Discovering the Hidden Trails of Trippet Ranch – Hiking Topanga State Park

Posted on by Jennifer Fontaine

Topanga State Park spans 11,000 acres with 36 miles of trails that wind through a wide variety of terrain, from canyons and cliffs to hills and meadows and some of the most spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean Los Angeles hiking has to offer. It also features tons of cool geologic formations meticulously designed by volcanic activity, millions of years in the making. If you’re an astutely observant explorer you can find a bevy of marine fossils and, if you’re up for the challenge, yes, even those elusive and shifty earthquake faults.

With over 60 different trail entrances, it can be quite overwhelming just to pick a spot to start, but my suggestion would be to enter the park’s main entrance at 20825 Entrada Road, Topanga, Ca 90290. There is a $10 fee to park in this lot, which I have no problem paying considering the desperate financial trouble our state parks are in right now, but you can generally find free parking on the numerous side streets, if you want to add a bit more mileage on to your day’s hike.

Topanga State Park is plucked right from the front of the most stunning postcard you’ve ever seen. All you have to do is walk 20 steps from the parking lot and you’re standing in the middle of a scene straight out of a Tim Burton film, surrounded by the crooked, twisted, welcoming arms of hundreds of ancient live oaks.

Under the shade of this live oak grove, there are many picnic tables and clean bathrooms, making it the perfect place to lounge, play hide and seek, read a book, meditate or have lunch. Walk a few more steps past the picnic area, to the head of the Trippet Ranch Trail and it’s as if you’ve walked smack dab in to a living, breathing Monet. We saw four artists masterfully painting this portion of the trail which conjured up memories of traveling through the french countryside. All that was missing was the Jambon-Beurre on a crispy baguette.

As you make your way up the curved incline you will come to a fork in the trail. To continue on to Eagle Rock, bear left.

This portion of the hike guides you along well-maintained trails through rough chaparral, oak forests and sprawling grasslands. Being a mixed-use trail, you’ll encounter hikers, bikers and even the occasional meandering horse, so watch out for their little presents along the trail!

One of my favorite things about the Trippet Ranch Trail up to Eagle Rock, other than the fact that it’s kid-friendly, are the numerous secondary trails which pop up out of nowhere, allowing extra opportunities for exploration and discovery. None of the informal trails we took actually led anywhere in particular, but when hiking, we’re never in a real rush to get to any place specific anyway. On one of the secret little side-trails, we found a perfect spot for lunch, though, then continued on our wandering way.

As is the norm when hiking with kids, we never did make it all the way up to craggy, panoramic views of Eagle Rock, but we surely found our destination as we arrived back to our car, three hours later, with our imaginations well-used, a nature-calmed mind and de-stressed muscles.

11 Stroller Friendly Los Angeles Hikes Guaranteed to Get You and Baby Outdoors

Posted on by Jennifer Fontaine

After 6 months of bedrest and the subsequent unplanned cesarean section recovery, you can only imagine how I yearned for long hikes and fresh air, but coordinating all of it with a newborn, nursing and continuous diaper detail was all a bit overwhelming. I was the first of our group of friends to have kids and so it was all pretty much uncharted territory. I started venturing out fairly early, making great use of our baby carrier, but stayed pretty close to home, even still, I must say I’m so happy I got out there. Not only did it make me happy, keep me sane and helped me to recover quicker, it also primed our daughter for a life spent outdoors. A life where hiking, exploring and outdoor play are her go-to activities.

In honor of all of the new mothers out there, here’s a beautiful Mother’s Day gift; 11 stroller friendly hikes that I lovingly share with the rest of the 10,000,000 Los Angeles county residents! Happy Hiking!

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[Guest Blogger Series] Husband + Wife + 6 Kids x 1 Farm = Grand Outdoor Adventures by Fiona Cambouropoulos

Posted on by Jennifer Fontaine
Fiona and I met in the twitterverse about a year ago. It was a mutual admiration of the best kind; two outdoorsy moms, on two separate continents, doing their best to raise their kids wrapped in the loving arms of the great Mother Nature. With SIX kids, a farm to tend to and a business to run, Fiona and her husband are not only instilling in their family a deep respect of the land, they are also teaching them the value of hard work and bestowing upon them an immense understanding of what it means to be a steward of this great wide world. 

Twelve years ago we took the decision to quit corporate life with the long office hours and good pay, move our young family to the depth of Cornwall, take on a holiday business and a farm and change our life style forever.  Within two years we had doubled the family from 3 to 6 having triplets. Life would never be the same again in so many ways. Having 6 children in 6 years is hard, combine that with a new business too and my memories of those early years are sketchy. However I do know that family time was important, and that both Nick and I were always home for the children. If someone was poorly there was no need to take a day off work, or worry who would look after them, we were always here. If we wanted a family day out or to take advantage of a sunny day on the beach then we could do it with working time more flexible.


From the kid’s perspective, the eldest was only four when we moved and even he has no memory pre Coombe Mill. For them every day brings the freedom and magic of outdoor play, a safe environment and thirty acres as their own back yard. In between school and the myriad of after school clubs they embrace farm life. There is always a camp to build, a river to play in,  animals to care for and friends to make by way of our visiting guests, many of whom return year after year. 

There are so many wooded sections at Coombe Mill that finding a secret area to build a camp is never hard. The children bounce ideas off each other and their camps can become small communities using all they find around them. One project took a whole weekend to make and became their hideout for games thereafter. They were torn between showing off their handy work and keeping it secret from me!



Our river can be dangerous in the height of a rainy spell in winter, it has even risen and broken its banks before and the children know the current is strong and not to venture near. However in the summer it can fall to just welly height and make an awesome place to take their surf boards and cool off on a sunny day.


When the river is off limits there is always dam building in the streams and tributaries


Our top lake is another favourite for water play


Every morning on our farm begins with a tractor ride where our own children and our guests are invited to join us to feed and care for the animals here. We have quite a selection and it is a real hands on experience. With no fear and years of practice my children can easily pick up a baby animal or flappy duck, much to the delight of our younger visitors who often haven’t encountered such animals up close before. Free to return during the day it is a delight to watch children grow in confidence with the animals and countryside just on a week here at the farm.




When the holiday makers remark how lucky our children are to live here they just don’t get it, for them this is the only life they know and they can’t imagine living anywhere where running outside to play in nature’s playground wasn’t safe or normal. Their lifestyle is more like my own childhood where playing on the street or wondering off to the woods and parks alone with friends was deemed safe, I fear for many these days that is not the case. Traffic for starters in our cities and towns make crossing any road a challenge.

It’s not all play though, Coombe Mill is a family business and that means all the children are expected to pull their weight. No one has pocket money for free and they are all developing a healthy business understanding as they grow up. With their age range now from 10 – 16 they really contribute to life on the farm. However don’t feel too sorry for them, driving the tractor and giving train rides are just two of the fun jobs they have. Not a bad way to earn your pocket money!



If you fancy giving your family a taste of the freedom ours have at Coombe Mill, our holidays are designed with children in mind and offer a range of accommodation to suit every pocket. Hop aboard the morning tractor ride to help feed the animals with Farmer Nick and don’t forget to finish the day with a train ride from Guy; a truly memorable holiday from a family who understands what matters to parents. www.coombemill.com 

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About the Author

Fiona Cambouropoulos, her husband and their SIX children moved to Coombe Mill in 2002, giving up the South East ‘rat race’ in favour of the ‘good life’ in the country. Coombe Mill is their business, their passion and their hobby and they live there in the heart of the estate. When Fiona has nothing else to do, she also blogs about her incredible adventures.
By Jennifer Fontaine