Exploring our own backyard ~ Rustic Canyon

Ya’ll know that there is nothing I love more than being in the great outdoors. And we have so many amazing hidden jems in Orange County and LA. I love exploring; and this week I found a new one that is worth checking out…Murphy Ranch.

According to Hikespeak.com, the story goes like this....  In the 1930′s, Nazi sympathizers built a hidden community in the hills north of Santa Monica with the belief that the US would fall to Germany and they would begin a new world. Of course, it didn’t work out that way and in 1941 the ranch was raided, the sympathizers arrested and charged with treason and the ranch closed. The community became an artists’ colony in the 60s and 70s before being abandoned. And there it stands now in the hills near Will Rogers’ State Park. The hike is moderately strenuous and is less than 4 miles round trip.  It is a fun afternoon spent trying to locate the Ranch, exploring the eery buildings and admiring the artwork that now fills the walls.  Click here to learn more about Rustic Canyon and take a field trip to check it out!