Circle X Ranch
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National Park Service Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area CIRCLE XRANCH ucked in the canyons above Malibu and nestled below majestic Boney Mountain, you will find Circle X Ranch. This former Boy Scout camp offers many opportuni- ties for exploration and adventure. Journey to Sandstone Peak, the highest point T in the Santa Monica Mountains, and see several of the Channel Islands on a clear day. Enjoy a visit to the Grotto or a creekside picnic. Reserve the Group Camp and listen to coyote songs at night. Travel one of the many trails that wind through this rare coastal Mediterranean ecosystem. The plants you see here, such as coastal sage scrub and mixed chap- arral, are adapted to hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Keep an eye out for red shank chaparral, a tree-like shrub with reddish-brown bark, clusters of thread-like leaves, and small bunches of white flowers in July and August. From the dry, rocky slopes near Sandstone Peak to the lush fern-studded Grotto, Circle X Ranch provides a wide variety of recreational possibilities. Linger here for a while, and experience the ambiance of this secluded mountain retreat. Facilities Group Campground Check out time: Must vacate site by Campground is accessible by vehicle. noon or pay for another day of camping. Reservations required: Maximum stay: 14 consecutive days and Call 805-370-2300 x1702. no more than 30 days per calendar year. Limit of 10 to 75 persons. Quiet hours: 10pm to 6am. Fee: $2 per person per night (Golden Age Backcountry camping is not available. and Golden Access passport discounts do not apply). Ranch House Facilities: Picnic tables, vault toilets, This facility includes a meeting room for 75 drinking water and fire grates. (Charcoal people, a kitchen, restrooms with showers, fires are permitted in fire grates or personal a fireplace and lounge area. No overnight barbecue grills. Gas stoves are permitted. accommodations. Available through reserva- Wood or compressed log fires are prohib- tion/special use permit. Call 805-370-2308. ited due to fire hazards.) Information & Safety Be prepared: take water, food, flashlights and Fire is a constant danger. Open fires are pro- first-aid supplies when hiking, biking or horse- hibited. Charcoal and gas stoves are allowed back riding. Watch for and avoid rattlesnakes in the Group Campground only. Smoking and and poison oak. all fires are not permitted during times of high fire danger. Camping is restricted to the Group Campground National Park Service only. Permits are required. Bicyclists must ride courteously and yield Santa Monica Mountains to hikers and horseback riders. Bicyclists and Water that comes from streams is not safe National Recreation Area horseback riders are allowed on designated to drink due to possible contamination or the 401 West Hillcrest Drive trails only. Thousand Oaks CA 91360 presence of the giardia protozoan. Hikers must yield to horseback riders. www.nps.gov/samo Dogs must be on leash at all times and are allowed only on trails, access roads and in the Firearms are not allowed in National Park campground. Dogs are not allowed on state Service areas. Visitor Center 805-370-2301 park trails. Trail closures will be in effect during and In emergency: dial 911 Natural and historic features are protected by following significant rainfall to protect park Angeles Dispatch 661-723-3620 law and may not be collected. resources. Trails will be re-opened when dry enough to sustain public use. CIRCLE X RANCH North 0 0.5 Kilometer 0 1/4 Mile 1/2 Mile i l Balanced a Split r E Rock T Rock C POINT MUGU H STATE PARK a O w C L (Dogs not allowed on k I F F S M i s h e M o backcountry trails) Skull Rock Private Property N Tri Peaks I A 3010' T N U O M E Y N O T r a i l Sandstone Peak B 3111' e k n a c b o B il a r T M ishe e M n Water o o b Tanks k c k Boney Peak w Ba Inspiration a 2825' T ra Point il Exchange Peak 2950' Sandstone Peak Trailhead 2030' A E N B B U A R E D ew Trail Y O A Vi Private R n Private o 1700' y Property n Property a C Group Campground Paved road Ranger station Dirt road Parking Fire road Campground B U E N Trail Picnic area D A A O boundaryBoundary Restrooms R G B A r R o Y E t Creek Telephone t o T r a Gate i l Ranch To PCH House Group Campground Private The Grotto Happy Hollow Property (Dogs not allowed) Trails Mishe Mokwa Trail to Sandstone Peak Mishe Mokwa Trail to Split Rock 3.5 miles Grotto Trail 3.5 miles round trip, moderate 6 miles round trip, strenuous—From the round trip, moderate; no bikes, no horses— to strenuous; no bikes, no horses—From the Sandstone Peak Trailhead, go to the Mishe This trail begins 1/3 mile up the Backbone Trail Ranger Station, walk down to the Group Camp- Mokwa Trail Connector. Take the Mishe from the Sandstone Peak Trailhead. Traversing ground where the Grotto Trail begins. This trail Mokwa Trail to Split Rock and continue to riparian, coastal sage scrub and chaparral eco- traverses hillsides and leads down to the West the Backbone Trail. This fire road ascends to systems, the trail offers wonderful views of Car- Fork of the Arroyo Sequit. The trail is downhill Sandstone Peak, then descends to the trail- lisle Canyon and Balanced Rock. The oak grove from the Ranger Station, which means an uphill head. Only hikers are allowed on the Mishe at Split Rock provides a shaded picnic spot. return. The Grotto area is rugged terrain; be care- Mokwa Trail. ful and wear appropriate hiking attire. The last Backbone Trail to Sandstone Peak 3 miles 1/8 mile is through an unimproved streambed Canyon View Trail 1.9 miles, easy to mod- round trip, strenuous—Starting at the Sand- and dogs are not allowed. erate; no bikes—This trail can be accessed stone Peak Trailhead at an elevation of 2,030 from three points: the Group Campground feet, this trail provides views of the Conejo Please respect trail use designations. via the Grotto Trail, the trailhead 0.3 mile and San Fernando Valleys, as well as the Pacific To preserve the natural environment east of the Ranger Station on Yerba Buena Coast. Note: The Backbone Trail continues west Road, or the Sandstone Peak Trailhead. to Sycamore Canyon and other trails in Point and for your safety, please stay on trails. Enjoy views in every direction. Mugu State Park. Obtain maps before entering the Boney Mountain Wilderness Area. Design & Production: National Park Service, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area - Division of Interpretation Illustrator: Christina Wioch Printing made possible by a donation from Western National Parks Association Vegetable-based Ink Recycled Paper WNPA 10M 6/03.