Today we got to hike to Skull Rock in Temescal Gateway Park for a birthday celebration in honor of our friend, Chet. I actually woke up at 5:30 am to get my things together...yes I procrastinated, but we ended up hiking at 9 am because we had to wait for his brother and other friends. It was a cloudy morning and we parked on Sunset because we did not want to pay the $7 parking fee, and also we did not want to deal with the camera at the stop sign. That camera is notorious for catching people who do not completely stop. Parking on the street wasn't too bad. More walking is good anyway. The Temescal Gateway Park is near Topanga State Park and Will Rogers State Park. Trails can lead to other trails and all these parks are part of the Santa Monica Mountains. As we started the trail it was easy but as we got further in, there were more and more inclines. Lucky for us, the inclines were gradual and not too steep but majority of the hike was incline. We had maybe 2 or 3 people who were beginner hikers which those 2 people gave up on the trail and ended up walking back to the car. Sucks, they did not get to the end. Many parts of the trail is shaded but as you get to the top, it is exposed. We hiked to the waterfall but it was completely dry. Dogs are not allowed in the state park but are allowed at the gateway. We ended up hiking in total maybe close to 6 miles and enjoyed climbing Skull Rock and the beautiful views!
Hike Breakdown:
Level: Moderate
Distance: 4.6 miles (but we hiked further, 6 miles)
Elevation Gain: 1,135 feet
Parking: $7 inside (watch out for stop sign camera) or free parking on street
Skull Rock
Parking on Sunset
Stop Sign With Camera
Dry Waterfall
Me Attempting to Rock Climb
Sitting At the Mouth of the Skull
Back of Skull's Head
The View
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