Wood Canyon - Dripping/Robbers Cave Trail
Beginner - Begins with paved and single track trails starting from the Rangers Station and parking area. Turn off onto a groomed fire road before taking the Dripping Cave trail on your left.
Many years ago, the area was home to multiple Native American tribes. Many of the trails still to this day hold Juaneno names, such as Alwut and Aswut.
In the Mid 1800s, the area known today as Wood Canyon in Southern California was home to cattle and many different types of wild of life. Juan Avila was the owner of this land and cattle, as well as 13,000 acres in an area that was named Rancho Niguel.
Years later, after the Gold Rush, Mormon leader Brigham Young also took to the area in hopes to connect a route from Southern California to Utah while setting up trading communities and farms along the way.
Dripping cave trail in particular is much better known for something much more eerie. Juan Flores was known to occupy the safety of the cave in 1856-1857. Juan and his outlaw gang used the cave as a hideout while they stole livestock and coin from stagecoaches. Thus leading to the name Robbers Cave we know now.
Although Dripping/Robbers Cave trail is a very short, .75 mile, the trail offers a very fun and beautiful look into the canyon's history. The trail is lined with oak and sycamore trees as you ascend a few hundred feet and is a rather easy climb. There are a few parts of the trail where you need to keep an eye out for large areas of loose sand, but the majority of the trail should be on sandstone. Head up towards the cave and keep an eye out for some interesting wild life. I have personally seen bobcats, deer, road runners and more.
At the top of the trail, the path levels off before heading over a small bridge that leads to the cave. The picture above shows this bridge, and is looking back down the trail as I was leaving. With so many tree covering the area, the end of the trail offers a great place to take a short break in the shade and offers some fun areas to explore. The creek that comes down from the top of the mountain is usually dried up and can offer an easy path to walk around a bit.
Once you cross the bridge, there is a sign on the right side that has a little more in depth description of the cave and the trail than what I wrote about at the top of this post. Just past the sign leads you to the rock formation seen in the picture above. A slight rock shelter can be seen at the bottom, and the top of the rock offers a great spot to get some very novice rock climbing in. This rock offers some great photo ops, and can be tackled by most ages. At this point, you would have already noticed Robbers Cave at the end of another small wooden bridge. Head into the cave and check out your surroundings. There you can find holes drilled into the walls of the cave which were mostly likely used for pegs to hold equipment, as well as discolorations of rocks on the ceiling of the cave. Most people believe they are smoke discolorations. However, they were actually formed from moss that grows on the rock.
You have a couple of options when you are ready to head out of the cave. If you stay left, you can continue on Dripping Cave trail which is a much harder beginning climb. But, if you brave the climb you will be rewarded with some cliff side single track, and some fun switch backs heading back down the mountain before making it back to the base of the canyon. I will do another post with the rest of this trail another day. (linked here)
To get back where you started, go back across the bridge the way you came and head back down the trail. The trail can be a quick fun descent, but please make sure to be careful and take your time if it is a crowded day, as the trail can be a very popular place for bikers and hikers alike. Below is a section of the descent so you can see how wide and basic this trial can be.
From the parking lot the round trip is about 6 total miles with about 500 feet in elevation and should be totally do able on just about any bike. There are over 30 miles of trails throughout the whole park, so if you would like to keep exploring, I highly recommend it. Please keep in mind that the park is designated as a wildlife sanctuary, with many endangered plants and animals calling Wood Canyon their home. So do your best to obey signs and regulations.
If you have any questions about the trail or the park in general, leave a comment below, send an email to contact@townontwowheels.com or ask on twitter @townontwowheels
Directions and Travel Information
- 5 Freeway exit Alicia Parkway and head west/south. This can be done from either the north or the south.
- Parking and a ranger station with some picnic benches can be found off Awma Road which can be accessed from Alicia Parkway from the north and south. Parking in the park lot will cost you $3, or you can park on the street for free.
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