Undesignated and nameless, this path located off Agoura Road is a challenging rollercoaster hike featuring hard-won panoramic views and the perfect place to catch a valley sunset.

Those with knee problems may want to sit this one out. But for the adventurous hiker looking for an invigorating workout amidst beautiful scenery and the sweet aromas of native flora, the trail is ideal, and deceptively local.

The trailhead for this little known path can be accessed from Agoura Road. To get there, head north on the 101 Freeway and take the Liberty Canyon exit, making a left onto Camwood Street, which turns into Liberty Canyon Road. Once past the freeway, make a right onto Agoura Road and in about a third of a mile look for an easily spotted dirt turnout on the left. Although the trailhead bears no official title, it’s clearly marked with a Santa Monica Mountain Conservancy sign.

Once on the trail, one will immediately notice the strong pungent smell of California sage and other local plants and shrubbery wafting through the air. The path begins with an immediate ascent into a sea of sage and continues with a steady incline that persists for at least half a mile before plummeting behind the ridge lines, only to rise once again. Climbing higher, the trail encounters Laurel Sumac, coyote bush, the desiccated remnants of sunflowers while the 101 Freeway shrinks below.

Before long, the steady of hum of sound from the freeway fades, replaced by the loud chirping of native birds as they flutter out from between the various scrubs and coyote bushes littering the sides of the trail. Rewarded with views of distant peaks and the rolling hills of Agoura Hills, one will likely reach the first peak breathless, mostly from the effort of the hike.

The path soars and falls in topography like a rollercoaster as it follows the hillside ridgelines. As one keeps climbing, more views of the surrounding landscape come into view.  From the top of the ridgelines, on a clear day, one can see the giant sandstone shapes of Saddle Peak, the mountain landscapes surrounding Agoura Hills and even the foothills of Simi Valley to the north. Open to sky with views all around, the trail sinks into the valleys like a setting sun.

At this time of year, being on the trail around 4-4:30 p.m. ensures a brilliant sunset framed by mountains and endless rolling green hills, the city lights of Calabasas, Agoura Hills and the freeway glittering like gems below.

The packed dirt gives way to crumbling steep rocks as it climbs the third hilltop, the peak of which offers other connecting trails into the various folds of surrounding mountain ranges. This is also a good spot to conclude the journey with a dazzling sunset behind what appears to be Lady Face Mountain before heading back in the gentle dusk, the light fading in the perfect amount of time to reach the car just as the darkness of night consumes the peaks above.

The path described above took approximately one  to two hours complete. Also, leashed dogs are allowed on this trail.