The Real Full Moon Hike in Malibu

Charmlee Wilderness Park covers 532 acres of the best of the Santa Monica Mountains Coastal Slope environment. Beautiful grassy meadows, coastal scrub, and live oak are all highlights in this park, which also has some historic ranch ruins and a great little nature center on coastal California wildlife. On a clear day, this hike has spectacular vistas of the Channel Islands, Catalina, and much of the Malibu coast. During the spring, wildflowers abound in the wide open meadowland.

A couple of weeks ago we hiked at Charmlee Park (https://tinyurl.com/ch... (https://tinyurl.com/charmlee)) and found a great new spot for a Full Moon hike. That was a daytime hike. The next full moon is on Saturday and we are doing our Full Moon hike there.

The park has a docent-led full moon hike every month. Since this will be our first night hike there, the plan is to join that hike which turns around at the Malibu Overlook (see link below). We will go on and park ourselves at an old reservoir that is now mostly filled with dirt. There is concrete rim that we can sit on and comfortably eat and talk overlooking the Malibu Riviera and beyond Point Dume to South Bay. We will return via the wide and clear Meadow Trail. Hike will be an easy couple miles or so.

Sunset: 6:50 pm
Moonrise: 6:05 pm

Here is an article about last month's full moon hike:

https://malibusurfside... (https://malibusurfsidenews.com/blog/2009/09/full-moon-helps-illuminate-malibus.html)

Here is a gps track of the hike a couple weeks ago. Note the parking lot, Malibu Overlook and reservoir:

https://photos1.meetup... (https://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/4/9/7/9/highres_10758809.jpeg)

I think this hike has the potential to be better than Parker Mesa. But there is only one way to find out!

Parking is $4.00

Reservations are required, but I already told them about us and they said I can just call them with an updated number of guests. So please RSVP accurately -- no Maybes

Directions:

From East of Westlake Village exit 101 at Kanan Rd. Drive south toward beach for about 6 miles. Turn Right on Mulholland Hwy for 1 mile and then continue travelling on Encinal Canyon Rd for 3.4 miles. Turn left to stay on Encinal then after about 1 mile turn right into Charmlee Park

From Westlake Village exit 101 at CA-23 / Westlake Blvd south. Continue south on 23 for 8.2 miles (it will change name to Decker Canyon after Mulholland), then bear left onto Lachusa Rd. Continue straight on Encinal Canyon Road. Continue on this road for 1.2 miles, and the park’s entrance will be on your right.

From the 10 and CA-1 in Santa Monica, travel north on the PCH for 24.2 miles, passing Zuma and Robert Meyer Beaches. Turn right onto Encinal Canyon Road. The entrance to the park will be 3.8 miles down the road, on your left.

From Camarillo/Ventura, take PCH to Encinal Canyon (street after Decker Canyon) and hang a left. Drive up Encinal for about 3 miles and make a left into entrance.

Please take my phone number with you if you need help finding the park