Hitler's Hidden California Bunker

by: Basecamp

In the midst of Rustic Canyon’s winding trails in Santa Monica lay the ruins of Murphy Ranch. While it is not uncommon to stumble upon abandoned buildings out in the wild, this particular place has a very dark past. In the early 1930’s American Nazi Advocates (Silver Shirts) built this refuge and occupied it as a self-contained stronghold. They were waiting for the United States to fall under Nazi control, but were shut down by US authorities in 1941 after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. It was left abandoned until the mid 60’s when the hippies took the place over for a decade or so. Today, this little piece of history is covered in rust and graffiti only to be seen by those that seek it.

 

I’d heard rumors around town that in the hills of Santa Monica lay Hitler’s very own California Ranch. After a bit of research and Google mapping I decided it was time to pay a visit to Murphy Ranch. It was only a mile and a half hike to reach the entrance, which was a fairly easy task because of the paved trail; the hard part was the stairs. There are roughly around 300 steps to get to the bottom of the canyon. After I conquered the stairs of doom it was just a bit more hiking and climbing to reach old bunkers, VW bus, the old garden, a powerhouse, a barn and the creek. If you have a few hours to kill or just love hiking I highly recommend you go and check this place out.

 

By VA