Hiking Will Rogers State Park... from Encino (19 miles RT)

[11/11/25 UPDATE: I'd thought the rain would be gone on Sat but the forecast isn't great anywhere in SoCal. So, I might postpone this. Watch this space.]

Read the whole post if you want to attend.

This is a tough hike of 19 miles RT and 3400' of gain. We'll start at the top of Reseda Blvd in Encino and hike the Backbone Trail to Will Rogers State Park. If no celebs want to adopt us, we'll then head back to our safe SFV/NELA home.

We'll do this at a sustainable moderate pace. No tigers. Expect to finish after dark. The northernmost four miles (parking lot to Temescal Peak) are all wide fire road. I don't know what the Backbone is like after that, but I assume there's no Class 2/3.

Route map:
alltrails.com/explore/custom-routes/encino-to-will-rogers-park-b9db215

Do NOT park in or even enter the paid area at the top of Reseda. MRCA is more a scam than a land manager, don't give them your $5. And, don't trip their camera: you'll get a ticket. If you aren't familiar with the lot, you'll see what I'm referring to when you get there. Parking down the hill a bit isn't that bad.

Please bear in mind that, unlike, e.g., L.A. Hiking Group, my events follow Sierra Club rules: safety first. We'll all stick together and I'll sweep if it's a large group. If anyone can't continue, we'll all go back together if necessary. Bring the 10 essentials. Make sure you have headlamp(s) (and spare batteries if you use them), warm clothing, lots of water and extra food. Trekking poles if you have them. Bring money if you intend to buy stuff at the Park.

In order to attend, just signing up isn't enough. To get off the wait list, you'll need to leave a comment or send a DM indicating you've read the above and naming a hike you've done this year that's ~19 miles. While the gain of this hike isn't that much and it's largely rollercoaster, the hike is also "upside down" in that a lot of the gain is on the return.

(Image via MalibuTimes. Don't expect polo since apparently it stops in October.)