
Cistern trail & Lookout trail – LA Hikes
The start of the Cistern trail provides spectacular views down to Malibu Creek State Park and the spiky-looking tops of Goats Buttes. After those gorgeous views you’ll be keen to hike down the lookout trail to explore more of this beautiful area! This route will take you down to Century Lake and into an area that was used to film several movies.
We did this as an extra walk after visiting Saddle Peak via the Backbone trail earlier that day.
Cistern trail and Lookout trail map
This maps shows the start of the walk. You could easily continue on to visit the M*A*S*H set, or visit the Rock Pool like we did. I recorded our route here.
Cistern trail and Lookout trail – the basics
Distance: 3.5 miles (5.6km) for our route; Or 2.2 miles (3.6km) to Century Lake and back.
Elevation gain/loss: 492ft (150m)
Time: 1.5 hours. Or less if you stop at the Lookout trailhead.
What to bring:
Bring the 10 essentials.
I found gaiters helpful to keep the small rocks and sand out of my shoes.
Facilities:Â There were porta potties on Crags Road near the climbing area.
Dogs: No dogs
How hard is it?
Easy in the afternoon in spring when it was not hot. It would be harder on a hot day as there is very little shade.
Extra notes:Â This trail starts high and climbs downwards, so save energy for the hike back up!
Cistern trail – Getting started
The trailhead is just 15mins drive from Calabasas, near the entrance to Malibu Creek State Park. From Las Virgenes Road, head west on Mulholland Highway for 1.8 miles. (link to trailhead map here.) There is space to park right on the edge of Mulholland Highway.
To get started, walk up a steep embankment. There’s an ugly graffiti-covered concrete slab (the cistern!?) and cool craggy rock formations. The views are brilliant right from the first step!
I mean just look at this incredible scenery! You simply follow the trail down along the ridge until it joins up with the (appropriately named) Lookout trail.
We found the trail very easy to follow, but quite dusty, so slippery. It’s best to wear shoes with decent grip, even though this is a short, undemanding hike.
Once you reach the junction with the Lookout trail, follow it down to the left. You’ll be walking down towards the gorgeous rocky outcrops of Goat Buttes.
In the late afternoon the flowers and bushes really glow from the light of the setting sun.
Century Lake
Once you reach Crags Road, you’ll see Century Lake. It’s not a natural water hole. Back in 1903, the Crags Country Club built a dam along Malibu Creek to set up an area for fishing and hunting ducks. Then, in the 1940s, 20th Century Fox Studios bought the lake and the surrounding land as a filming location. That’s how the lake got its name. You can read more about the history of the area here.
There is a trail right to the edge of the dam on Century Lake. It’s a pretty little side-trail after the Lookout trail. It must be nice to swim here in the summertime.
Crags Road
If you fancy exploring a little further into Malibu Creek State Park, you have two main options (both along Crags Road). Head west along Century Lake towards the M*A*S*H filming location, or east towards the visitor center and Rock Pool.
We headed downhill towards the Rock Pool. It seemed like most people enter the park from the main trailhead off Las Virgenes Road, so it was a little busier around here.
Climbing in Malibu Creek State Park
This was where they filmed the first Planet of the Apes. There are steep pocketed volcanic cliffs that are great for climbers. We saw loads of people out climbing near the rock pool.
Rock Pool
The rock pool is slightly underwhelming. Still, it is a pretty spot so I can see why locals like to visit and swim here. If you’d prefer a flat, easy walk, you can reach this spot from the 2nd parking lot at the main trailhead.
By now Marc and I were getting hungry. So, we had a last look at the climbers and the reflections in Malibu Creek, and followed the trail back the way we came, up Cragg Road, the Lookout trail and then the Cistern trail.
This hike was super easy on the way down, but it takes a bit of puff to get you back up the hill to the cistern on Mulholland Highway. Save some energy for the hike back up!
I’ll finish with some Panoramas from our hike back up the Cistern trail. I love the way the setting sun lit up the scenery of Malibu Creek State Park.
I’m not sure if you can tell, but we loved hiking near LA! The Cistern trail and Lookout trail are a great way take a peek into Malibu Creek State Park and the Santa Monica Mountains. This hike really punches above its weight in terms of effort-to-views as you can see some of the most incredible scenery within the first few minutes of the walk.
23 thoughts on “Cistern trail & Lookout trail – LA Hikes”
I love it when there are nice views along the trail right from the start! And what a great picture of you jumping with those beautiful mountains in the background!
Thank yoooou! Lol It’s silly, but those jumping photos are always so fun! 🙂
You always find the best hikes! Those views look incredible. Thanks so much for sharing – I’ll need to refer back whenever I plan another trip to this area 😊. P.S. I love the jumping pic, haha. Xx Sara
Thanks Sara! Yeah, LA was way more fun than I expected for hikes. I have to admit, we hadn’t planned this one – I just saw it on alltrails when we were nearby.
Very well explained about the trail along with stunning pictures. The picture with long shadow is my favorite one. I will try it too.
I’m not much of a hiker, but when there are great views, it makes the hike so much better. I’d love to see the sunset – I’ll have to remember to take a nice drink with me for it!
I love hiking when I’m traveling, such a great way to experience the scenery. This trail looks awesome, and what a bonus getting all these lakes and rock pools
Fantastic pictures and vistas. Looks like a great hike. I love how you always describe the trails.
Your hike photos look so beautiful! And I love your jumping picture!
Thank you! lol I love jumping photos!
I’d always heard hiking in Malibu Creek State Park was beautiful but wow! The views of the mountains are lovely and great trivia on how Century Lake got its name. Adding these trails to my list of tackling one day!
I was blown away by how pretty it is, especially as those amazing views were available with no effort at all! he longer hike we did (along the backbone trail) was fabulous too if you are ever in the area.
That’s so cool how they filmed Planet of the Apes there. The rock formations are very unique. Looks like a great little hike, perfect for an afternoon
Thanks Deirdre! Yeah, I think they must have filmed a bunch of films there! The State of California bought the land in 1974…so the films are all a bit older. It’s such a cool area for movie buffs that like to hike!
Fantastic post as usual! This is a lovely short trail and the views and pictures are amazing. I wonder if the fact that they filmed Planet of the Apes at the Malibu Creek State Park made it a little bit crowded. This is the first time I see so many hikers in your photos.
The area near the rocks/climbers was really busy, but to be honest, it was quiet in most of the park in comparison. I think people just tend to congregate to watch the climbers!
This looks like a fun short hike! Good to know that the trail begins high then climbs down. Very helpful tip!
Yeah, I guess that is backwards compared to most hikes where you hike uphill at the start.
The scenery on this hike is really amazing! I love that you can see rivers, rock formations and hills all on one hike.
Not bad for such a short walk eh!? 🙂
I am regretting not getting more of these hikes in when I lived in LA – your photos make me want to go back! Cistern Trail and Lookout Trail were both unknown to me.
Oooh no way!? We only managed to get 4 days of hiking in LA, but I was sooo impressed by all of them. LA seems like it is great for hiking in the spring (I just think I would melt later in the year!!)
So many movie sites to explore–how wild. The rock climbing looks amazing. All those pockets in the rock sure make some great holds. As long as there is not a rattlesnake in there.