An Abandoned Fire Lookout High Above A Los Angeles Canyon Is A Colorful Graffiti Gallery With Ocean Views

Abandoned places make for excellent hikes, not only because they offer great photographic subjects, but also because they invite curiosity and historical exploration. Los Angeles has a few of these, with the hike to the creepy, abandoned Griffith Park Zoo being a prime example. But there's another abandoned place that's more scenic and less eerie. It's a concrete platform suspended above a sea of canyon, known as the Topanga Lookout, which was formerly the foundation of a fire tower. The views from over 2,000 feet up in the Santa Monica Mountains, sweeping across the Pacific Ocean and Red Rock Canyon Park, are enough to make this spot a worthy trip in itself, but for many, it's the colorful symphony of graffiti, with no space left untouched, that adds an expressive detail to the lookout's unique appeal.

The trail to the lookout is located in Topanga, a community tucked between Malibu and Santa Monica that's alive with art. A street art side to the eclectic art scene of Topanga, home to the creative roadside collage called "the Great Wall of Topanga," is captured by the lookout. The lookout is owned by Los Angeles County and has been open to the public since operations ceased in 1972, and the tower itself was demolished. It has since attracted a plethora of graffiti artists, creating a surreal, one-of-a-kind tableau that's heightened by the surrounding landscape of the Santa Monica Mountains. As one Google reviewer described, "The graffiti on the platform gave an interesting urban-in-nature vibe and felt relatively creative."

You can get to the trailhead of the Topanga Lookout Trail in about an hour and a half's drive from the Los Angeles International Airport. Despite being over 2,000 feet above sea level, the trail itself only ascends about 160 feet, with a steady incline spread across its 2-mile length — it's considered a fairly easy hike. The trailhead is at a free, dirt parking lot to the side of Saddle Peak Road, which itself affords some stunning views across the Pacific Ocean and even Santa Catalina Island if the weather's on your side. From here, you'll begin the hike on a paved fire road that's closed to vehicles, though it transitions into a dirt path. You'll pass a diverging trail along the way called the Fossil Ridge Trail — a nice extension with views along the east side of Saddle Peak, but to get to the lookout, keep continuing straight.

The Topanga Lookout appears after a mile like a colorful crown on the peak. On one side, you can see the Malibu hills rolling out to the Pacific, while the red sandstone cliffsides of Red Rock Canyon Park jut up from the other side. The canyon park is worth exploring as an addition to your day of hiking, with a couple of its own view-studded trails passing caves and towering rock formations. The Topanga Lookout Trail doesn't continue down to the canyon, though — you have to head back along the same path you came. If you'd rather explore more of the artsy side of Topanga, a must-visit in town is Hidden Treasures, an eccentric roadside vintage store with rare finds.