Flash Hike: Liberty Canyon Natural Preserve
Details
To make up for the confusion regarding the Backbone trail presentation I am posting and leading this hike for those that did not make it onto the list (and anyone else who wants to join us). Its at the same time and appx the same place.
The Liberty Canyon Natural Preserve is a 730-acre preserve located in the northeast portion of Mailbu Creek State Park. Liberty Canyon is a valley oak (Quercus lobata) woodland/savanna. This scenic 4.75-mile lollipop loop with 500 feet of elevation gain incorporates four different trails to create a surprisingly enjoyable hike. It is suitable for fit beginners
The Liberty Canyon Natural Preserve is an area rich in history, believed to have been continuously inhabited by prehistoric peoples and more recently by the Chumash from 6000 BC to the early 1800s. Talopop was the name of the native Chumash village located here. We will circle the tribe's ancestral land on the loop bearing its name -- the Talopop Loop
In 1834, the land along Las Virgenes Creek became part of the Las Virgenes Rancho belonging to Domingo Carrillo and Nemisio Dominguez. Dominguez's daughter Maria married Pedro Sepulveda in 1859, and the couple built an adobe near the banks of the creek.
Sepulveda was a harness and saddle maker by trade. He also cut firewood and made charcoal that he traded for household items in Los Angeles. Maria and Pedro Sepulveda raised 12 children in the two-room adobe that still stands on the Grasslands trail.
Wear hiking shoes or sturdy sneakers. Bring a quart of water and snacks
DIRECTIONS:
Trailhead is on Mulholland Hwy 0.15 miles west of Las Virgenes Rd. Park on Mulholland.