Cycling Piuma Road
Santa Monica Mountains, California
Ride 4.5 miles gaining 1,508’ at 6.4% average grade.
Piuma is an “interior” (not beginning on PCH) climb in the Santa Monica Mountains and is accessed by Malibu Canyon Road on the west, Cold Canyon Road from the north, and Las Flores Canyon Road-Rambla Pacifico Street from the east.
Start of the Piuma climb:
Ride east on Piuma for a quarter mile -- climb begins as you pass Carter Camp Dr. on the left.
Views along the climb.
Upper photo: View southwest of Malibu Canyon and Malibu Canyon Road.
View from tip of hairpin at mile 2.7.
Left photo: View southwest; Right photo: view northwest.
Riding up Piuma just before one of the three big hairpins -- mile 2.5.
Five perspectives of the giant hairpin just below David M. Brown Overlook.
Overlook at mile 2.7.
“Balanced on the narrow spine of Piuma Ridge, the popular David M. Brown Overlook affords prime views and many distant glimpses of the 110-square-mile Malibu Creek watershed. This includes Malibu Creek State Park, 588-acre King Gillette Ranch, and portions of the 65-mile-long Backbone Trail, all of which conservationist David M. Brown had a significant role in preserving as public parkland,” (MRCA).
The overlook was dedicated to David M. Brown after his death in 2013. Mr. Brown played a key role in preserving the Santa Monica Mountains. Read the LA Times tribute to David MacNeille Brown here.
Aerial views of David M. Brown Overlook and the hairpin that borders it.
Climb finish -- W. Saddle Peak Road to the left.