Bulldog Loop

Hiked the full loop 15 miles on January 2, 2016. It was great. Started off pretty chilly at 27 degrees, so dress in layers. Make sure to bring enough water and healthy snacks to get you through. The 4.7 mile climb up Bulldog Road is a killer but the final decent at the end is actually worse. Watch your knees and your footing as the way down is pretty loose. But a beautiful day hike.

My friend and I did this trail unexpectedly. It seems that everyone who was there today was either training or hardcore hikers.
The trail starts at the creek, you pass a number of locations such as the *Mash* trail which makes you think that it will be an easy hike. Bulldog trail is not bad, you have a few inclines but be prepared to do tons of walking.
Parking is free if you park on the intersections of Mulholland and Las Virgenes, however do keep in mind that this will add another 2 miles to your hike. Depending on where you enter the hike you can easily end up doing 19 – 20 miles round trip.
There’s no shade. I suggest getting there early. Overall nice hike. When you make it to the top you truly feel accomplished.

The Bulldog Loop — named after a rock face which resembles, well, a bull dog. Wherever this rock was located on the trails, I failed to see it.
The loops begins at Malibu Creek State Park, which is about a quarter mile south of the intersection at Las Virgenes & the Mulholland Hwy. There’s a fee to park in the lot, so if you want to avoid paying the fee, there are 3 dirt lots that you can park for free at the above mentioned intersection.
The first two thirds of the loop are on fire roads for the most part. You start out flat for about 3 miles, strolling through deer filled meadow. Then you start going up, gaining about 2,000 ft in elevation over the next 4 miles, finally topping out at the summit at Castro Crest. From here out, the last 7 – 8 miles of the trail heads due east, consists of a rolling hills, descending in elevation before you make your way down and back to the trailhead.
The cool stuff — You get some decent views of the Agoura Hills/​Thousand Oaks to the north and some hillside mansions and ocean views to the south. The sandstone rock formations that dot the hills are quite impressive. Saw a ton of wildlife, including deer, hawks, and on a hot day, I’m sure the snakes come out.
The uncool stuff — The hike consists of mostly fire roads. Never been a big fan of them, mainly because there is not shade and you are fully exposed to the sun the majority of the time. Even on the cloudy, overcast filled day, I still managed to get a little color. Shade is far and few between, so make sure to bring enough sunscreen.
Overall, great for hiking, trail running, horses and especially mountain biking, with plenty of room on the fire roads to maneuver.
Total loop mileage is about 15.5 miles.