Peter Strauss Ranch Map

30000 Mulholland Highway At Troutdale Drive Agoura Hills Open Daily: 8 A.M.-5 P.M.

Hiking Distance: 1-Mile Loop Hiking Time: 30 Minutes Configuration: Loop

Elevation Gain: 200 Feet Difficulty: Easy

Exposure: Mostly Shaded Hillside Dogs: Allowed

Maps: U.S.G.S. Point Dume N.P.S. Peter Strauss Ranch Site Map Tom Harrison Maps: Malibu Creek State Park Trail Map

Peter Strauss Ranch Spreads Across 65 Acres In Agoura Hills Along Mulholland Highway. Triunfo Creek, The Main Fork Of Malibu Creek, Flows Year Around Through The Ranch. Back In 1926, Harry Miller Built A Stone Ranch House With A White Banister, A Stone Caretaker’S Cottage, A Giant Outdoor Aviary, And Lookout Tower On The Property.

In The 1930s And 1940s, The Ranch Became An Amusement Park And Children’S Summer Camp. In The 1940s, A Dam Was Built On Triunfo Creek, Forming A Lake. The Lake Was Named Lake Enchanto And Became A Popular Swimming, Fishing, And Boating Site. By 1960, The Ranch Fell Into Disrepair. The Dam Washed Out In A 1969 Flood, And The Lake Ceased To Exist. The Ranch Was Abandoned In The Early 1970s. In 1977, Actor/Producer Peter Strauss Purchased The Ranch And Restored It To A Pristine State. He Sold It To The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy In 1983 And The Conservancy Deeded It To The National Park Service In 1987.

This Loop Hike Explores The Stone Structures, The Outdoor Aviary, The Tree- Shaded Lawns Along The Banks Of Triunfo Creek, And The Forested Hillside Terraces. The Lush Hills Are Home To Diverse Habitats With Eucalyptus, Live Oak, Scrub Oak, California Bay, And Sycamore Groves, With A Lush Understory Of Ferns And Poison Oak.

To The Trailhead

From Santa Monica, Drive 12 Miles Northbound On The Pacific Coast Highway/Highway 1 To Malibu Canyon Road. Turn Right And Drive 6.5 Miles To Mulholland Highway. Turn Left And Drive 5.1 Miles To The Park Entrance On The Left.

From The Ventura Freeway/Highway 101 In Agoura Hills, Exit On Kanan Road. Head 3 Miles South To Troutdale Drive. Turn Left And Drive 0.4 Miles To

Mulholland Highway. Turn Left And Immediately Turn Right Into The Peter Strauss Park Entrance.

The Hike

Take The Footpath Towards Mulholland Highway And The Entrance Arch. Cross The Bridge Spanning Triunfo Creek, And Enter The Park On The Service Road To The Left, Across From Troutdale Drive. Head South Past The Amphitheater To The End Of The Service Road By The Old Lake Enchanto Dam. Stay To The Left, Parallel To Triunfo Creek. The Forested Peter Strauss Trail Traverses The Hillside Above The Creek To A Junction. Take The Right Fork Up A Series Of Switchbacks. At The Top, The Trail Levels Out And Heads West. At The West End, Switchbacks Zigzag Down The Slope. Pass Small Meadows And Cross A Wooden Bridge To A Junction. The Right Fork Leads To A Picnic Area. The Left Fork Completes The Loop At The Amphitheater And Aviary.