Laurel Canyon Loop

Dogs No Dogs

Features Birding · River/Creek · Views · Wildlife

A short 3.7-mile loop of the Laurel Canyon Trail and Willow Canyon Trail.

Park hours are from 7 am to sunset. Parking lot hours are from 8 am to 5 pm.
Parking fees are $3 per car daily.

From the Willow Canyon staging area, take Willow Canyon Trail west to the junction with Laurel Canyon Trail. Head north on the trail paralleling Laguna Canyon Road. Runners will pass coastal sage shrub and interesting wind and water eroded caves and rock formations.

At about 0.2 miles, the trail turns away from the road and heads northwest into Laurel Canyon. The trail ascends the canyon through oak and sycamore trees along a creek and ends at 1.6 miles at the intersection with Upper Laurel Canyon Trail and Laurel Spur. Turn left onto Laurel Spur heading south.

At the intersection with Willow Canyon Trail, turn left onto the doubletrack trail which heads back south to the Willow Canyon parking lot. There are some nice views of parkland as runners descend this trail.

Some of these trails are multi-use so know the right-of-way rules and be aware of other users.

Thanks to John McKinney, The Trailmaster, for sharing this trail description. To learn more about trails in California, check out his guides at The Trailmaster Store.

Laguna Coast Wilderness Park is part of a system designed to protect endangered species. Some of these are the Cactus Wren, California Gnatcatcher, and Orange-Throated Whiptail.
The park helps to protect the diminishing coastal sage environments.

Once known as Rancho San Joaquin, the area was purchased by James Irvine in 1865 to be used to graze cattle. Extensive conservation efforts and a rise in taxes have helped preservation efforts in the area since.