Murphy Ranch, Abandoned ranch in Pacific Palisades, United States

Murphy Ranch is an abandoned property in Rustic Canyon near Pacific Palisades, featuring concrete structures built in the 1930s. The site includes a power station, water tank, and remnants of raised garden beds scattered among the canyon's vegetation.

The property was built in the 1930s by Winona and Norman Stevens as a planned retreat on private land. Between 1950 and 1965, the site became an artists' colony before eventually being left to decay.

The concrete powerhouse is the only structure still standing on the Murphy Ranch portion, and its walls are covered in graffiti that is continually repainted. The white tags "4LOKO" and "SOLLICITOS" are visible on the rusted facade. The site also appears in Richard Kadrey's Sandman Slim novel Killing Pretty and in Alex Goldberg's 2020 radio play Annexing the Palisades.

The route to the site follows a trail from Sullivan Ridge Road, descending into Rustic Canyon with a round trip of several miles and many stairs. The terrain is steep and uneven in places, so bring plenty of water and wear sturdy shoes.

Eight long concrete staircases were built into the canyon side in 1934 to reach terraced orchard trees. The property was also enclosed by a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire, which appears to remain today. The concrete powerhouse is the only structure still standing on the Murphy Ranch portion.