![]() ![]() ![]() The trail crosses a rocky gap and passes through chaparral above a small dam. The single track gradually ascends a mountain slope with over-the-shoulder views north toward Agoura Hills. The first leg of the hike is 2/3 of a mile of dirt single track leading to a wide dirt road, Mesa Peak Motorway. Pass the bathroom and make an immediate left at a marked junction to begin up the Backbone Trail. Set out from Piuma Trailhead on Malibu Canyon Road at the south end of Malibu Creek State Park, about four miles from the Pacific Ocean. Take a trek to the prominent sandstone outcropping off the Backbone Trail and you’ll see why Peak 2049 is a fitting place to posthumously honor Milt McAuley, who hiked to this summit and many others in the range. Without the public appreciation of these Mountains that was generated by the efforts of McAuley and others like him, the public would not have been willing to fight for, and invest in, the public acquisition and protection of this portion of the Santa Monica Mountains. McAuley helped further a public movement to protect the Santa Monica Mountains that culminated in the formation of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and the permanent preservation of tens of thousands of acres of public open space. This mission continues to grow within the Santa Monica Mountains. McAuley’s published one of the foundational hiking guides for the Santa Monica Mountains, using plainspoken language that conveyed his vision that the mountains should be accessible to all. Of particular note, McAuley was one of a small group of hikers who helped plot the route of the Backbone Trail, a 60-mile ridgeline path that allows travelers to hike or ride from the western end of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area to Will Rogers State Historic Park in the east. McAuley was a singular leader in the effort to preserve the Santa Mountains and make this spectacular region readily accessible to hundreds of thousands of members of the public every year. The motion, signed by County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, gave good reasons for the naming: McAuley Peak got its designated name after the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors petitioned the U.S. Milt McAuley deserved to have a peak named after him – because of the work he did to preserve the Santa Monica Mountains, create the Backbone Trail, and enable the public to explore and appreciate these mountains. The ridge crest deserved to have a better name – because of its prominence, views, and recognizable rock formation. Prior to 2015, McAuley Peak was officially recognized only as Peak 2049. McAuley Peak above Mesa Peak Motorway About Milt McAuley This outing can be extended to 7.25 miles by including nearby Mesa Peak.Īs an alternative for those who want less elevation to climb, setting out for McAuley Peak from Corral Canyon Road on the west end of Mesa Peak Motorway creates a 5.35-mile round trip hike with 375 feet of undulating elevation change. In all, the stellar hike to McAuley Peak is 6.15 miles round trip with 1,530 feet of elevation change. Ascend 2.95 miles of the Backbone Trail (including Mesa Peak Motorway) to spot the summit of McAuley Peak sitting just 1/8 of a mile off the major trail. This hike to the 2,049-foot crown of McAuley Peak begins from the Piuma Trailhead in Malibu Creek State Park.
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