Last week, I visited a park near Calabasas in the West Hills of Los Angeles called El Escorpoin. I was lured in by the promise of some large caves, and decided to make a day out of it.
The trailhead is easy to find, and the trails were clearly marked at the beginning of the hike. When you enter El Escorpoin, you walk along a dry creek bed lined with oak trees, and there is a large hill / small mountain on your right. I followed this creek bed until I reached a fence where the El Escorpoin Park ends and the Santa Monica Mountains begin. From here, I turned right, towards a large mass of rocks in the hillside, where I knew I would find the caves I was seeking.
As you ascend towards the mouth of the first and largest cavern, you walk up a hillside of lose dirt, riddled with broken glass. I almost always hike in sandals, and regretted doing so on this outing. Closed toed shoes and higher-than-ankle socks will be best.
The entrance to the cave is steep, so be prepared to use both hands and feet to get up and inside.
The cave itself is magnificent. If it had been left to nature, this would be a wonderful retreat. It was much larger than I expected, and there are holes in the roof 20-30 feet up that allow sunlight to come pouring in. All sounds echo off the huge rock walls.
However, the cave has been trashed by the nearby community. Just as with the trail leading up the hillside, the floor of the cave is littered with broken glass. There is also an array of other trash -- chip bags, old clothes, and cans of various shapes and sizes. Additionally, there is crude graffiti all over the inner walls of the cave. It's a real shame, given the potential beauty of this natural masterpiece.
Coming out of the top of the caves, you climb steeply through another hillside of lose dirt, before reaching the rocky top of the small mountain. It's a leg-burner, but the view from the top is worth the effort. From here, you can continue along the ridge of the mountain, which is a challenge. Be prepared to do quite a bit of rock hopping and a small amount of climbing. Once you reach the far side of the ridge, it is a relatively easy descent back down towards the dry creek bed and out of the park.
This is a good hike, challenging for the short distance it covers and good for an introduction to minor cave exploration. Walking along the entire loop described above should take no more than two hours total, even at a leisurely pace. The down side is that the beauty is compromised by the way the community has treated this place. It is, however, still a nice way to spend an afternoon.
The trailhead is easy to find, and the trails were clearly marked at the beginning of the hike. When you enter El Escorpoin, you walk along a dry creek bed lined with oak trees, and there is a large hill / small mountain on your right. I followed this creek bed until I reached a fence where the El Escorpoin Park ends and the Santa Monica Mountains begin. From here, I turned right, towards a large mass of rocks in the hillside, where I knew I would find the caves I was seeking.
As you ascend towards the mouth of the first and largest cavern, you walk up a hillside of lose dirt, riddled with broken glass. I almost always hike in sandals, and regretted doing so on this outing. Closed toed shoes and higher-than-ankle socks will be best.
The entrance to the cave is steep, so be prepared to use both hands and feet to get up and inside.
The cave itself is magnificent. If it had been left to nature, this would be a wonderful retreat. It was much larger than I expected, and there are holes in the roof 20-30 feet up that allow sunlight to come pouring in. All sounds echo off the huge rock walls.
However, the cave has been trashed by the nearby community. Just as with the trail leading up the hillside, the floor of the cave is littered with broken glass. There is also an array of other trash -- chip bags, old clothes, and cans of various shapes and sizes. Additionally, there is crude graffiti all over the inner walls of the cave. It's a real shame, given the potential beauty of this natural masterpiece.
Coming out of the top of the caves, you climb steeply through another hillside of lose dirt, before reaching the rocky top of the small mountain. It's a leg-burner, but the view from the top is worth the effort. From here, you can continue along the ridge of the mountain, which is a challenge. Be prepared to do quite a bit of rock hopping and a small amount of climbing. Once you reach the far side of the ridge, it is a relatively easy descent back down towards the dry creek bed and out of the park.
This is a good hike, challenging for the short distance it covers and good for an introduction to minor cave exploration. Walking along the entire loop described above should take no more than two hours total, even at a leisurely pace. The down side is that the beauty is compromised by the way the community has treated this place. It is, however, still a nice way to spend an afternoon.
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