The Pacific Palisades, Altadena, and Malibu wildfires of these past few months burnt more than 40,000 acres combined, according to CalFire. Along with the thousands of homes, businesses, and other structures, many outdoor recreation spots were affected.

In and around the coast, several favorite Malibu hiking trails are offline after the fires. Temescal Canyon Trail, which leads into Topanga State Park, is off-limits, as is San Vicente Mountain Park, home of a Cold War anti-aircraft missile site. And Will Rogers Park, a favorite of both locals and visitors from around the world, is likely to be closed for a substantial amount of time.

But fires along the California coast are not new. And several of the area’s most beloved trails have suffered through blazes and, eventually, returned to the public’s use. Solstice Canyon is a well-known example: the Roberts Ranch House, designed by famed architect Paul Williams, burnt to the ground in the canyon 1982 and has long stood as a testament to nature’s unflinching power.

So, what are the next steps for fire-scarred hiking trails in and around Malibu? It’s a long road back, but a well-worn one.

The first step for trail restoration is to clear the path. Trees may have fallen over, branches obscuring walkways. In addition, the ground itself may have shifted after the rain-induced mudslides of February. If hikers return to a trail with obstructions, they’re likely to trample new paths around blockages, which could cause more erosion or create new hazards.

But just clearing the trail isn’t enough to reopen it to the public. It’s possible, for instance, that the soil of the path has changed; roots could have burnt up, leaving ankle-twisting holes in the ground, or shifts in loose dirt may have made a stable trail slippery. It takes thorough inspection to make sure that a path is safe for the general hiking public again.

In addition, there will be some structures that must be rebuilt. According to the Sierra Club, the bridge at Temescal Canyon Trail by the waterfall burnt down, as did the Chicken Ridge Bridge on the Backbone Trail, an important one for hikers traversing the 67-mile path. Thankfully, many of the area’s trails were created with a “lightly on the land” ethos, which encourages building paths that rely on nature much more heavily than human intervention.

Overlooking the ocean in Malibu on the Lower Canyonback hiking trail
Photo courtesy of Chris Gower

The good news: these recovery efforts are already underway. Groups like the Santa Monica Mountains Task Force are organizing volunteer efforts at places like Topanga State Park, harnessing the power of the community to help rehabilitate these outdoor spaces. In addition, some favorites, like the Lower Canyonback Trail, remain open, and many of the trails in eastern Malibu were spared (think Circle X Ranch, for instance).   

After the Woolsey Fire of 2018, it took two years for Charmlee Wilderness Park (which hosts some of our favorite views of the ocean) to reopen. Like so much of California wildfire recovery, the timelines seem long and daunting. But with the work of local governments, non-governmental organizations like the Sierra Club, and scores of volunteers doing the step-by-step work of inspecting and clearing trails, hikers will return to Malibu and the surrounding communities to enjoy the Santa Monica Mountains.