Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area Day Trip

The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is the perfect destination, with year-round access and the Pacific Ocean as its backdrop. It combines more than 150,000 acres of soft rolling hills, rugged mountains, wooded backcountry, and sandy beaches.

Located just minutes from the urban sprawl of downtown Los Angeles, the Santa Monica Mountains are L.A.’s backyard and is the largest urban national park in the United States. A seamless system of federal, state, and local parklands, with places for endless outdoor activities

Ten Fun Things To Do Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area

King Gillette Ranch

Upon arrival to the area, visitors at King Gillette Ranch at Las Virgenes Road and Mulholland Highway are great places to start your trip. The center houses a gift shop and a display of interactive exhibits designed to educate visitors about the history, ecology, and wildlife of the Santa Monica Mountains. It also has a large interactive map of the entire recreation area with a trip planner and information about the available activities. Website. Address: 26800 Mulholland Hwy, Calabasas, CA 91302.

Paramount Ranch Hiking

Paramount Ranch is located in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The park consists of about 2700 acres of oak and sycamore woodlands. Paramount movie studios purchased the land in the 1920s as a movie ranch.

Peter Strauss Ranch

Visitors to Peter Strauss Ranch enjoy some of the most spectacular scenery in the Santa Monica Mountains. There are several hiking trails, and the original ranch house is still on the property. The park also features events, including concerts, weddings, picnics, and art exhibits—address: 30000 Mulholland Hwy, Agoura Hills, California.

Malibu Creek State Park

Most of the park’s trails are well-marked and graded for easy hiking if you follow the primary fire service roads. However, for those seeking a more challenging experience, plenty of smaller hiking trails branch off to various areas of the park—1925 Las Virgenes Rd, Calabasas, California.

Leo Carrillo State Park

Hikers have a choice of gentle or more energetic walks. Yellow Hill Fire Trail, suitable for all ages, offers panoramic views of the beach, and on a clear day, you can see Anacapa, Santa Catalina, and Santa Cruz Islands. The park also features a popular campground—address: 35000 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, California.

Point Dume Nature Preserve

Point Dume is at the northernmost point of Santa Monica Bay, about 18 miles along Pacific Coast Highway from Santa Monica. This 30-acre preserve features spectacular ocean views and secluded beach coves. You can see the Malibu coast to Santa Monica on a clear day. Address: Cliffside Dr & Birdview Ave, Malibu, California.

Will Rogers State Historic Park

A nice feature of the park is the two-mile trail. You can access the course from the tennis courts, west of the park headquarters. The trail has a 300-foot elevation gain and provides views of Rivas Canyons. There is a side spur to Inspiration Point, where you can see stunning views of Santa Monica Bay, the city skyline, and the San Gabriel Mountains. Address: 1501 Will Rogers State Park Rd, Pacific Palisades, California.

Point Mugu State Park

Known as the “jewel of the Santa Monica’s,” and features a wide range of flora and fauna that can be observed from the Backbone trail that spans from the west to Will Rogers State Historic Park in the Pacific Palisades in the east. Address: 9000 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, California.

Adamson House Malibu Lagoon State Beach

This architectural marvel is covered in thousands of ornate tiles and is ideally situated on two acres of prime Southern California real estate. Also on the property is the Malibu Lagoon Museum adjacent to the Adamson House. The museum contains a collection of artifacts, rare photographs, and documents depicting Malibu’s colorful history. Address: 23200 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, California.

Backbone Trail

The Backbone Trail System stretches for nearly 70 miles across the park. Hikers can expect stunning ocean views, hidden canyons, oak woodlands, and fantastic rock formations along the trail. Camping areas are few along the path, so it’s best to plan multiple visits to enjoy the entire route of the Backbone Trail.

Getting There

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is located just off the Ventura Freeway, approximately 51 miles from downtown Los Angeles. The area provides a seamless system of federal, state, and local parklands, with places for outdoor activities such as biking, birding, camping, horseback riding, and hiking,

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