Vital Link Trail to Verdugo Peak Hike

6 miles - Hard Effort
3-4 Hours (Total)
1,920 Total Feet of Climbing
Max Elevation of 3,126 feet
Leashed Dogs Allowed

The Verdugo Mountains, often overshadowed by their bigger neighbors, offer great hiking and trails right in the middle of LA. This hike on the popular Vital Link Trail takes you to the highest point in the range, Verdugo Peak. The Vital Link Trail is a tough one, but you're rewarded along the way with panoramic views from the ocean to the San Gabriels. And the Burbank trailhead makes it convenient to most of LA.

In this Guide:

Video & Turn by Turn Vital Link Trail Directions
How to Get to the Vital Link Trail
Everything You Need to Know To Prepare for the Hike

Quick Links: Wildwood Canyon Park - NOAA Weather Report - Top Gear Picks (Sep 2023)

When planning, always check the park website and social media to make sure the trails are open. Similarly, check the weather and road conditions.

Where is the Vital Link Trail?

The hike starts at Burbank's Wildwood Canyon Park. There are several trails in the park, which can get confusing, so make sure you pay attention to the starting directions below. There is plenty of free parking at the hike.

Use this trailhead address to get to the park:
Wildwood Canyon Park, 1701 Wildwood Canyon, Burbank CA 91501

Vital Link Parking — When you pull into the park, drive up the paved road until you get to the trailhead. If there are no parking spots, you can park further down and walk up the park road

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 3 — Enter the park at the gate.

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 4 — There is some street parking when you first go through the gate. Otherwise keep going up the road.

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 5 — When you get to the 2nd big stone arch (on the left), park. If you can't park here, just park further down the road.

There are a few use-trails in the park that all lead to the Vital Link Trail. These hike directions use the trailhead described here.

The park has port-a-potties and water fountains (that don't always work). I'd take care of your business and fill up with water before you get here.

Gear for the Hike

The main thing to be aware of is the lack of shade and the heat. If you are doing this hike when it's hot out, use sun protection and bring plenty of water. I usually bring 2L. The trail is steep and sandy, so good hiking footwear and trekking poles will help on the steeper slope.

My Latest Gear Picks

Garmin inReach Mini 2 ( Amazon | REI )
HOKA Speedgoat 5 ( Men | Women )
Zpacks Sub-Nero Ultra ( Zpacks | Review )
Alpine Carbon Cork Poles ( REI | Amazon )

As a hiking guide, I test lots of hiking gear. On my picks page, I'll show you all of the gear that I actually use. I don't accept paid promotions or talk about the stuff that doesn't make the cut. It's just the gear that works best, so you don't have to waste your money.

All My September 2023 Top Gear Picks

Vital Link Trail Maps

The trails to Verdugo Peak are not well marked, but are relatively easy to follow. The Vital Link Trail has lots of cut-offs, and it can be hard to know what is a trail cut-off and which is a trail junction. If you have a GPS, loading the GPX file helps.

If you look at the OSM map, you'll see lots of trails that (as of me writing this) are not there. They might have been at one point, or are small use trails, but in general there is a lot in the OSM map that's not hike-able.

Explore Map on CalTopo View a Printable PDF Hike Map Download the Hike GPX File

Best Smartphone Apps to Navigate: AllTrails | GaiaGPS | OnX

Elevation Profile

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Poster Elevation — The brunt of the climbing is in the first half of the hike. There's no warmup. It's pretty much straight up. At the end of the Vital Link Trail you reach the Verdugo Motorway (dirt) and then it's just a cruise to Verdugo Peak.

3D Map

Vital Link Trail to Verdugo Peak Hike Directions

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FYI "Verdugo" means executioner or hangman in Spanish.

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 6 — Start by hiking through the stone archway. Such a grand entrance!

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 7 — You immediately start hiking up some short, steep switchbacks.

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 1 — And soon you'll start getting great views as the switchbacks leave the tree cover. That's it for the shade.

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 8 — When you come around a bend you'll be able to see Verdugo Peak in the distance. It's the peak with one big tower to the right.

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 9 — When you get to this junction, make the hard right. The trail to the left is the connector trail that came in from the lower part of Wildwood Canyon Park.

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 10 — After that you really start going up. This photo gives you an idea of how steep it is. Also notice the cutoffs. There are so many cutoffs that it's hard to know which is the official trail. A good rule of thumb here is that you'll never being going downhill. If you are, you're probably on the wrong trail.

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 11 — When you need to catch your breath, turn around to enjoy some sweet views of downtown LA.

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 12 — There are a small handful of trail sections that are level, but they're few and far between.

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 13 — After that last flat section, you'll be able to see the Vital Link Trail snake up the ridge to the radio towers.

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 14 — Keep climbing....

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 15 — And when you see this stone column, make the left onto the Vital Link Trail. This stone column marks the official start of the Vital Link Trail.

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 16 — And you guessed it, more climbing!

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 17 — Make the left at the next junction.

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 18 — And stay left at the following junction.

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 19 — The last stretch might be the toughest. You'll see the trail climbing above you.

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 20 — Soon you'll approach the communications towers, which is where Vital Link Trail ends.

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 21 — The big climb is over! When you get out to the fire road, go STRAIGHT, away from Verdugo Peak, not right, which is what your intuition will tell you to do.

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 22 — There's a very cool chair at this junction.

If you go right, there is a dead end at some communications equipment, but there's also a hidden, shady bench. I marked the waypoint in the GPX file. It's a nice place to catch your breath before continuing.

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 23 — Here's what that bench looks like to the right.

Okay, back to the directions to Verdugo Peak.

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 24 — Once coming out on the fire road, head straight, away from Verdugo Peak. The road will twist back to the right.

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 25 — When you get to the intersection, make the right. From here on out you'll be heading in the direction Verdugo Peak on the Verdugo Motorway.

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 36 — You'll get some incredible views of Angeles National Forest as you hike along the Vedugo Motorway. The big mountain with the antennas on it is Mt Lukens and the pointy one on the right is Strawberry Peak.

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 26 — Keep heading straight on the fire road.

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 27 — You can still see evidence of the 2017 La Tuna fire.

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 28 — At the intersection with Plantation Lateral, make the right.

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 29 — There's a nice bench if you want to make a 2 minute detour at the Plantation Lateral junction. There's also a swing there, but it's easy to hit your head, so be careful!

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 30 — Keep hiking and make the right at the next junction for the Hostetter Fire Road.

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 31 — Soon after that you'll see the Verdugo Motorway sign that lots of people pose with on their social media posts.

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 32 — Follow the paved path up to Verdugo Peak.

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 33 — The top is fenced in, but you can walk around the fence for the views.

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 34 — If you keep walking around the fence you'll find some benches.

Vital Link Trail To Verdugo Peak Directions 35 — Verdugo Peak has great prominence and on a clear day, you can see the Santa Monica Mountains, Catalina, Long Beach and the San Gabriels.

From here you just turn around and go back the way you came!

Have a question about the guide or want to see what other people are saying/asking? View the Youtube comments for this video. Leave a comment and I will do my best to respond.

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This Guide Was Written by Cris Hazzard

Cris Hazzard 4 Mile Trail Yosemite
Hi, I'm Cris Hazzard, aka Hiking Guy, a professional outdoors guide, hiking expert, and author based in Southern California. I created this website to share all the great hikes I do with everyone else out there. This site is different because it gives detailed directions that even the beginning hiker can follow. I also share what hiking gear works and doesn't so you don't waste money. I don't do sponsored or promoted content; I share only the gear recommendations, hikes, and tips that I would with my family and friends. If you like the website and YouTube channel, please support these free guides (I couldn't do it without folks like you!).

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