I arrived at the trailhead just as the sun was rising long before 7:00 am.  The parking lot was already full and made me feel like i was missing something big.  

The trail climbs almost 1000 feet vertical in less than 1 mile so a slow steady pace was important.   Starting up the trail you get a good view of the Point Mugu Naval Air Stations shooting range and the Point Mugu Naval Air Station.  People passed me on the way down as if they started long before day light.

Mugu Peak is a prominent mountain located in Ventura County, California, near the Pacific coast. The mountain has a long history dating back to the Chumash people who lived in the area for thousands of years before the arrival of European explorers and settlers.

The Chumash people considered Mugu Peak to be a sacred site and used it for ceremonial purposes. They also used the mountain as a lookout point to monitor the movement of other tribes and to keep an eye on the Pacific Ocean for incoming ships.

During the Spanish colonial period, Mugu Peak was part of the Rancho Guadalasca land grant, which was given to Ysabel Yorba and her husband, Mariano Tapia, in 1836. The land was used primarily for cattle grazing and farming.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Mugu Peak and the surrounding area became popular for hunting and fishing. It was also used as a filming location for Hollywood movies, including “The Charge of the Light Brigade” in 1936.

During World War II, the U.S. military established the Naval Base Ventura County on the nearby coastline. Mugu Peak was used as a training ground for Navy pilots, and a radar station was built on the summit of the mountain.

After the war, Mugu Peak remained an active radar station and was used for air traffic control until the 1990s. Today, the summit of Mugu Peak is part of the Point Mugu State Park and is a popular hiking destination, offering panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean and the surrounding mountains.