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Travel Matters | by Stephen & Andie
  • Our L.A.

How To Get To Murphy Ranch: An Abandoned WWII-era Compound In Los Angeles

January 20, 2021 3

We were surprised to learn that right here in Los Angeles, there’s a property that was once meant to be a headquarters for Hitler himself. That’s right, there’s an abandoned Nazi compound in Pacific Palisades called Murphy Ranch, and we’re going to tell you how to get to it. 

Murphy Ranch sits in Rustic Canyon, in the hills above Los Angeles. It’s a property in ruins now, with decaying structures covered in street art. Nothing about it gives away its dark past, and it’s debatable how much is fact versus folklore, but we had to come and explore it for ourselves. Check out our vlog about it here!

a man in a field by an abandoned and grafittied water tower

©Stephen & Andie

History Of Murphy Ranch

Murphy Ranch was built in the 1930s by Nazi sympathizers Norman and Winona Stephens, under the direction of a German National known as Herr Schmidt. The couple were anti-semites and white supremacists, and members of the Silver Legion of America. They poured millions into the self-sustaining property, which included a home that was intended for Hitler. They believed he would conquer Europe, and then come hide away in Los Angeles to plot his takeover of the U.S. In addition to the house, there were also water tanks, a fuel tank, a bomb shelter, stables, and several bunkers. Fortunately, federal authorities had been keeping an eye on them and in 1941, agents raided the compound and confiscated the property. During the 60s and 70s the abandoned buildings became an artist’s colony, until the Mandeville Canyon Fire in 1978 which caused the grounds to be abandoned once again. 

Directions To The Best Parking For Murphy Ranch

From Sunset Boulevard, head North on Capri Drive. Follow Capri until you hit a dead end at Casale Road. This is residential, so be respectful of neighbors and find unposted street parking. There was plenty available when we visited.

Getting To The Trailhead

Start walking westbound on Casale Road, which will turn into Sullivan Fire Road. You’ll see a stone gate. Walk through the gate and follow the driveway to the bottom of the canyon. HIke about another ⅔ of a mile up that wide paved road. You’ll see a chain link fence on your left. Go through the opening and you’ll be led to the top of a massive stone staircase which will take you way down into the canyon. If you miss this staircase, there will be another about ¼ mile up the road next to an abandoned water tower, which is part of the compound.

I Would Walk 500 Stairs

Walk down the 500+ stairs (yes, 500+!) until they end at a road. Turn left here and follow this road all the way down to the bottom of Rustic Canyon. The road continues up the canyon, surrounded by trees that conceal what’s left of the ruins of Murphy Ranch along the way.

The Ruins Of Murphy Ranch

At about the half-mile point, you’ll reach a large heavily spray painted concrete building. Reports claim this was the power building. Once you’re in this area, a variety of structures and miscellaneous things will start to reveal themselves. We saw remnants of walls and building foundations, huge water tanks, a water trough, water spigots, a bomb shelter or bunker (which was wired for power back in the day!), and other evidence of a once fully-functioning compound. If you continue up the road headed north from here, you’ll come to a dilapidated steel structure that “historians” say used to be a garage and machine shed. 

You’ll see several footpaths from those who came exploring before you. Follow them and see what you find. None of these ruins have been preserved, and less and less of the notable structures remain with each passing year. At some point in recent years, some of the ruins had even been demolished due to safety concerns.

street art on an abandoned structure reads "I Hate My Job" and depicts Britney Spears shaving her own head.

©Stephen & Andie

Finding Your Way Out Of Murphy Ranch

To leave Rustic Canyon, head back to the power plant structure. Make your way up the stairs to the right until you reach the road coming down from Sullivan Fire Road. Go left and go up about a half-mile. You’ll pass one of those massive water tanks we mentioned and eventually arrive at the spot where a stone and wrought iron gate used to be. This was the impressive entrance to Murphy Ranch, and you might be able see some remnants of its footprint. Through there you will arrive at Sullvan Ridge Fire Road where you’ll turn right and follow it to your starting point.

The Attraction Of Murphy Ranch 

While Murphy Ranch may have a dark past, its remnants have attracted those with more innocent intent over the years. Artists, hippies, and hikers alike all come to explore the beautiful canyon. And by the way, there is no fee to visit! Rustic Canyon is a wonderful, secluded place to hike and explore. And getting to see some history along the way makes it all the more interesting. Hot tip: bring water and wear comfortable shoes and clothes for hiking. 

a woman sits on the roof of an abandoned structure at Murphy Ranch

©Stephen & Andie

Speaking Of Hiking

If you love hiking, we 100% recommend the hike up to the iconic Hollywood Sign to see the most spectacular views in Los Angeles! We’ve got a post with directions to hike to the Hollywood Sign here. And check out our vlog from that day to see the views for yourself! If you’d like to virtually hike to some cool waterfalls in NC with us, watch here!

Let Us Know If These Directions Were Helpful In Your Visit To Murphy Ranch!

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Tags:CaliforniahikesLos AngelesNorth AmericaUnited Statesvideos
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3 Comments

  1. Dog Friendly Things To Do In Los Angeles says:
    March 27, 2021 at 12:33 am Reply

    […] How To Get To Murphy Ranch: An Abandoned WWII-era Compound In Los Angeles […]

  2. Your Guide To Los Angeles From A Local Perspective says:
    March 27, 2021 at 10:47 pm Reply

    […] And if you’re looking for a unique hike with a a shocking backstory, check out How To Get To Murphy Ranch: An Abandoned WWII-era Compound in L.A.. […]

  3. Best Way To Get The Best View Of The Hollywood Sign says:
    March 28, 2021 at 12:25 am Reply

    […] How To Get To Murphy Ranch: An Abandoned WWII-era Compound In Los Angeles […]

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Today we explore the Amazon jungle by night. Our flashlights reveal plenty of creepy crawlies, including unusual insects, cute frogs, a variety of spiders – including a bizarre one that looked like a robot, and Andie got her wish when we saw not one, but two tarantulas! Stephen was relieved to not run into any snakes, but later that night he was jolted awake by an an uninvited “guest” in our bed!

Only 2% of the #Amazon Jungle is in Ecuador, and part of that is in the #Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, which is where we visited during our Ecuador trip. It was our first visit to the world's largest rainforest, and we already can't wait to go back and see more!

This is the sixth video in our first-ever international series! Quito, Ecuador was the first international trip we took together back in 2011. Eleven years later, it’s where we filmed our first international series and first drone footage for our channel! 

We spent two weeks in Ecuador this time, including Quito, day-trips to Mindo and Cotopaxi National Park, the Amazon, and one of our top-3 bucket list destinations: the Galápagos Islands! 

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📍LOCATION: Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, Ecuador, South America

✦ PLACES VISITED IN THIS VLOG: 

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TRAVEL, FOOD, CULTURE, CLIMATE
Follow Our Mission to See ALL 50 STATES! 🇺🇸 🚐

Stephen & Andie | Travel Stuff
Oregon’s got #mood for days! Oregon is state no Oregon’s got #mood for days!

Oregon is state no. 22 in our mission to see ALL 50 STATES (plus DC & Puerto Rico)! Our first sleep and first morning of #vanlife was in Astoria, then we headed to Cannon Beach and were bowled over by the foggy views of majestic Haystack Rock. 

👉 LINK IN BIO 👈 to see more of the beautiful Oregon coast in our latest vlog, “First Night In Our Van!”

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#traveloregon #cannonbeach #oregoncoast #cannonbeachoregon #oregon #haystackrock #travelmatters #all50states #vanlife
We fell in love with Oregon! Swipe 👉 to see why We fell in love with Oregon! Swipe 👉 to see why!

After buying our Sprinter in Portland we headed for the Oregon coast to spend our first night in her in Astoria. The next day we explored town and also made our way to Cannon Beach. Both were nothing short of stunning! Our drives through the state just got more and more beautiful and we couldn’t stop thinking how grateful and excited we are to be new #vanlifers. 

This is going to be an amazing year!

📷 Our first coffee on our first morning after our first night sleeping in our campervan. 📍Astoria.

📷 Isn’t she lovely? 😍 That’s Haystack Rock behind Andie. You might recognize it from movies like Point Break and GOONIES! 📍Cannon Beach.

📷 Having too much fun watching a pile of giant sea lions sleeping peacefully. 📍Astoria

📷 Loving our lives! 📍 Cannon Beach

👉 Link in bio 👈 to see all of this and more in our latest vlog “First Night In Our Van!”

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#oregon #oregoncoast #astoria #cannonbeach #haystackrock #lewisandclarkrvpark #vanlife #sprintervan #sprintervanlife #all50states
Hello #vanlife! 🚐 We’re so excited to finally Hello #vanlife! 🚐 We’re so excited to finally share this news with you – we bought a camper van! *Join us at 12:15pm EST today (Monday)* for a live chat during the Premiere of our new vlog, where we spill the tea.

After months of behind the scenes planning and hunting, we settled on this beauty at the end of October: a 170” wheelbase, high top Sprinter, located in Portland, OR. In this video we fly to the Pacific Northwest to make the purchase and begin our two and a half week, cross-country journey from Portland back to North Carolina. But not before grabbing a rainy day lunch at one of Portland’s food cart havens – Cartlandia. Some hot grits from Grits Gone Wild warm us up to send us on our first outing in our new home on wheels.

We couldn’t be more excited, and this trip already kicks off our mission to see all 50 states (plus DC and Puerto Rico!). You’ll be seeing this cross-country trip, plus another month-long run in her over the holidays –  all in our upcoming vlogs!

Now — any guesses what we named her? 
Hint: any fans of the movie Role Models? 😜

PLACES VISITED IN THIS VLOG:

@gritsgonewildpnw 

#cartlandia

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#sprinter #sprintervan #sprinter2500 #campervan #vantravel  #vanlifers #roadtrip #roadtrippers #travelmatters #travelvloggers #UStravel #USAtravel #youtubers #DIY #Ace #kissmyvanthia #vanlifeusa
$150 train ticket from New York to… New York? $150 train ticket from New York to… New York? 

We REALLY loved our first time doing some train travel in the U.S. together! We rode the Hudson River Rail aboard the 20th Century Limited – the last two remaining, fully restored, 1940s train cars from what was “The Most Famous Train In the World” in its day. 

Our journey took us from Penn Station in Manhattan up to Albany and back. 

Sit back and enjoy the views! 👉 Link in bio 👈 to see the vlog!

📷 1: on the platform in Albany

📷 2: Penn Station, NYC

🎥 3: enjoying the VIP lounge at Penn Station pre-boarding

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#newyork #traintravel #hudsonriverrail #20thcenturylimited #1940s #vintagetrain #hudsonriver #travelmatters #travelvloggers #youtubers
California sunsets just hit different. 🌅 We we California sunsets just hit different. 🌅

We were Angelenos for literal decades and we still can’t believe how many iconic places in California we took for granted and never visited! Morro Bay is just one of them, and we’re SO STOKED that a recent cross-country road trip (big announcement on that front soon!) took us right past the area. Naturally, we looked at each other, said “Morro Bay?,” and turned the 🚐 around to head back just in time for a gorgeous sunset. 

Now we’re even more determined to hit all the spots that we took for granted and we’ll always find excuses to make our way back through Cali! Yosemite, Redwoods, Death Valley – we’re talking to you! 

What other spots do we need to hit? Shout ‘em out in the comments!

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#morrobay #sunset #centralcoast #SLO  #SanLuisObispo #california #southerncalifornia #daytrip #roadtrip #californialandmarks
We saw ALL THE MANATEES today! This was our second We saw ALL THE MANATEES today!
This was our second attempt at @bluespringstatepark within a couple weeks. We saw zero manatees the first time, and committed to returning after spending some time in Southern Florida. Turns out, we happened upon some manatees in the marina @evergladesnps, but the water was so murky we could only see parts of them… if they surfaced. 

Today was the day we got to return to Blue Spring. The weather was much cooler this time (great conditions for spotting manatees in the springs), and when we pulled up to the entrance, the sign read “MANATEE COUNT *288*” For context, there was no count on the sign for our previous visit, so… YAY! 

Can’t say exactly what OUR manatee count was, but we easily saw dozens in a short amount of time – from adorable little babies to giants! The water was crystal clear. It was so serene – watching them graciously glide through, only occasionally making a splash. Hearing that beautiful sound when they surfaced for air. Today was an AWESOME day, and we’re so thankful that we had the flexibility to come back and spend some quality time with these beautiful, unique creatures. 🥰

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#manatees #bluespringstatepark #centralflorida #orlando #florida #therealflorida #wildlife #statepark #bluespring #bluesprings #manateestatepark #bluespringmanatees #travelmatters #travelvloggers
Is this seat taken? Nothing says “classic New J Is this seat taken? 
Nothing says “classic New Jersey” like Asbury Park! We visited the boardwalk for the first time this summer as part of our DIY food tour of New Jersey. 

A killer coffee roastery? ✅
Cereal pancakes? ✅
Disco fries? ✅
$27 milkshake??? ✅

LINK IN BIO to see all that, plus a unique Jersey twist on “the slushee” in our latest vlog, now live on YouTube! 

This is state #20 in our mission to visit all 50 states (plus DC & Puerto Rico) - join our adventures! 

PLACES VISITED IN THIS VLOG:
@buddysjc
@roastd.coffee
@thetopsdiner
@coneywaffleasburypark

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#newjersey #asburypark #newjerseyfood #foodtour #jerseycity #fortlee #jerseyshore #travelvlog #travelmatters
As you set your goals for 2023, don’t be afraid As you set your goals for 2023, don’t be afraid to be the orange fish. If an idea or dream scares you or feels too different, it’s probably the one you should go for!

We spotted these guys while snorkeling in the Galápagos Islands. See the full vlogs on our YouTube channel. LINK IN BIO!

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#fish #schooloffish #galapagos #galapagosislands #ecuador #travelmatters #travelvloggers #wildlife #conservation #underwatervideo #snorkeling🐠 
#newyeargoals #lifegoals
We saw so much cool wildlife in the Galapagos! See We saw so much cool wildlife in the Galapagos! See the full vlogs on our YouTube channel. LINK IN BIO!

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#galapagos #galapagosislands #ecuador #travelmatters #travelvloggers #wildlife #conservation #sealion #bluefootedbooby #tortoise #frigate #iguana #crab #fish
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