Sandstone Peak - Out-and-back
Location : Santa Monica Mountains, Malibu
Total distance : 3.2 miles round-trip (loop)
Elevation gain : 1,400 ft
Peak elevation : 3,111 ft
Tree Cover : Partial tree cover. Sunscreen recommended.
Parking : Parking lot at the trailhead and a overflow parking area few minutes away
Trailhead : Sandstone peak trailhead, click here
Landmark : Trailhead is at the end of the parking lot
Map :
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Satellite map :
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topo map picture
Detailed directions : Park your car in the parking lot at the trailhead, if it is full there is an overflow parking area very close this. Park your car and walk to the trailhead. The net gain in elevation is 1,400 ft but on this trail you will be go up and down few times. So really the total (not net) elevation gain is more than 1,400 ft.
At 0.4 miles from the trailhead you will reach the 1st fork. Turn left on to Backbone trail.
Alt. route : If you want to turn right and go to the Sandstone peak, click here for directions. If you turn right, it will be a 6 mile roundtrip (loop). The views are much better if you take the 6 mile loop. If you have a small dog it is good idea to take this shorter route.
From the fork walk for 1 mile. And take the stairs that you see in the picture. You are climbing 1,400 ft in 1.5 miles so make sure you take several breaks. The stairs are steeper than the rest of the trail.
The stairs disappear after few meters. From this point the peak is at 0.2 miles (1.6 miles total).
Congrats! You've made it to the peak. Sign in the book that you can find if you lift the metal door in the memorial stone. Enjoy the views before you head back to the trailhead.
Once you come back here from the peak, follow the route to the parking lot (the same trail you took to get here). Parking lot is about 1.5 miles from here but it is a downward slope so you do not need too many breaks.
You will reach the fork at 1 mile from here. Keep right at the fork to reach the parking lot in 0.4 mi from the fork.
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