Nicholas Flat
Leo Carrillo State Park, western Malibu coast · near Malibu · Los Angeles / SoCal
Hiking
At a glance
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Route type
- loop
- Distance
- 7 miles
- Elevation gain
- 1,685 ft
- Time needed
- day
- Best season
- Spring for wildflowers and green meadow; cool in fall/winter · Hot and exposed in summer
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- No
- How the permit works
- $12 California State Park day-use fee, or free PCH-shoulder parking. No dogs on trails / in the Natural Preserve.
- How hard the permit is to get
- 1 of 5
What is here
- Features
- Ocean-to-hills climb from the surf · Nicholas Flat meadow & oak groves · Nicholas Pond · Spring wildflowers
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Not permitted
- Good for a first timer
- No
Hiking detail
- Intl tip
- Start early and carry water — the ascent is fully exposed. Combine it with a stop at Leo Carrillo's tide pools and beach across PCH.
The guide
A proper climb straight up from the surf at Leo Carrillo to a hidden upland meadow with a reedy pond and oak islands — a real o…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Nicholas Flat — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 34.04687, -118.93308