Since the Palisades Fire broke out on January 7, it has burned nearly 24,000 acres through Pacific Palisades and several neighborhoods along Pacific Coast Highway. Many of those acres are filled with homes, while others are popular hiking trails throughout the Santa Monica Mountains. Firefighters continue to make progress in containing the Palisades fire, which was 63% contained as of Tuesday afternoon.
But it will take months to assess the extent of the damage it has caused and the extent of its reach. While there's still no clear verdict on how the Palisades fire started, it probably was was somewhere Near Skull Rock.
To put together a better picture of the disaster, I compiled a list of the affected roads, as determined by the mapping tool Caltopo. By cross-referencing the fire tracks with its maps and maps of local hiking trails, I determined which trails were in the burned area. Just because there is a trail in a burned area doesn't mean it's completely destroyed. In the coming months we will learn more about the specific conditions of each lane and when the lanes will reopen.

Charred trees cover the hillside along the Temescal Canyon Trail, which was closed due to the Palisades Fire.
(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
Many parks and public lands within the Santa Monica Mountains are closed. Topanga State Park and Will Rogers State Historic Park were both damaged in the fire and are closed to the public.
All parks and trails in the Santa Monica Mountains and in fire evacuation zones administered by the Mountain Recreation and Conservation Authority will be closed until officials determine it is safe to re-enter. that including Temescal Gateway Park, Freeman Canyon Park and Betty Dearing Trail, Franklin Canyon Park and Upper Los Virgines Canyon Open Space Preserve. Additionally, Paramount Ranch and Solstice and Cheeseboro Canyons are closed, according to the National Park Service.
Lastly, if you choose to hit the trails, be mindful Local air quality measurements.
Trails burned in the Palisades fire
- San Vicente Mountain to Gizmo Peak via Dirt Mulholland Drive and Farmer Ridge Fire Road: This trail runs along the northern edge of the northeast flank of the fire. Many parts appear burnt. Mulholland's 1.2-mile windward section north of Gizmo Peak, which forms a loop along the Farmer Ridge Fire Road, falls outside the burn perimeter.
- West Mandeville Fire Road
- West Monteville Ridge Trail
- Garabito Canyon Trail: The first 2,000 feet of this route appears to be burnt. The rest, which goes south of the backbone path, is not lit.
Los Leones Canyon Trail is also closed due to the Palisades Fire.
(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
- Murphy Ranch Trail
- Sullivan Canyon Fire Road
- Sullivan Ridge Trail (Incl Old staples loop)
- Plantation Road: Most of this track appears to have been burnt.
- Inspiration Point Loop
- spinal cord: Will Rogers starts on the trail and seems to burn through the first seven miles. Then there are 8.7 miles Sect Northwest of Temescal Peak is Eagle Rock and the Mush Trail runs west past the camp and appears to be unburnt. Then, near Saddle Peak, the trail heads up the west side of the fire. towards the west nearby Puma Road, trail unblazed.
- Primitive Canyon Trail (including falls)
- Bone Canyon Road
- Pasture lane
- Rivas Canyon Trail
- Temescal Canyon Trail
The Temescal Canyon Trailhead is closed due to the Palisades Fire.
(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
- Temescal Ridge Trail (Incl Skull Rock)
- Bienveneda route
- Via Goat Peak high point and the Rivas Ridge Trail
- Potrero Canyon Loop at George Wolburg Park
- Los Leones Road (Spelled Los Lions on some maps)
- Passageway to Paseo MiramarOn some maps East Topanga is referred to as the fire road; including Parker Mesa Overview.
- Trailer Canyon Fire Road
- Santa Ynez Canyon Trail: Most of this route is burnt. The last third of a mile near the Trippet farm was unburnt. There is 0.6 miles path The trail branches off and takes hikers to Santa Ynez Falls. The last half of that path appears to be unlit.
- East Topanga Fire Road: Most of this 4.9 mile trail is blazed, with the last 0.55 miles ending outside Trippet Farm. Covering the first two miles, it is referred to on some maps as Paseo Miramar.
More than 500 steps lead down and up the Murphy Ranch in Rustic Canyon in Topanga State Park, photographed in August 2022. According to a Times analysis, both the Murphy Ranch Trail and the Old Canyon Trail burned in the Palisades Fire.
(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
- Budwood Motorway Duna Canyon Trail
- Great rock flank And Big Rock Motorway Duna Canyon Trail
- Horst Tank Motorway Duna Canyon Trail
- Topanga Lookout Trail: The fire south of the parking area appears to have burned near the top 1,600 feet.