Mornings in Malibu

Live like a local and avoid the crowds. Mornings are the best times to visit any location in Malibu. Parking is simpler and traffic is much lighter.
Beachfront Breakfasts at Dukes, The Farm on the Pier, and Paradise Cove Beach Café are all easy to access.
Duke’s huge lot at Las Flores and PCH is nearly empty when they open Saturday and Sunday at 10 AM. You can get a regular breakfast either day in the Bar area, but on Sunday they also have a classic Hawaiian themed Brunch in the main restaurant that can make it very difficult to leave the Luau in time for whatever else you had scheduled. Dukes has been serving Malibu’s visitors and locals for decades and it never disappoints. The location has been open since the 40’s, if you count the time it was the Sea Lion, and generations have made it a tradition.
The Farm on the Pier is open for breakfast every day starting at 8:00 AM. Park on the eastern end of Malibu Road if the Surf is up and the PCH parking is full and take the long way through the Malibu Lagoon Park. Walk the shoreline to the base of the Pier while enjoying the early surfers and the thousands of birds around the Malibu Lagoon. A delicious breakfast tending towards the organic end of the spectrum awaits at the end of the Pier where you will also enjoy unparalleled views of the Surf breaks and Malibu from offshore.
Paradise Cove Beach Café opens for Breakfast every day at 8:00 AM. In contrast to later in the day, the crowd is thin and the parking is easy. The posted parking fees are stiff but your congenial server will bring you a “Get out of the parking lot free card”. This is a terrific place to bring your family and guests. Those of a certain age will recognize it as the location used for James Garner’s “The Rockford Files”. The restaurant offers the unique option of dining on the sand if a normal table is not adventurous enough.
HIKING
Hiking in Malibu is much more pleasant if you are done for the day before noon. Only a newbie would go hiking in the hills in the heat of the day. Bring plenty of water and pack out whatever you bring in. Hit a restroom before you hit the trail. There are no services in the parks. Watch for snakes and avoid rather than confront them. If you are hiking with someone who decides to prove that any specific snake is not dangerous by handling it, please check your cell phone service and be ready to call 911. Nearly all snake bites are the result of failing to respect the snake. The Santa Monica Mountains have Mountain Lions. They are primarily nocturnal. If you see one do not turn and run! Running identifies you as prey. Back away and grab a rock or stick.
The heavily promoted Escondido Falls trail is comically overcrowded by noon with underprepared Nimrods despoiling the landscape. There is about a one mile hike through a neighborhood before you get to the actual trail to the fall. It’s best seen in the Winter or Spring after a rainfall and is less than impressive in the dry season due to the Conservancy’s lackluster maintenance.
The Sara Wan Trailhead is located just west of Malibu Seafood and takes you on an Ocean View loop through Corral Canyon. Significant elevation gain with few trees.
The next Canyon to the west is labeled “Corral Canyon” on the street sign. It is the location of Solstice Canyon Park with a few parking spaces inside the gates. More parking is available on side of the road about 100 yards further up Corral Canyon Rd. This is a popular destination run by the National Park Service. The hiking is through the bottom of Solstice Canyon which has a year-round stream. Most of your hike will be shaded by Sycamores. No Ocean Views. This property was the Roberts Ranch and a herd of Longhorn Cattle were run on it well into the end of the 70’s complete with Roundups. This is the best hike to take if the Sun is already hot by 9:00 AM.
The top of Busch Drive has a trailhead that leads straight up into the Santa Monica Mountains. This ridgetop trail connects to the network that runs throughout the mountains. Watch for Horses and give them plenty of room. Big views over Zuma Beach and Point Dume that you pay for with sweat and effort.
Charmlee Park off Encinal is still recovering from the Woolsey Fire but should be open by the time you read this. Big views but further back from Sea level so it can get warm in the afternoon.
There is a little lake in Nicholas Flats at the end of Nicholas Motorway, a dirt trail that starts near the end of Decker School Road. It has been the beginning of many a young angler’s career. Bluegill are all I have ever seen there. The hike is flat and not very long, so their little legs don’t tire out. Very Mayberry USA. Parents need a fishing license (buy one at Wylies Bait opposite Topanga Beach), but children do not. Bring water and visit a bathroom before you start out.
I’m sure that I have missed many other trails that may be of interest but I have to leave some for you to discover on your own.
Have fun and stay safe.