Parker Mesa Overlook

Stumbled here accidentally from the Los Liones trail, and was I glad I did! Around 7 miles round trip with ³⁄₅ difficulty. Parking is free from Los Liones trailhead but $ 10 from Trippet Ranch (closer to the overlook).
Gorgeous views of Malibu, surrounding mountains, and the beach! Most of the trail is exposed so may be better for cooler days. Exposed trail = great views and easy to follow (wide in most areas and joggable). I was actually here at night too and you can see parts of LA.
Cool thing is that this trail has steeper «options» along the main fire road that are short or visible enough that you don’t lose the main trail.

I went by myself on a weekday, so traffic and parking were not an issue. I parked just before the park entrance off Entrada as to not pay for parking. I started at the old fire road and was able to turn off Google maps shortly after, as the trail was clearly marked.
In total, it was about 7 – 8 miles, round trip, on a beautiful Southern California day. I’ve been on many hikes in Southern California, so I would consider a beginner to moderate level of difficulty. There are some inclines but they only steadily increase, nothing dramatic. I took one water bottle, which was sufficient. Definitely bring sunscreen.
The view is spectacular. I suggest going on a clear day, if possible, so you can see not only the view of downtown LA but also the surrounding mountain ranges. When all is said and done, it took me less than 2 hours at a pretty swift pace. Definitely going to repeat this adventure.

Round trip from the los liones parking lot is 8 miles, not 7 like others have said. Trail begins with dusty roads. After 1.5 miles, the trail continues on a fire road. It’s an easy trail but offers stunning views. My friend and I have decided to hike this trail once every month.

I usually hike the Paseo Miramar trail head out here it’s the most gorgeous hike I’ve ever been on and have done it a few times with my guy friends… It is a hard hike going up but so worth it! I’ve never been on a hike where you have ocean views the whole time surrounding you it’s truly breathtaking! It’s a 5.5 mile hike I’ve done it in the afternoon and early evening to watch the sun setting over the Palisades so amazing! There is a bench at the top to rest and enjoy the view I usually spend a good half-​hour up there taking it all in. Mother nature is so very beautiful!

Went here for a sunrise hike with friends a little too cloudy to actually see the sunrise but still beautiful best view and it’s a hike with a workout not one of those easy dance the whole way trails.

This trail is the most amazing trail I have done, ever. I started around 5:30/5:45 PM and we were at the overlook at around 7:30/7:45 PM. We started from the paseo Miramar trailhead, street parking is available. This is a much shorter route than the Los liones trailhead, however that trailhead does have a lot more parking options. Coming back was a breeze, 90% downhill, we were back to our car in no time! The views are absolutely incredible, and the hike was completely worth it. It’s roughly 6 miles round trip, it’s not easy but worth it. I definitely recommend this hike, specially for dates! Bring a ton of water and wear sunscreen. :)

Really enjoyed this hike. My gf and I decided to go hiking early on Saturday morning. Perhaps to even catch the sunrise at the top of the hike. We overslept and didn’t start the hike until maybe 7:45AM.
Parking was in the residential area near the trailhead. We just followed the trail and some time in between, wondered if we were lost. Finally made it to the top and it was beautiful. The sun wasn’t out because there was a storm rolling through LA. So off in the distance, we could see the lightning off in the distance. The view of the ocean was beautiful and relaxing. A couple of benches up there as well.
There are a bunch of lizards and even fire ants so be careful of those. Also, the little gnats/​flies were annoying. I felt like they just hovered around my ears since the beginning of the hike even though I was constantly just brushing them away.
Nonetheless, a nice hike. Took about 4 hours round trip? Well, we did stop for quite a lot of photos. And took in the scenery at the top.

Very beautiful, easy, breezy hike with ocean views and convenient parking. This is one of my favorite places to hike in Malibu. It’s the perfect hiking trail to go with a date.

Bring your water. Wear your sunscreen, sunglasses and hat. I would get here before 9a to ensure a good parking spot. There’s a bathroom close to the entrance so go before because there is no place to go after that even if you were willing to pop a squat. The hike to the bench where the overlook is, is a good warmup. The view of the beach is awesome.
Then I’d recommend going up further past the wide roads and sprint up the steep part of the trail (on the right up a crack). Then I’d recommend trail running the whole way back at an easy pace. This way, people will move for you and the feet turnover is quicker than walking and watching every step downhill. We hiked about 5 miles total. I’d recommend it to everyone. I saw parents with toddlers walking and babies in ergo baby carriers. Everyone can hike to the bench no matter what your fitness or size.
The fashion choices on LA trails are different from SF trails. I saw girls with full makeup, aviators, flashy workout clothes, and even some leftover Coachella gear (think bright orange halter bikini top and tattoos).

Beautiful, serene view. We started from topanga state park and it was awesome seeing the view of the ocean get bigger and bigger as we got closer. At the end there’s a bench to relax and take in the awesome view. Parker Mesa overlook is a much smaller area than it looks like in photos, still great though!

4.5 stars. If it were a bit tougher, it would be 5 stars in my book!
This hike is 7.3 miles round trip with 1,292′ elevation gain/​loss.
The trail is single file and mostly shaded for the first 1.5 miles, then the trail opens up to the elements and arrives at a bench, with breathtaking views overlooking the beach below. At this point the trail becomes a wide, smooth, dirt fire road with minimal rock under foot and no shade.
At least during spring time, everything is so green and lush. It is quite a beautiful hike for the entire journey. However, during the heat of summer, the color may be lacking and it probably is not as picturesque along the way.
On the ascent, the hike has areas where it is steeper than others, but overall it’s not difficult. However, there are many chances along the way to take steeper trails instead of following the fire road. You will see multiple, small trails that go up and over hills instead of traveling around them. Take the opportunity if you want a better, steeper climb. Eventually, the trails will join the fire road, so there is no real worry about getting lost.
Once you near your destination, you will see a sign directing you to continue 0.5 miles further. The overlook also has benches and the same, breathtaking views.
parking — free street parking in the residential area at the beginning of the trail

An excellent LA hike, pleasantly accessible from the Valley too, which is a plus.
Roughly 7 miles round trip; an out-​and-​back. Sneak peak views everywhere, and of course once you get to the overlook you have the LA basin and Santa Monica right in front of you! The trails is varied; uphill a little here, downhill a there, so thankfully it’s not trudging all the way uphill getting there and blowing out your knees downhill on the way back. We went a day after it rained, and thankfully to the intermittent rain over the last two months it was actually surprisingly green throughout.
The lookout itself is a bit crowded as people tend to linger a long time once they are up there. Be prepared for lots of selfies.
Trippet Ranch, where we started in the Valley, requires a $ 10 ($ 9 if you have a senior citizen in your car, wowie) fee; just park outside the parking lot on Entrada Road for free. The area around Trippet Ranch is beautiful and worth meandering around a bit before or after your hike. Plus, real toilets there with sinks, what what.
Definitely one of my go-​to hikes in the Valley! A great hike for trail running too.

Friend and I started 2015 on a strong note by handling this beautiful 7 mile round trip trail at Topanga State Park.
We parked near the entrance of Los Liones Canyon on Sunset and PCH.
Right after the entrance gate there will be a couple of public restrooms. Use it beforehand!
The trail is strenuous with very little shade. There’s lots of uphill parts.
Bring water. Wear sunscreen.
Once you get to the top it’s quite rewarding. Views of Malibu, pacific coast and even DTLA is breathtaking! We stayed ’til sunset and it was absolutely beautiful! The skies had gorgeous shades of pink, purple, blue, orange, and red.
I will definitely be back on this trail soon.

Parker Mesa Outlook is one of the trails from Los Liones Canyon hike. After reaching the Santa Monica Bay view, I believe it was a 3.5 miles to reach PMO, where there is this amazing bench situated that’s perfect for couples that outlooks Santa Monica coast.
If you’re thinking, oh yeah, only 3.5 mile to get there, trust me, it was a strenuous hike! It’s all basically uphill, and there is no shade whatsoever. It a great experience, this hike will be better during colder weather: D
Just Unilocal Los Liones Canyon to get to trail!

I normally do not review many of our hiking adventures simply because we usually only go only once and move onto the next one. But this is one of my favorites. This was my first trail that I was introduced to 3 years ago when I was sorta out of shape (read I stopped going to the gym and turned into a squishy cupcake) I hated this trail so much because everyone else could just zip up these simple inclines but not me I had to take so many breaks it was ridiculous. I remember at one point a super chubby girl and her friends walked past me and were able to all go up an incline like it was nothing! (RAWR) After our half way rest period on a bench over looking Santa Monica I pep talked myself into finishing strong, which I did! This hike is beautiful at every twist and turn. There are other trails you can take leading up to the overlook which is awesome.
This past weekend we decided to take our hiking buddies Harmonie T. and Lenny K. with us on another hiking adventure. We arrived at 5:00pm despite all the weather warnings that were happening we went. And what we got were gorgeous views and cooler weather! We parked at los liones trail parking and hiked our way up. The inclines were not to bad just be careful of the narrowness of the trail and the rocks.
On our adventure we saw a barefoot hiker (ouch rocks and red ants), various people hiking in jeans and a couple who must have been on their first date because the poor girl had on a dress and ankle boots.
I was happy to be able to get through this hike not having to stop as much and was able to get up all the inclines without any issue.
Totally proud of Harmonie, she stuck it out and finished strong!!!

Great hike. Came here on a Thursday morning and there was plenty of empty parking lots (not sure how crowded it is on a weekend). Easy to find as well with googlemaps.
Once you park on the right, just follow the path up towards the mountains (away from PCH). There are bathrooms, water fountains, and trash cans at the start of the hike, as well as a posted map.
The hike is on a sturdy, sandy path that provides occasional shade here and there. There’s a mix of nice greenery, pretty flowers, and cool plants along the way. The best part if the view at the top. You get about a 270 degree view of Los Angeles. To the left you can see downtown LA and to the right you can see the tip of Malibu. You can also see planes descending towards LAX.
There’s a single, large bench at the top where you can rest, pray, meditate, or do whatever it is that you do. Roundtrip the hike was about 6 miles and was not too strenuous.
P. S. there were a few people running this trail too for those who want to train or get a workout in.

I think I need to resign to the fact that most of the hikes in Los Angeles are merely fire roads. Every time I try a new hike I seem to expect to be surrounded by redwoods and ferns and see plenty of wildlife. At Parker Mesa I saw a few lizards and a squirrel. This isn’t Northern California hiking, that’s for sure.
That being said, it’s a decent workout with a nice view. There are three entrances to the hike which make it either 5, 6, or 7 round trip miles. I took the longest route from Los Liones Drive, which for the first 1.5 miles ended up being a pretty serene, narrow trail. It was only about a 900 foot ascent but the grade is a bit steeper than that due to the fact that you have to go up and over quite a few hills.
There isn’t any tree cover on the fire road, so get started early to beat the heat. This hike would actually be a great one to do in the wee hours of the morning so that you can catch the sunrise. The path is wide enough that it would be easy to navigate by moonlight. I’ll have to come back to try that!
This trail won’t be a regular hike for me, but it’s a nice option to have in Topanga State Park!

Came on a Sunday but it was kind of hazy. The view was gorgeous nonetheless. It cleared up when we got to the top thankfully. Great views.
The hike itself wasn’t as easy as i thought. About 6 miles round trip if you just want to go to Parker Mesa View. They do have other hikes that go further if you want.
definitely worth it!
Note: go on a clear day.

One of the best views of Los Angeles by day or by night!
We hiked to the Parker Mesa Overlook from the Los Liones Canyon which wasn’t too hard. The elevation gain was not noticeable at all for either of us (although my friend did end up napping at one of the benches when we reached the top =)).
The view at the top is simply gorgeous on a clear day. You can see the entire coastline and even Downtown Los Angeles! We got here around sunset and stayed till the sun went down so we could take in the amazing city of lights. We also stopped on the trail going down to do some stargazing (romantic I know). I just wished we had brought flashlights as we had to rely on a trusty iPhone flashlight to help us navigate back through the canyon.
We even had a kind stranger snap an awesome candid picture of us on one of the benches, which turned out fantastic. Definitely coming back to do this again!

I hiked this earlier today with a friend of mine.
Mind. Blown.
We arrived at the trailhead at approximately 5:10AM and proceeded along the trail, arriving at the overlook at about 6:05. From then on, it was just an amazing moment after amazing moment.
I can’t wait to come back here for sunset.