Corral Canyon to Castro Motorway

This is one of my local favorites, possibly because I am accustomed to a glass of wine atop my sandstone cliff perch at the halfway mark, before I turn around and come back down!!  It is a relatively easy hike, a little over a mile if you go and rock scramble first, with a total 400 ft. elevation gain on the way up the motorway. From your vista you will be able to see Malibou Lake, Malibu Creek State Park, and the ocean.   It is a partial sun hike, the north side of the mountain is shady, and the wind that picks up through the canyon can make it chilly on the cliffs. I suggest to bring water and a windbreaker, if not a heavier jacket on cooler days.  

The view from Castro Motorway looking down
at the parking area and the sandstone rock
formations and the first part of the hike.

We did this hike on a very popular hiking weekend.  We wanted to go to Solstice Canyon, but it was very congested with cars and people.  We continued up Corral Canyon to the very end, the road becomes dirt, and there were 5 or 6 cars tops in the dirt parking area!!  YES!!!  
I suggest going east from the parking area towards the sandstone rock formations.  Look for an  unmarked path heading towards the rock spires, and head east on the ridge above the road you just drove in on.   Scramble rocks and pass a shady area and look for car ruins...then continue onto a second scramble and further to a legit man-made rock spiral.  

The shady side of the hike!

Once you are done playing on the rocks, go back to the parking area and head to the north end of the lot and look for "Castro Peak Motorway" signs, heading up the fire road.  At the use trail junction, there are many options to choose from.  Keep to the right to continue on the Castro Peak Motorway.   You will continue to climb in elevation, and will come to another junction for Bull Dog Motorway.  Stay on Castro Peak Motorway past this sign about a quarter of a mile to a sandstone cropping.   Scramble up the rocks and find a place to have lunch or a happy hour sunset.  If you went to the end of the road and the barbed wire fence with threatening trespasser signs, you went too far!