Nicole Kliest
Life & Arts Assistant Editor
Note: There are amazing slices of California just waiting to be explored. This weekly series will inform students about ways to make the most of the outdoors.
With Labor Day weekend approaching, and most assuredly all beachside camping spots reserved in advanced, a quality, and introductory, hiking trail can be a great way to start the semester.
For those who “don’t do outdoors,” take a minute to think about the benefits that can accompany hiking. It can be a great cardiovascular activity that substitutes a boring walk on the track or treadmill. By sharing a hike, relationships (platonic or romantic) can be strengthened, and even more importantly whether a city or country person, appreciating what has been created naturally can be the biggest benefit of all.
“I’d say the most beneficial part of hiking is the exercise and that sense of accomplishment once you make it to the top,” said student manager for outdoor recreation Devin Darnell. “No matter how high the hike may be, it’s really rewarding to be able to reach a summit and look out over what you just conquered.”
Malibu Creek State Park is located four miles south of Highway 101, on Las Virgenes Road. The park features hiking, fishing, bird watching (an activity with which most students are clearly obsessed with) and horseback riding opportunities.
“I’ve hiked it [Malibu Creek Trail] a couple times,” Darnell said. “There are actually a lot of things you can see out there. They filmed the show M.A.S.H. out there and there are still some things from the show that are still sitting there.”
To locate the trailhead, take Malibu Canyon Road for approximately six miles to the park entrance on the left.
According to California State Parks, the Malibu Creek Trail to Rock Pool is 3.5 miles round-trip with 150-foot elevation gain. For those ambitious hikers, a hike to Century Lake is a whopping 4.5 miles round-trip with 200-foot elevation gain. The trail is easy and fairly level, which is ideal for those looking to absorb the trees, plant life, weather and the overall magnificence that is Malibu’s backyard.
“As far as the difficulty goes, it’s pretty flat,” Darnell said. “There are a couple mountains to go up as you’re going back to the M.A.S.H. site,” Darnell said. “As far as the terrain goes, it does get pretty rocky but it’s nothing that you can’t walk over. There are some points where it gets really steep but other than that it’s a nice dirt trail and has some caves up along the ridge that are cool.”
Seeing as it is Labor Day weekend, be creative. Bring a picnic lunch, a bike, or even a camera as to document the trip. One may even get a new Facebook profile picture out of it.
“Hiking is pretty cool because it is basically free, and a lot of places aren’t that difficult to get to, and the ones that are further away, campus recreation provides a ride there,” said student manager for public relations marketing and outreach Ben Doyle. “There is sometimes a $5 fee, but, provided that this covers a whole trip for exercise and hanging out with your friends, it’s a great deal.”
According to the California State Parks Web site, prior to acquiring land for Malibu Creek State Park in 1974, it was divided into three sections belonging to Bob Hope, Ronald Reagan and 20th Century Fox.” The park is still sometimes used for filming movies.
Once hikers reach the Rock Pool destination, by taking the “Gorge Trail,” they can see where the “Swiss Family Robinson” television series and a few Tarzan movies were filmed.
For specific trail information and more on how to fully maximize one’s hiking experience at Malibu Creek State Park visit www.parks.ca.gov.
08-25-2008