The Temescal Canyon Trail is a great little trek and a nice alternative to a hardcore survivalist hike. You are more likely to see hikers dressed in Juicy Couture than REI in this neighborhood hike for the well-heeled denizens of Pacific Palisades. Alas, you may not find the same esprit de corps of the hikers one encounters deep in the San Gabriels or San Bernardinos. But what do you expect? The trail head is just off Sunset Boulevard, not Angeles Crest. Still, this is a very respectable hike that packs 1,000 feet of elevation gain in its four-mile loop. And where it crosses a creek at the top of the canyon, there is a nice little waterfall much of the year. Beware: This trail can be a beastly hot and dusty experience on summer afternoons. Most people take this loop clockwise, which packs the elevation gain into the very beginning and puts the ocean at one's back. Try taking it counterclockwise and treat yourself to views of the Pacific from Malibu to Palos Verdes on the way down. Temescal Canyon Trail, intersection of Temescal Canyon Rd. and Sunset Blvd., Pacific Palisades.