Hiking the Zuma Canyon Narrows - Zuma Ridge Loop in Malibu

October 31, 9:53 AMLA Outdoor Recreation ExaminerSeth Smigelski

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The lush narrows of Zuma Canyon

This demanding 8-mile loop includes two miles off-trail, trekking through a lush untamed canyon.

• Click here to see more photos of the Zuma Canyon Narrows

Begin the loop on Zuma Canyon Trail. The sandy single track traverses a brushy open space, crossing and following a stony creek bed. After 1.4 miles, Zuma Canyon narrows and the trail dissolves.

The true challenge begins.

From the end of Zuma Canyon Trail it is two miles to the next real trail, Edison Road. In between lies an arduous, two to three hour crossing. There is thick brush to push through, boulders to climb over, and pools of water to navigate around (or wade through in the wet season). The canyon floor is a mere hundred feet across for much of the duration, leaving few options when plotting a course. Occasionally there is a thin deer trail to follow, but for the most part, hiker-explorers must make their own way. Tall cattails, ferns, and other shrubs add to the challenge, while well-watered willows oaks, bays, and sycamores, stretch skyward, further entrapping hikers and limiting views.

Zuma Canyon

Plot ahead up the overgrown canyon as it twists and turns. Remain on the look out for deep mud and poison oak. Standing in the dense vegetation, breathing in the canyon-trapped humidity, can make a hiker wish they had a machete. Progress is slow going and judging distances traveled is difficult.

Still waters in Zuma Canyon

The sandstone boulders increase in mass and the canyon levels out as it approaches Edison Fire Road. The intersection is impossible to miss, and will come as a relief after such a long struggle.

Those eager to spend more time in the thick of things can continue up Zuma Canyon as far as the 25-foot tall Newton Canyon Falls beneath Kanan Dune Road.

To return, turn left on Edison Road toward Zuma Ridge. Free from the jungle in the Canyon, the 1000-foot climb up the wide dirt road may not seem so bad. The sun-exposed Edison Road snakes its way up the ridge offering expending views back on Zuma Canyon.

At the top, turn left on Zuma Ridge Road. It is all down hill from here, so enjoy the ocean views over this 2.7-mile descent. At the bottom, take the marked Ridge-Canyon Access Trail for 0.6 miles to return to Bonsall Trailhead.

Zuma Canyon trail map courtesy of NPS

To get to the trailhead: Take the PCH to Malibu and make a right on Bonsall Drive, one mile west of Kanan Dune Road (If you pass Zuma Beach, you have gone too far). Drive north on Bonsall Drive for one more mile to the dirt parking lot at the end of the road. The trail leaves from the northwest corner of the lot.

Use the map below to create your own directions:

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