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Updated February 10th, 2022
Available Reviews
Topanga State Park
Date of Review
02/01

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Topanga State Park
Musch Trail
02/01/2022
         The huge rainfall that we received at the end of December has transformed Topanga and all of our mountains. Places that had been brown and parched are now vividly green. Even the areas that burned in last spring’s Palisades Fire are looking better.
         This was a loop hike starting at Trippet Ranch, taking the Fire Road to the junction of Eagle Rock, Eagle Springs and the Musch Trail and returning on The Musch Trail, about 5 miles.
         Walking the Fire Road toward Eagle Rock you see the area that burned on your right and the unburned area on your left. Things are starting to bloom. Some things are blooming in both the burned and unburned areas. Wild cucumber is the most prevalent. The climbing vine is climbing other plants on the unburned side and is sprawled across the bare ground on the side that burned. Purple nightshade and blue dicks also seem to be doing well on both sides. The burned areas have succulent lupine popping up in clusters The unburned side is additionally hosting chaparral currant, popcorn flower, prickly phlox, eucrypta and lots of beautiful big pod ceanothus, really the star of the hike. Returning on the mostly unburned Musch Trail big pod ceanothus continues to reign supreme but there are also examples of blooming hollyleaf cherry, tree poppy, fuchsia flowering gooseberry and most surprisingly, one lovely stand of showy penstemon.
         If we get a significantly wet winter we may have a spectacular show of spring wildflowers in the burned areas.   — Dorothy Steinicke
  Contributer Supplied Photo   Contributer Supplied Photo   Contributer Supplied Photo   Contributer Supplied Photo




Contact Information:

Santa Monica Mountains NRA
401 West Hillcrest Drive
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
805-370-2301
www.nps.gov/samo

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