Solstice Canyon Loop

Are you always down for a good adventure? Do you love urban exploring? Are you excited by the idea of finding the ruins of old homes buried deep within the woods? If so, then you just have to check out Solstice Canyon Loop! Despite being popular and well-trafficked, this trail still allows you to satisfy that urge for adventure while visiting a popular place.

Solstice Canyon Loop is a 3.4 mile trail in the shape of a loop located near Malibu in California. As I began this hike, I chose the path starting on the left side of the trail. That part of the trail isn’t very steep or complicated to climb. It’s actually pretty beautiful. There are trees covering the whole trail on this side, and the path is paved, making it easy to follow and get around. Not to mention, the trail is very-well labeled. Partially through that side of the loop, there is an old abandoned house that you can spot through the woods in the distance. A little bridge across the way takes you to the house, itself. This is the Keller family home, which burned down in a fire years ago. The beautiful brick foundation is still around, and the fireplace is still in tact. It’s a great little place to stop and investigate.

After continuing more down the loop, once you reach the halfway point, you will find the Tropical Terrance Ruins, the ruins of a mansion that burned down in 1982. The foundation of the mansion is still there along with the remains of many fireplaces, ovens, and fountains. This house seems to have been quite the party house in its day. The most interesting part about this to me is that you could still tell where the shower was in the bathroom of the house. The tile and drain were still standing strong. Next to the house remains was a beautiful waterfall, perfectly placed with a path right next to it to follow the water upstream to the top of the falls.

My only complaint here is that we couldn’t get out closer towards the water, rocks, and falls due to them being fenced off. That’s the downside to being on high-trafficked and well kept-up trails. They have stricter guidelines with that stuff. I’ve been climbing on much more dangerous waterfalls in the past, but this one was off limits.

From there, I chose to finish the loop and continue going around the right side of the path (from the original entrance) back on the other side of the loop. This side of the loop was much different than the first. The signs weren’t as informative, and the path became only dirt. It was a very steep rise up for a lot of this walk followed by a gradual walk down to the parking structure. That’s another thing to note on this trail- parking is rough. There’s a lot, but it seems to always be full, so be prepared to park an additional half mile up the street.

While parking was a headache, this is still a trail I recommend doing! Again, it really can satisfy that urge for adventure, especially during these pandemic-ridden times. You get a true adventure while still staying pretty close to home. Enjoy!