Sandstone Peak
Santa Monica Mountains (Malibu) · near Malibu / Thousand Oaks · Los Angeles / SoCal
Hiking
At a glance
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Route type
- loop
- Distance
- 6 miles
- Elevation gain
- 1,100 ft
- Time needed
- day
- Best season
- October–May (cool season) · Wildflowers spring · Green winter–spring
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- No
- How the permit works
- No permit. Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area — free. Highest peak in the Santa Monica Mountains (3,111ft). The Mishe Mokwa loop is the scenic option. Cool-season hiking; summer is hot and dry.
- How hard the permit is to get
- 1 of 5
What is here
- Features
- Highest Santa Monica Mtns peak (3,111ft) · Ocean-to-mountains views · Mishe Mokwa loop & Split Rock · Wildflowers & rock formations · Backbone Trail access
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Allowed
- Good for a first timer
- No
Hiking detail
- Intl tip
- The trailhead is off Yerba Buena Road in the western Santa Monica Mountains near Malibu. Combine with the Malibu coast, Point Dume, and the beaches (surfing guide). The Backbone Trail traverses the whole range for ambitious hikers. Spring wildflowers and clear winter days after rain (best visibility) are the prime times.
The guide
Sandstone Peak is the roof of the Santa Monica Mountains — at 3,111 feet the highest point in the range, delivering sweeping vi…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Sandstone Peak — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 34.112, -118.931