Vanalden Cave - A Tarzana Site on a Hike to Panoramic Views

According to Vanalden Cave Trail | Los Angeles | Hikespeak.com 

• Dogs and mountain bikes are permitted on Vanalden Trail. 
• No fee or permit is required to hike to Vanalden Cave, so get out and enjoy!
• Vanalden Cave is only covered on top by a few feet of rock.
• Going an additional 3 miles you will reach Vanalden Vista  which "presents a pretty astonishing perspective of the Santa Monica Mountains"

Vanalden Cave Trail, California - 1,151 Reviews, Map | AllTrails also gives details of the hike

• The section of the trail approaching the cave is not marked, having the map accessible to help navigate is recommended
• You will follow a fire road up to the spur trail leading to the cave.
• The caves are made of sandstone and the roof is filled with interesting holes.

Itinerary Plans describes Vanalden Cave as "A Hidden Gem in the Santa Monica Mountains" and they include dimensions of the cave. 

• Sandstone Shelter that stands 25 feet tall, 25 fee wie and extends 50 feet deep
• The Roof is only a few feet thick with holes in the ceiling, letting in natural light
• The walls are covered in unique carvings and spray paint (graffiti), with some humorous and strange faces etched into the rock
• Be aware there are a few unmarked junctions, so make sure to follow the directions carefully

Vanalden Cave Trail Guide | Outdoor SoCal includes elevation and trailhead coordinates and a note about the vegetation and wildlife:

• Elevation gain and loss:  350 feet / - 350 feet
• Trailhead coordinates: 34.134922, -118.562987
• A low-hanging tree marks the trail’s entrance
• Indigenous plants like coyote brush and chaparral clematis dot the open hillside
• Groves of coast live oak and cottonwoods provide canopies over the more fertile valley areas.
• Desert cottontails, badgers and bobcats sharing the ground with the occasional mule deer or mountain lion
• Scrub jays, California quail, acorn woodpeckers and western screech owls patrol the skies.

All commentators on the Vanalden Cave remark about the accumulation of trash by modern day, new visitors, and careless hikers.  

"Be sure to leave the area cleaner than you found it."

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