Barbara and I chose this hike for its closeness to Studio City-Sherman Oaks-Encino, a simple out and back trail marked 'easy' where we could try out our new hiking poles and be done before lunch. How in the world, after 335 hikes did Barbara and I not know about this place? Canyonback Trail has to rank in the top 5 of in-the-city hiking views, better than Fryman and Runyon and Franklin. Utterly breathtaking from start to finish. Internally, it's a no-shade, dirt fire road with multiple offshoots—a mountain bikers' playground and a 3+mile doggie off-leash dream trail. For the hikers, a jaw-dropping, 270-degree view from the valley to DTLA to the pacific coastline out to Catalina. Barbara and I saw the sweeping valley view first,  then, even on a hazy morning it was "there's downtown, wait, is that Century City?" And then "is that the OCEAN or haze?" I did a compass check, the Santa Monica to Palos Verdes shoreline came into view...from Encino! It was awesome. The mountains and valley show off a pallet of lush greens, and Mother Nature had put out her early offering of purple-with-a-touch-of-yellow wildflowers. Easy access from the valley side: down Havenhurst south of Ventura Blvd. to trailhead off Encino Hills Drive. Westridge-Canyonback Wilderness Park is part of the 20,000 acre Santa Monica Mountains' "Big Wild" starting just west of the 405 above the Sepulveda Pass. You'd never know unless you go. My iPhone camera just can't capture the distant views, so the pix aren't even close to what we saw in person. The hike is challenging in places but not hard, but most of all, the view is stunning. Go!