Hike #1597
November 29, 2024
Simi Valley Caves
Hike Leader: Robert Ferkle
Meet at 9:00 am for start at 9:30 am
The Rabbits will start at an earlier time to be determined.
This is an optional fun hike for the day after Thanksgiving. A small contingent of us did this hike almost three years ago. See YouTube video.
Directions to Trailhead: Go west on the 118 past Rocky Peak Road and into Simi Valley. Turn right on Kuehner Drive. Continue 400 yards till the private gated road and park at either side of the road. The trailhead is on the south side of the road.
Facilities: There are no restrooms or picnic tables at the trailhead, so please bring chairs.
Hike 1: Swing Cave
RT Distance, 2.3 miles. Elevation Gain, 995 feet. Mileages are given from the trailhead.
Download the AllTrails “Hummingbird Trail to Swing Cave.” Follow this track to the cave. There are many cris-crossed trails, so do not deviate from the AllTrails track.
Go south from the trailhead along the edge of the new housing development. After 0.23 miles take a left turn onto the Hummingbird Trail. After 70 yards, take the left fork at trail marker T-14. Follow the AllTrails track uphill. After 0.7 miles the trail turns sharply to the left. Continue upward following the directions painted on the rocks (blue arrows, white bunnies). After 1.15 miles you will see a steel cable bolted to the side of the cliff face. Use the cable to climb around the face of the rock until you see the Swing Cave on your right. There should be a ladder to assist your final climb into the cave. We understand that the various swings, hammocks and swinging chairs have been removed, and the colorful graffiti has been painted over. Too bad. Rest up and enjoy the view of Simi Valley and the Hummingbird Nest Ranch below. Retrace your steps to the trailhead.
AllTrails track to Swing Cave
Hike 2: Tunnel Cave
RT Distance, 1.8 miles. Elevation Gain, 460 feet.
Go south from the trailhead along the edge of the new housing development. After 0.23 miles take a left turn onto the Hummingbird Trail. After 70 yards, take the right fork at trail marker T-14 and continue on the Hummingbird Trail.
The Hummingbird Trail splits in two in various places giving a steep option and a less steep option. The trails rejoin after a short distance. Follow the trail for approximately 0.9 miles, and look for the Tunnel Cave entrance on your right. The coordinates are approximately 34.276772 -118.653757. If you have difficulty locating the entrance to the cave, plug these coordinates into Google Maps to make the final navigation.
The cave is basically horizontal with a slight downhill slope and less than 50 yards long. Use of a head-mounted flashlight is recommended. Be prepared for some crawling over rocks and squeezing through narrow spaces. You need to be fairly agile and flexible and not claustrophobic. See the YouTube video to decide whether you want to do this. The cave is once-through, and you will exit at a different location than you entered. There is only space for one-directional traffic so do not expect to be able to do a “round trip” inside the cave. Retrace your steps to the trailhead.
Google Earth track to Tunnel Cave.
Guided tour of the Tunnel Cave.
Hike 3: Combined Caves
RT Distance, 3.8 miles. Elevation Gain, 1,455 feet.
A simple combined hike of both caves would involve two out-and-backs connected at trail marker T-14. Since the Swing Cave climb involves the greatest elevation change, it would be best to do this first during the cooler part of the day.
There is a possibility of crossing from the Swing Cave trail directly to the Tunnel Cave, though there are no well-defined trails and there is a canyon to traverse, so it could be tricky.
