I'd been to Solstice Canyon for the first time earlier in the month (see this post for directions and parking info), but we'd stuck to the main trail and we wanted to go back and explore the Rising Sun Trail which we'd heard had some great ocean views.
This time we managed to do a loop hike, up the Rising Sun Trail and back down the main, paved trail like in the map below. I'd suggest that over the reverse, especially in the summer because the coolness once you reach the waterfall and creek is much appreciated (and deserved) after the steep climb on the Rising Sun Trail in full sun. The full loop is about 3.5 miles.
You can see the full map here.
Just a couple notes about this trip: I noticed many more tadpoles at the base of the falls and in the creek than I had two weeks before and some were really large (they'd started to change from an almost black color to an olive greenish/brown which might have meant they were more developed) It's also possible that I was seeing a different species of frog. I don't know much about amphibians.
There were alders growing near the falls by the creek. I'd never seen them before. I hear that alders are rare in the Santa Monica Mountains because it's so dry, but Solstice has running water all year so they can grow here. As long as the fires don't knock them out.
Here are some photos I took on the hike.
Common tarweed
(Hemizonia fasciculata)
Roberts' Ranch from above
Scarlet or Cardinal Larkspur
(Delphinium cardinale)
Not to be confused with Red Larkspur which doesn't grow this far south
Wigandia urens leaf
Indian Pink
This time we managed to do a loop hike, up the Rising Sun Trail and back down the main, paved trail like in the map below. I'd suggest that over the reverse, especially in the summer because the coolness once you reach the waterfall and creek is much appreciated (and deserved) after the steep climb on the Rising Sun Trail in full sun. The full loop is about 3.5 miles.
You can see the full map here.Just a couple notes about this trip: I noticed many more tadpoles at the base of the falls and in the creek than I had two weeks before and some were really large (they'd started to change from an almost black color to an olive greenish/brown which might have meant they were more developed) It's also possible that I was seeing a different species of frog. I don't know much about amphibians.
There were alders growing near the falls by the creek. I'd never seen them before. I hear that alders are rare in the Santa Monica Mountains because it's so dry, but Solstice has running water all year so they can grow here. As long as the fires don't knock them out.
Here are some photos I took on the hike.
Common tarweed(Hemizonia fasciculata)
Roberts' Ranch from above
Scarlet or Cardinal Larkspur(Delphinium cardinale)
Not to be confused with Red Larkspur which doesn't grow this far south
Wigandia urens leaf
Indian Pink
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