Saddle Peak (California)

Saddle Peak is a mountain located in the

Santa Monica Mountains The Santa Monica Mountains are a coastal mountain range in Southern California, next to the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Transverse Ranges. The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area encompasses this mountain range. Because of its p ...

between Malibu and

Calabasas Calabasas may refer to: * Calabasas, Arizona, former populated place in what is now Rio Rico, Arizona * Calabasas, California, city in Los Angeles County, California See also * Calabaza Calabaza is the generic name in the Spanish langua ...

. The summit is accessible via the

Backbone Trail The Backbone Trail is a long distance trail, long-distance trail extending 67.79 miles (109.10 km) across the Santa Monica Mountains in the U.S. state of California. Its western terminus is Point Mugu State Park, and its eastern terminus is ...

. There is also a feeder trail to the top from near the top of Stunt Road (just 1 block below the ridge intersection with Scheuren Road at the viewpoint) maintained by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. And there is an informal trail up the bottom East nose of the massif right across the intersection from the Scheuren Viewpoint. This latter trail passes around a water tower and eventually joins the main trails near the top. Vegetation is sparse on the peak;

dwarf forest file:Hamiguitan bonsai tree.JPG, A "natural bonsai" in the Mount Hamiguitan List of national parks of the Philippines, National Park in the Philippines, a UNESCO World Heritage Site file:Mount Kemiri (8187817161).jpg, An elfin forest in Sumatra ...

and

chaparral Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant plant community, community found primarily in California, southern Oregon, and northern Baja California. It is shaped by a Mediterranean climate (mild wet winters and hot dry summers) and infrequent, high-intens ...

on the approaches, scrub and grassy at the top. Some oaks at lower elevations. Saddle Peak looking towards Pacific Coast Highway

The true summit is the South Eastern hummock, much degraded. Views from here are of the Pacific Ocean to the West, and other ridges and peaks of the Santa Monica Mountains to the East and West. There is a second summit reached by private road, to the Northwest, with a wire-fenced compound of numerous radio relay towers. At the far end beyond the compound is a house site foundation in disrepair. This slope burned in 1989. Beyond and below that is a private road back down to Stunt Road, with private residences below. There are occasionally rattlesnakes on the SMMC trail. Santa Monica Mountains {{LosAngelesCountyCA-geo-stub