Santa Ynez - Quarry Canyon Exploratory

This exploratory hike will include one of the most popular wild waterfalls in Los Angeles -- the 18' cascading falls at Santa Ynez Canyon.

But before we get to the falls the mouth of Quarry Canyon, site of an old limeston quarry, will open to our right at a sandstone outcropping. It is here the exploratory part of our hike begins.

Scarred limestone and sandstone cliffs along Quarry Canyon give testament to once-extensive, and
controversial early to mid-20th century extractive industries associated with noted real estate developer
Alphonzo Bell. Ironically, Bell's son, a local U.S. Congressman, assisted local land preservationists in
lobbying the State of California to set aside land that would eventually become Topanga State Park.

We will also search for the stone chimney of a burnt-out cabin and a sandstone boulder pocked by Indian mortars

If, after exploring Quarry Canyon and visiting the falls (with optional boulder climbing to the top), we still need more hiking, we can go all the way up Santa Ynez Canyon to Trippet Ranch

Here is a breakdown of the round trip distances and elevation gain:

Santa Ynez Falls: 3 miles, easy/moderate elevation gain
Trippet Ranch: 6 miles, 1,000 ft elevation gain (this includes the falls)
Quarry Canyon: ?

Since this is an exploratory hike wear long pants and long sleeves, and your best hiking boots. We will be walking off-trail and may be doing a little bushwhacking.

I have a table reserved for us at Gladstone's

Directions to trailhead:

From PCH: Take Sunset Bl north 0.5 mile to Palisades Dr. Follow Palisades Dr north for 2.4 miles to Ver de la Montura. Turn left for one long block. Signed trailhead will be on the right. Park on street. (This is the residential neighborhood we see to the east when doing the Parker Mesa hike)