Whitehorse Canyon/Los Robles Loop from Triunfo Park
- Location: Triunfo Community Park, Westlake Village. From Los Angeles, take Highway 101 to Highway 23 south/Westlake Blvd. Turn left and go 1.1 miles to Triunfo Canyon Road. Turn right and go 0.4 miles to Tamarack St. Turn left and drive to the second parking lot, just before the end of the street. From Ventura, take Highway 101 to Hampshire Road. Turn right and go 0.6 miles to Triunfo Canyon Road. Turn right and go 0.6 miles to Tamarack St. Turn right and drive to the second parking lot.
- Agency: Conejo Open Space Foundation
- Distance: 5.8 miles
- Elevation gain: 1,100 feet
- Difficulty Rating: PG-13 (Distance, elevation gain)
- Suggested time: 3 hours
- Best season: October – May
- USGS topo map: Thousand Oaks
- Recommended gear: sunblock
; sun hat
- More information: here; Everytrail report here
- Rating: 6
Leaving from Triunfo Community Park (not to be confused with nearby Triunfo Creek Park), this hike offers a challenging workout with a nice variety of scenery, including the Santa Monica and Santa Susana Mountains. If the air is clear, you may see as far as the Topa Topa mountains north of Ojai. The route is almost entirely exposed, so plan accordingly.
Look for a trail leading out of the second parking lot’s southwest corner. You pass a sign for the Los Robles Trail and an information board. The trail passes by a few oak trees (don’t get used to them), makes a sharp left turn and begins making some switchbacks, climbing the north side of the ridge, with some good views of the Thousand Oaks area.
At 0.8 miles, bear right and follow the trail to a dirt fire road (1.1 miles.) Turn left and almost immediately bear right to continue on the fire road (the Los Robles Trail) and head downhill.
This section of the trail, which follows power lines and suffers from the noise of the highway, is one of the less appealing parts of the hike, but the gentle downhill grade is easy enough. After 0.9 miles (2 miles from the start) you make a sharp left and begin climbing again.
At 2.4 miles, you reach a saddle where you get nice views of Sandstone Peak and Boney Mountain to the south. Turn left on the single-track Whitehorse Canyon Trail, which descends steeply. You head south, following the main trail as a few side trails branch off. After contouring back to the north, you approach a steep ascent (3.1 miles.) Just before the steepest part of the ascent, turn right on an obscure trail. You pass underneath an interesting geological outcrop and soon return to the fire road.
Head left, reaching the top of the outcrop seen earlier from below. Here, you bear right and head north. Stay left at a Y-junction and soon you reach the base of a steep ascent (3.9 miles.) After climbing over 100 feet, you reach the top of a ridge. You pass two high points, providing nice views of the eastern Santa Monica Mountains, including Castro Peak, Ladyface and Mitten Mountain.
After the second “peak”, the highest point in the hike at 1,440 feet, you descend to an intersection where you can climb a staircase and sit on a bench and enjoy the panorama.
Back at the intersection, head northeast and follow the trail downhill to the intersection, completing the loop. Look for the sign for Triunfo Park and follow the trail 1.1 miles back to the starting point.
Text and photography copyright 2013 by David W. Lockeretz, all rights reserved. Information and opinions provided are kept current to the best of the author’s ability. All readers hike at their own risk, and should be aware of the possible dangers of hiking, walking and other outdoor activities. By reading this, you agree not to hold the author or publisher of the content on this web site responsible for any injuries or inconveniences that may result from hiking on this trail. Check the informational links provided for up to date trail condition information.
