Westridge-Canyonback Wilderness Park

Do you like looking down on people? How about looking down on the entire San Fernando Valley? If so, this is your spot!
Starting from neighboring San Vicente Mountain Park, Mulholland Drive turns into a dirt multi-​use trail/​access road with a sweeping view of the San Fernando Valley to the north, close enough to make out details but far enough away to not hear any traffic noise.
Another sight to the north is the Encino Reservoir. And as you head west along Mulholland, you’ll catch a glimpse of the ocean and Santa Monica to the south.
Westridge has over 1,500 acres of open space, and there are a lot of branching trails with no signage posted. Best to bring your navigational aid of choice. The park also borders and connects to Mandeville Canyon Park and Sullivan Canyon Park. If you hike far enough south, you’ll end up at Pacific Palisades close to the ocean.
Northern access to Westridge is through San Vicente (
), so follow the instructions there for getting to the park (it can be a little tricky).

First of all, there are two parts to this hike and there are two places to park and hike along one road halfway between the Westside and the Valley. Canyonback Road, Los Angeles, is off of Mountain Gate Road off of Sepulveda — and here on this road are where there are two trail heads.
Both trails offer little shade (so bring a sun hat and sunscreen!) and both are fire roads with tons of mountain bikers (all very tame and considerate). Bring your camera and lots of water (at least 2 – 3 bottles or a Camelbak).
If you go down the Lower/​East Canyonback Trail, you will travel about 4 miles RT, with at least two good butt burner hills along the way, on a fire road. The views of the Pacific Coast are exceptional, especially on a clear day. There is a small sofa/​love seat along the way and some water towers, although nothing truly unique scenery-​wise –but who cares? Views in the distance are lovely and the workout is a good one, especially if you decide to trail run it! And there are a couple of options of uphill, off-​shoot trails (that end up connecting with the main trail) to choose to explore and up your calorie burn (if that’s your reason for going). I felt safe hiking here alone and saw a lot of solo men/​women out. I’d never suggest hitting a trail with earphones listening to music and unable to hear around you, this one included, but I don’t see a threat here, other than no shade! (Regardless, always hike with a buddy whenever possible.)
If you head out on the Upper/​West Canyonback route, you end up hiking a far more exposed trail (also a fire road). I LOVE this route because it truly is exposed so that you never feel vulnerable hiking alone during most mornings/​afternoons. Lots of folks with their dogs out, beautiful views of the valley (no ocean views, though) and lots of ways to add additional miles. So, for trail-​runners or hikers out to get a fast, but good, hike/​jaunt/​exercise in, this is the spot to do it. Seriously beautiful here, just lacking shade. Trust me — it’s worth it! Plus, you end up at Dirt Mulholland. You can continue the hike over to the Nike Missile Site or turn back. Either way, it’s a workout with views — and one doable by most fitness levels.
No worries here about having your car broken into given security patrolling. With that said, still use common sense — nothing valuable in sight in your car, follow all parking laws, take water (especially on a hot day — you will want to take a LOT) and your cell phone with you, and stay alert.
Perfect place for hikers, trail runners and mountain bikers!

Tried to find this place but had no luck. Followed the directions off Sepulveda but ended up hitting a locked gate. Had to find a different place to hike.

Came here for a morning hike and it was a nice change from my usual Griffith Park hike. A lot less people so it was a more relaxing and peaceful hike. Everyone that we ran into had dogs off leash and the pups were all friendly. Also, lots of mountain bikers riding the trails.
The hike is not difficult at all. It goes up and down throughout the trail so you never get too tired. Lots of shade also during the morning time!

Did the 7.2 mile hike today with my family, including 4 teens/​young adults. Great views of the valleys, water and the city. We were fortunate to go on a day that had a breeze. We parked on the Brentwood side (the trailhead on the Westridge Road Side). There’s a lot for about 10 cars, but you can park in the adjacent neighborhood. About 3.5 miles to get to the halfway point at the Nike Missile Tower site. We hiked the first ½ of the entire hike on the mountain bike trails (all hills… Strenuous!). Took the flatter trail on the way back! People and doggies all friendly on the trail. I recommend to bring a full liter water bottle; then refill it once you reach the halfway point at the old Nike Missile Tower (water spicket, restrooms and benches there), good «resting area.» Highly recommend this hike!

This hike is beautiful and definitely worth a shot but unfortunately a prime target for car break ins. Don’t both to bring ANYTHING valuable with you, or leave in your car etc., There is camera surveillance towards the entry of the hike and posted signs saying to «report suspicious activity» to a given number, however all of it is a crock of shit. The operator to the number does nothing for you and the footage isn’t available for retrieval unless someone gets «hurt». There’s hardly any cell service as well– so be weary if you’re pulling over anywhere to get reception on Mulholland drive as there are weirdos posted up everywhere that will lurk towards your car etc.,

this is an amazing hike… you decide your miles… have a dog and he loves to be off– leash… thank you county for keeping this an off– leash hike

This trail is amazing! The trail itself is relatively flat but you can follow some smaller trails across some hills for a little more of a vigorous walk. After you pass about three hills you can see across to the ocean and downtown on a clear day. It’s gorgeous! The trail ends at Mountaingate, which is a private community in the Sepulveda pass.

BRIDGES, BASINS, AND PLANES!!!
(Review 1 in a series of 2)
BACKGROUND:
Deep in the eastern Santa Monica Mountains in the City of Los Angeles, Westridge-​Canyonback Park provides more than 1,500 acres of open space bordered by upper Mandeville Canyon, Sullivan Canyon, Mission Canyon, and San Vicente Mountain Park. The Sepulveda Dam area provides space for many activities, such as tennis, cricket, soccer, boating, fishing, biking and walking. There are three golf courses, a remote control aircraft area, a lake, a pond and a wilderness area.
After the flood of 1938, residents asked for protection from the floodwaters. The Sepulveda dam and the 51 miles of engineered waterways is the result of that request. At a cost of more than 6.5 million dollars, the dam was completed in 1941. Its purpose is to hold back flood waters from heavy rains. Controlled release of the water will protect land downstream. In 1969, 1988, 1994 and 2005 the system was tested by heavy rainfall.
STATS:
Distance: 8ish miles total of 2 in the series
Elevation gain: very minimal (our route)
Watch for the Rattlers
Tick checks following the hike
Free Parking
ESSENTIALS:
At least 2 liters of water
Comfy walking shoes
Layered Clothing
High protein food/​snacks
Electrolytes
Camera
Hat (optional)
Sunblock
OUR ROUTE:
Me and The Crew started our Urbanish Adventure at Lake Balboa, which is in the Westridge-​Canyonback Wilderness Park. From the parking area, we headed towards the Sepulveda Basin.
The winding trail leads us along the drainage area, across a bridge, along river and finally to one of the biggest in the country remote control aircraft flying area. Although it was a bit on the windy side, several gents put on a short air show for us. There were ooooh’s and ahhhhh’s as the planes climbed dipped and dove. Quite a talent to pilot the airplanes. At one point one of them looked like a full sized passenger plane in the distance.
Ever in the valley and itchin’ to get out and stretch your legs, put on those sneaks, grab your ipod, a friend, or your favorite fur and head to this park. It is clean, safe and a great place to get the blood flowin’. Runners run, walkers walk, and canines on leashes with their caretakers roam these parts.
#whattodoinSFV #runningtrail #walkingpath #parks
#18

Well maintained trail with vistas of the mountains, LA and the wider valley. Wide and open trail space. Easy to medium difficulty for walkers and hikers. Usually a pleasant breeze too. Many dog walkers — folks, please scoop it up! I’ve been 3 – 4 times now and never had troubles parking on the street or trail mouth. Be careful on the steep and wind-​y drive up there.

Westridge-​Canyonback is one of my favorite spots to walk with my dogs. I am so grateful that they are allowed off their leashes! Our dogs are pretty well-​behaved, so it’s not an issue to keep them close by.
I especially love coming here after a rainy period (not since last year), because flowers are in bloom and make for incredibly beautiful scenery. Even dry and crispy, the views are still gorgeous. I try and come here when the weather’s a little cooler, or overcast, because both me and my dogs can last longer.

Great views in a beautiful neighborhood! Love that it is dog friendly! But be careful because many have their dogs off leash. It gets hot and dry so bring lots of water!

This is the only off leash trail that dogs can use in Los Angeles. If you have a dog that needs to be leashed because it’s aggressive GO ELSEWHERE! You have a million on leash options.

GREAT hike and one of few places in LA that you can hike with your pooch off-​leash!
Beware: 17 500 Mulholland Drive is the entrance to the trail through the top. My Garmin wasn’t able to locate the address and the first time I went, I ended up on a much shorter trail with no elevation change. Also, dogs are NOT allowed off-​leash on the stretch of Mulholland that you will have to walk to get to the trail from the address Unilocal has listed — mountain bicyclists come down the hill VERY fast, so WATCH OUT! If you are using a Garmin, search the intersection of West Mandeville Fire Road & Westridge Road, Los Angeles, CA 90 049. This will bring you straight to the parking lot of the trailhead — no confusion!

A nice little trail easily accessible to the san fernando valley folks. Interesting little lookout points throughout keeps the interest level up throughout. Took my 4 and 2 year old and they had a great time. Enough of a challenge without being discouraging for them.
I have to add, though, I don’t mind dogs, but I have a bit of a problem with owners. Just because someone tells you their dog is «friendly» and «wanted to say hi» doesn’t make it ok to allow them to run freely 50 yards out in front to sniff your kids. Also, many little land mines throughout means you have to keep an extra pair of eyes on the «rocks» your kid decides to pick up.
A little more respect by the pet owners for other hikers would probably bump the rating up to 4 stars.

A great breathe of fresh air from all the hustle and bustle of LA. I love how secluded this hiking trail/​park is. The only downfall is getting here — it seems to take forever driving on Mulholland, I exited Skirball off the 405 and it took me about 15 minutes just driving through the side streets.
Yes you can drive through the dirt road — I wish I would have known this before… I ended up parking all the way at the bottom. The benefit was it added to my hike. There are great views at the top and an awesome scenery for picture taking. There is a steady incline which makes for a perfect place to jog, do sprints or just a mellow hike.
Dogs are allowed which is a plus. You will see a lot of mountain bikers here and they all make an effort to say hello. I don’t really know how long of a trail this place is, there are no maps which I didn’t like but what can you do. I’ll have to do more research about this trail just to see the options I have.
Just an FYI to everyone with a dog. Just because it’s an off-​leash park doesn’t necessarily mean your dog needs to be off his/​her leash. Be courteous to others in the fact they can’t control their own dogs and/​or you can’t guess how your dog might react to another. I personally keep my dog on a leash wherever I may be hiking — also remember to pick up after them, no one likes to step in poop.
I might bump up my review assuming I can figure out a better way to get to this trail and or find another off the beaten path trail thats more challenging.

My dog loved being off leash. I thought most people are friendly with behaved dogs. However I encountered a one VERY rude dog owner which made me very disappointed and felt unsafe for small dogs…
He had a german shepherd (K-​9) and was walking with his daughter. Their dog tried to attack my dog, not just once, but twice!
1^st time was when we were walking opposite direction from them and passed right next to them. Then their dog run to my dog aggressively and tried to bite her. I quickly stopped their dog from biting my dog. They didn’t say sorry, they only called their dog’s name and didn’t even move from where they were.
2^nd time was when we were walking behind them and tried to pass them, because they were walking slow. I remembered their dog, so I quickly hold my dog and I passed them. I then put my dog down because I kept a distance between us. Right after I put my dog down, their dog run to my dog and again, tried to bite her. This time, I told him «you need to put a leash on your dog, if you can’t control your dog.» He then yelled at me saying «If your dog is too scare of big dogs, you shouldn’t be here!» I said «my dog is fine with big dogs» and then he said «Too bad! You should go to the other side, because this area is for big dogs!!» He wasn’t sorry but blamed me for bring my small dog here…
There were no sign says «big dogs only» and I asked people around (at least 6 people) to see if I am doing something wrong by bringing my little dog. No one said it’s for big dogs only and they told me that any dog’s owners are responsible of their dog’s behaivor, which I totally agreed…
Please be aware of a rude dog owner. They are not dog lovers. They don’t care any other dogs but them… Very very sad… I hope this place is safe for small dogs…

Hmm, as hikes go this isn’t really a fave. This isn’t a park for hikers/​bikers but an off-​leash park for dogs and their moneyed Encino Hills humans, and you can tell that by the horrid amount of dried poop and random plastic poop bags thrown everywhere. I get that we all need a place to hike regardless of what companion animals we might have but the mess here caused by dogs and their owners is pretty gross.
Also, as someone who regularly hikes with a person who was bitten by a dog**, it’s really annoys me that the MRCA (Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority) is trying to make their long list of «rules for dog owners» at the park entrance give you the impression that this is anything other than an off-​leash dog park. It’s not in the slightest: you can let your dog roam freely here so long as he’s under your immediate control, but MRCA’s definition of «immediate control» is that you just have to be able to see your dog at all times and have a leash in your hand. (I have a feeling the park used be be on-​leash, as the park’s website lists on-​leash as a «park feature» but there’s a new line of text above the features saying that the park is off-​leash with immediate control.)
This means your dog can be fifty feet away chasing animals it shouldn’t, crapping where it shouldn’t, or perhaps most importantly putting itself in danger by running up to a coyote or rattlesnake, so long as you can see him. I’ve seen both more than once in this area, and believe me, you’ll want more than «immediate control» if your dog runs into one of them. Regardless of whether or not Debbie Downers like me think it’s stupid to have dogs off-​leash in a park where you have a decent chance of seeing coyote and snakes, the park should be clearly marked as off-​leash. There is too much gray area with «immediate control.»
(The West Mandeville Fire Trail that heads south out of San Vicente Mountain Park next door is actually a part of Westridge-​Canyonback and NOT San Vicente, and that hiking area tends to have less dogs roaming around, probably because it takes a little more effort to get to there (with a fifteen-​minute walk uphill on dirt Mulholland) than it does to the main entrance of Westridge. Head there if you have issues with off-​leash areas.)
Since this park is so close to the northern entrance of Topanga I usually go to Topanga to hike instead: dogs aren’t allowed there, so worrying about whether or not an owner is ~in control~ or whatever isn’t an issue, and the trails are much, much cleaner. There are some excellent views of downtown LA and the ocean from Westridge-​Canyonback, but you can get that from San Vicente or Topanga as well. If there weren’t so many other walking/​hiking/​nature viewing options right by this park I’d give it three stars, but since there are, this one gets a two.
I totally feel the dog owners’ complaints about fast bikers careening down the slopes though (another reason why the off-​leash nature of this park is totally asking for trouble). Unfortunately they’re hard to avoid completely, whether you’re here, at San Vicente, Marvin Braude, or Topanga. Most of the cyclist dudebros are awesome as hell (and most have hot bods as well!) but the few who aren’t, whoo boy.
** No, it wasn’t a pitbull; no, it wasn’t a poorly trained dog; and no, the dog wasn’t out of the owner’s «immediate control.» But yes, this person ended up with horrible puncture wounds and as they had no healthcare at the time they had a hell of a time getting treatment. Yes, this issue is a pet peeve (pun!) of mine. :)

This is a great hike if you’re low on time and want a quick one with great views. The trail itself is wide and open, which is great for dogs. Not much to see along the way, but the end is great. You can see downtown, Catalina, and the ocean, all form the same spot. You can also continue on the trail if you want.
Parking is free, which is a plus, but it is a dirt road so don’t drive your newly washed car here.

My favorite local hike!
Great place to take your dogs for hike. Most people don’t leash their dogs so be prepared to have dogs roaming freely. Also, there’s mountain bikers on this path.
Parking has never been a problem for me here.
This place is very peaceful and not crowded. I am often alone during my hike.
After it rains, this hike will reward you with a view of Downtown Los Angeles and beyond. This hiking path will take you down to Brentwood after crossing through the Mountainview Estates.
I’d also try to hike to the old Nike missile launch area to Topanga. You can drive there to use the clean restroom.