Solstice Canyon Trail

Description:

• Solstice Canyon Trail is an easy 2.1-mile stroll that affords views of Keller House, which is believed to be the oldest existing stone building in Malibu. On your way to Tropical Terrace, see if you can spy the low concrete retaining walls of a former fish pond in a grassy area overlooking the creek. Many other clues to the past remain even though the Roberts' Family home, once located at Tropical Terrace, burned in 1982. Look for house foundations and a concrete bomb shelter. Walk across the creek into a hidden sanctuary and garden. It's hard to imagine now, but at one time giraffes, camels, buffalo, African deer and exotic birds roamed the canyon on the Roberts' Ranch.

  Solstice Canyon Trail, southwest of Tropical Terrace, is a hike through chaparral and coastal sage scrub to the west ridge of Solstice Canyon. From here you can see some of the best ocean views in the Santa Monica Mountains. Look for "Deer Valley," an area near an oak woodland and meadow known for its abundance of wildlife.

  From Malibu take the Pacific Coast Highway west to Solstice Canyon. Park in second lot for trail access.