Solstice Canyon – Sostomo Trail
6.8 MRT – Moderate (1,650′ of elevation gain/loss)
DIRECTIONS TO THE TRAILHEAD: In Simi Valley, take Highway 118 west to Highway 23; take Highway 23 south to its interchange with Highway 101 in Thousand Oaks.
Take Highway 101 about 6 miles “south” (toward L.A.) to the Kanan Road exit. Turn right (toward the ocean) on Kanan Road (the name changes to Kanan Dume Road after a few miles) and drive 12.5 miles to its junction with Hwy 1 (aka Pacific Coast Highway). Turn left (east) on Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy 1) and drive 3.6 miles to Corral Canyon Road (there’s a Union 76 station at the turnoff). Turn left (north) on Corral Canyon Road and continue 0.2 mile to the gated entrance (which will be open) to Solstice Canyon on the left. Turn left at the entrance to Solstice Canyon (there’s a sign) and drive 0.3 mile to the parking lot at road’s end.
Our hike begins with a partially shaded walk along the one-mile dirt road in the bottom of Solstice Canyon leading toward Tropical Terrace and the nearby waterfalls. Just before reaching them we’ll hike the Sostomo Trail as it climbs steadily up the mountainside to the west to a junction with the Deer Valley Loop Trail. We’ll then hike the loop trail in a clockwise direction to an overlook of the Pacific Ocean and then return to the canyon bottom and visit well-shaded Tropical Terrace including the ruins of the Roberts house along Solstice Creek with its nearby waterfalls. After a rest/lunch break we’ll retrace our route along the Solstice Canyon Trail to the parking lot.