Circle X Ranch features a few different trailheads off of Yerba Buena Road that offer access to different spots on the property. This particular access point serves as the trailhead for the Grotto Trail.
Tucked in the canyons above Malibu and nestled below majestic Boney Mountain, you will find Circle X Ranch. This former Boy Scout camp offers many opportunities for exploration and leisure, with many trails that wind through this rare coastal Mediterranean ecosystem. The chaparral plant community includes red shank chamise, a tree-like shrub with reddish-brown bark, clusters of thread-like leaves and small bunches of white flowers that bloom in July and August. Blue-bellied lizards and scrub jays can be seen during the daytime, and gray foxes and bats at twilight.
You can journey to Sandstone Peak, the highest point in the Santa Monica Mountains, or hike down towards the Grotto, enjoying a creek-side picnic along the way. There is water and restrooms at the parking area.