Malibu-tiful Hike

Hike, beach, seafood: the recipe for a Malibu-tiful day. Find your ingredients via a 2.5-mile loop through Corral Canyon Park, a coastal stroll along Dan Blocker Beach, and a snack at the famous Malibu Seafood Shack. 

Park along the PCH (free) or at the Malibu Seafood parking area ($12) and find the Sara Wan trailhead at the southeast corner of the lot. Most patrons of these paved spaces are here for the fresh catch of the day (if you want to indulge, get there early; the wait can be long). Or build up your appetite first and head for the unassuming narrow dirt path that begins along a creek. After a brief stretch of coast riparian features you’ll reach a junction. Take the left path and hike past remnants of an old stone chimney.

The trail rises 500 feet to the east side of the canyon for nearly 1.5 miles, when you reach the climax of the hike: a ridge with pristine views of the coast. With the rolling hills of the canyon, it’s a perfect spot for photos as hawks and gulls fly overhead (bring binoculars during whale-watching season). Descend the canyon east from the overlook and enjoy continuous seascapes as you hike through sage and a bit of chaparral overgrowth on your way down.

Soak in the coastal beauty before reaching the junction leading you back to the Sara Wan trailhead and the peckish pescatarians at Malibu Seafood. You can grab food to go and head to the beach (north along the PCH—don’t jaywalk—to the Corral Canyon Road crosswalk), where you will find multiple access points to Dan Blocker Beach, nice for a sandy stroll up and down the Malibu coast.

To get to Corral Canyon Park and the Sara Wan trailhead, head 15 miles up the PCH from Santa Monica. Alternatively, take the US-101 to Las Virgenes Rd. and head south through the Santa Monica Mountains. This scenic route deposits you on the PCH next to Pepperdine University. Turn right and the trailhead and lot will be on your right in 2 miles. The hike is dog-friendly! No dogs at Dan Blocker Beach.