You’re standing on a massive concrete pad in the middle of the Santa Monica Mountains, looking at 360-degree views of the San Fernando Valley and the Los Angeles basin. It’s quiet. Maybe a scrub jay screams in a nearby oak tree. But forty years ago, this exact spot was part of a terrifying, high-stakes game of nuclear chicken. This is San Vicente Mountain Park, and honestly, it’s one of the weirdest, coolest blends of military history and outdoor recreation in Southern California.
Most people come here for the sunset. They aren't wrong.
But if you just hike up, snap a photo of the Encino Reservoir, and leave, you’re missing the point. This isn't just a park; it’s LA-96C. That was the official designation for this site during the Cold War when it served as a Nike Hercules supersonic anti-aircraft missile launch site. Imagine being a young soldier stationed here in the late 1950s, staring at a radar screen, knowing that if a Soviet bomber appeared, your job was to help guide a missile to intercept it before it hit the city.
That’s heavy.
The Radar Towers and the Ghost of LA-96C
When you get to the summit, the first thing you’ll notice is the observation tower. It looks a bit like an oversized lifeguard stand or a bird-watching perch. It actually sits on the footprint of one of the original radar towers. From 1956 to 1968, this peak was bristling with electronic equipment.
The site was split into two main areas. The Mountain Park area was the "Integrated Fire Control" (IFC) site. This is where the brains of the operation lived—the radars and the computers. The actual missiles? They were tucked away in a different location nearby, specifically at what is now the Sepulveda Basin. If an order came down to fire, the IFC here at San Vicente would track the target and "talk" to the missile in flight, guiding it toward its destination via radio signals.
The technology was cutting-edge for the Eisenhower era. Today, your smartphone has more computing power than this entire mountain did, but back then, this was the pinnacle of defense technology.
Getting There Without Losing Your Mind
If you're trying to find the place, navigate to the corner of Mulholland Drive and Casiano Road. But here's the catch: Mulholland is unpaved for a large stretch here. We call it "Dirt Mulholland."
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You can approach from the west or the east. Most hikers prefer the Westridge Road entrance. You park at the end of a very fancy residential street in Brentwood and hike north. It’s about a 4-mile round trip if you stick to the main fire road, but the "single track" ridges offer much better views and a decent workout for your calves.
The fire road is basically a highway for mountain bikers and dogs. It’s wide. It’s easy. You’ll see people pushing strollers. If you want a more "authentic" mountain experience, take the Westridge Trail that runs parallel to the road. It’s narrower, dustier, and feels a lot less like a municipal project.
The Infrastructure of Armageddon
Walking around the summit, you’ll see some vintage-looking signs provided by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA). They do a pretty good job of explaining the mechanics of the Nike program.
One of the most interesting things to look for is the old sentry dog kennel. Yes, they had guard dogs. These weren't pets. They were trained to protect the sensitive radar equipment from potential saboteurs. There’s something deeply surreal about seeing a place designed for such a grim, world-ending purpose now being used by people in yoga pants drinking iced lattes.
It’s a bizarre juxtaposition.
You've got the remnants of a system designed to survive a nuclear exchange, and right next to it, a water fountain for golden retrievers.
Why the Views Here Are Different
Most LA hikes give you one view. Runyon gives you the Hollywood sign and the strip. Sandstone Peak gives you the ocean. San Vicente Mountain Park gives you everything.
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To the north, the San Fernando Valley stretches out like a grid. On a clear day—usually after a rainstorm—you can see the Santa Susana Mountains and the San Gabriels. Turn 180 degrees, and you’re looking at the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island. It’s one of the few places where you can truly grasp the scale of Los Angeles.
The elevation is roughly 1,950 feet. It’s not "mountain climbing" in the Alpine sense, but because it’s the highest point in the immediate vicinity, it feels much loftier.
Wildlife and the "Urban Wild"
Don't let the concrete pads fool you. This is prime habitat for some of California’s more interesting residents.
- Coyotes: You will hear them if you stay past sunset. They are bold but generally keep their distance.
- Mule Deer: They frequent the chaparral on the hillsides below the radar site.
- Rattlesnakes: Between April and October, keep your eyes on the trail. They love sunning themselves on the warm pavement of the old access roads.
- Red-tailed Hawks: They use the thermals coming off the valley floor to circle the peak.
The vegetation is classic California chaparral. You’ll see plenty of chamise, manzanita with its smooth red bark, and scrub oak. In the spring, the ceanothus (California lilac) turns the hillsides a hazy purple-blue. It smells incredible.
The Reality of Visiting
Parking at the Westridge trailhead is free, but it fills up fast on weekends. If you show up at 10:00 AM on a Saturday, expect to park half a mile down the street.
The park is open from sunrise to sunset. There are restrooms (portable ones, usually) and a few picnic tables with some of the best views in the county. There is no shade. I cannot stress this enough. The Santa Monica Mountains are a Mediterranean climate, which is a fancy way of saying "it gets hot and dry." If you do this hike in July at noon, you’re going to have a bad time.
Bring twice the water you think you need.
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Misconceptions About the Missiles
A common mistake people make is thinking the missiles were launched from the top of San Vicente. They weren't.
Launching a missile from a high peak like this would have been impractical for the logistical needs of the 1950s. The missiles were stored in underground silos in flatter areas. The San Vicente site was the "eyes." If you want to see what the actual launchers looked like, you have to head over to San Pedro (Site LA-43) or the highly restored Site SF-88 in the Marin Headlands up north.
At San Vicente, you are standing at the command center. You are where the decisions would have been made.
Practical Advice for Your Visit
- Check the Santa Ana winds: If there’s a Wind Advisory, this mountain becomes a wind tunnel. It can be miserable and even a bit dangerous with flying debris.
- Dog etiquette: This is a very dog-friendly park. However, because it's a popular spot, keep your pup on a leash near the summit. The drop-offs aren't sheer cliffs, but they're steep enough to cause trouble.
- Mountain Bikers: They fly down the fire road. If you’re hiking, stay to the right and keep your ears open.
- Photography: The "golden hour" here is world-class. If you're a photographer, bring a tripod. The transition from the orange glow over the Pacific to the twinkling lights of the Valley is spectacular.
The Preservation of San Vicente Mountain Park
We are lucky this place exists as a park. After the Nike program was deactivated in the late 60s, many of these sites were simply abandoned or sold off to private developers. The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and the MRCA stepped in to preserve this one, recognizing both its historical significance and its value as an open space.
It serves as a reminder of a very specific period in American history—a time of intense anxiety and incredible engineering.
Actionable Steps for Your Trip
To make the most of San Vicente Mountain Park, follow this sequence:
- Start at the Westridge Trailhead (end of Westridge Rd) around two hours before sunset. This gives you plenty of time to hike the 2 miles up at a leisurely pace.
- Skip the fire road on the way up. Take the ridge trail to your left for better views and fewer crowds.
- Spend at least 20 minutes at the summit. Read the interpretive signs. Climb the tower. Look for the circular concrete foundations where the radar domes (radomes) used to sit.
- Walk a bit further east on Mulholland. If you keep going past the radar site toward the Encino Reservoir, the crowds thin out almost instantly.
- Bring a headlamp. If you stay for the sunset, the hike back down will be dark. The fire road is easy to follow, but you don't want to trip on a loose rock in the shadows.
- Visit the nearby "Hub." If you're feeling ambitious, you can continue past San Vicente to "The Hub," a junction that can take you deeper into Topanga State Park or down into Cathedral Oak.
This isn't just a walk in the woods. It's a walk through a history that almost ended the world, situated in one of the most beautiful natural settings in Los Angeles. Appreciate the peace, because it was hard-won.