ticks after that visit. To get to this place it's easy, just drive thru Vanalden Ave until you reach the end of the street. Parking there is free of course it's street parking. You'll see a trail to get up. It'll be just 10-15 mins to get there. You gotta find the fork in the road/small separate path to get there which this little path will be on the left. Continue walking this path until you start seeing graffiti. I recommend wearing pants incase you slip on those glass bottle shards. read more
16 years ago
Went for the 1st time yesterday. Super easy to find. Park at dead end of Vanalden. Take trail all the way to cave. The hike is pretty short, about 1/2 mile. When u get to the part where u don't know which way to go.... go right. There are steep hills to hike up and the top edge of the cave is pretty high up so be careful. Too many bugs flying around though. A giant hawk tried to land by the cave... it was so loud... like a helicopter. Super cool! read more
8 years ago
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More info about Vanalden Cave
Tarzana, CA 91357
Tarzana
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