Oat Mountain Afternoon
Two weeks ago (before a scorching heat wave hit Los Angeles) I took a Saturday afternoon hike up to the LA-88 Nike Missile Base, and I am excited to share the area with you. 😊
If you are unfamiliar with Oat Mountain, it offers some great hikes in the Porter Ranch/Chatsworth area of Los Angeles. Oat Mountain boasts the highest peak in the Santa Susanna Mountains with an elevation of 3750 feet. One unique feature of this hike is the paved road you take up the mountain...but it's no walk in the park...there are still some steep elevation gains. Personally I like to take my time heading up the asphalt path and then jog back down feeling like the runner I never was!
You can spend many hours hiking multiple trails in the area, including the Oat Mountain Summit (nearly seven miles round trip). But recently I was in the mood for something decidedly less strenuous, so the 2 mile round-trip journey to the Nike Missile Complex was just the ticket.
LA 88-Nike Missile Base Complex is scattered with abandoned buildings and rubble. What remains is a cross between a barren wasteland and a graffiti artists concrete art gallery. One of 16 Nike anti-aircraft missile sites that used to surround the LA basin, there are still remnants of launching pads and underground bunkers in the area.
Along with the abandoned graffitied buildings, evidence of wildlife is all around...even the occasional horse and rider on the trails below. In the Spring, beautiful wildflowers blanket the hills and hug the path up the mountain.
There is minimal shade throughout any hike at Oat Mountain, and there is a parking fee of $5. But whether you're in the mood for a strenuous hike to the mountain's summit, or you just want a short hike to peak back on a piece of California history from the Cold War, this area is worth the visit.
Have you been to any of the Nike Missile Bases...and if so, which ones?
