The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) is a national recreation area containing many individual parks and

open space preserve An open space reserve (also called open space preserve, open space reservation, and green space) is an area of protected or conservation ethics, conserved land or water on which Real estate development, development is indefinitely set aside. The ...

s, located primarily in

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

Santa Monica Mountains The Santa Monica Mountains are a coastal mountain range in Southern California, next to the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Transverse Ranges. The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area encompasses this mountain range. Because of its p ...

. Located in

greater Los Angeles Greater Los Angeles is the most populous metropolitan area in the U.S. state of California, encompassing five counties in Southern California extending from Ventura County in the west to San Bernardino County and Riverside County in the eas ...

, two thirds of SMMNRA's parklands are in northwest

Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles and sometimes abbreviated as LA County, is the most populous county in the United States, with 9,663,345 residents estimated in 2023. Its population is greater than that of 40 individua ...

and the remaining third, including a

Simi Hills The Simi Hills are a low rocky mountain range of the Transverse Ranges in eastern Ventura County, California, Ventura County and western Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, of Southern California, United States. The range runs ma ...

extension, is in southeastern

Ventura County Ventura County () is a county located in the southern part of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 843,843. The largest city is Oxnard, and the county seat is the city of Ventura. Ventura County comprises ...

. It is administered by the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...

in coordination with state, county, municipal, and university agencies. In size, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is the largest urban national park in the world. It is also one of the best examples of a

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) is a system formed by Organism, organisms in interaction with their Biophysical environment, environment. The Biotic material, biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and en ...

and it protects one of the highest densities of archaeological resources in any mountain range in the world.National Park Service, ''Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area: Statement of National Significance'', ca. 2000, page 4

Geography

The Santa Monica Mountains NRA contains in the

Transverse Ranges The Transverse Ranges are a group of mountain ranges of Southern California, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region in North America. The Transverse Ranges begin at the southern end of the California Coast Ranges and lie within Santa Ba ...

, with its southeastern slopes part of the

Los Angeles River The Los Angeles River (), historically known as by the Tongva and the by the Spanish, is a major river in Los Angeles County, California. Its headwaters are in the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains, and it flows nearly from Canoga Park ...

headwaters The headwater of a river or stream is the geographical point of its beginning, specifically where surface runoff water begins to accumulate into a flowing channel of water. A river or stream into which one or many tributary rivers or streams flo ...

. The California State Park system and other public agencies own , the

own , and the rest of the SMMNRA lands are owned by local agencies, university reserves, and private property

conservation easement In the United States, a conservation easement (also called conservation covenant, conservation restriction or conservation servitude) is a power invested in a qualified land conservation organization called a "land trust", or a governmental (muni ...

Park history

National Forest proposal

During the first decade of the twentieth century, Frederick H. Rindge attempted to create a forest reserve (precursors to national forests) in the

several times. In 1902, California's State Mining Bureau also attempted to establish a forest reserve, but their proposal was denied."Forest reserves. Santa Monica scheme turned down," ''Los Angeles Times'', March 8, 1907, section II, page 5 In 1907, a proposal requesting at least in the Santa Monica Mountains be designated a forest reserve was submitted to the Secretary of the Interior, but state mineralogist Lewis E. Aubury opposed the venture. The U. S. Forest Service then advised Aubury that it was highly improbable a forest reserve would be created owing to local opposition and the small amount of public land still remaining in the mountains.

National Park proposals

In 1925,

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

deposits were discovered in the mountains behind Pacific Palisades, which led to a lengthy battle between home owners and land developers. Alphonzo Bell Sr. led the push for development, while local opposition was led by Sylvia Morrison. After much criticism of Bell's original plan, Bell submitted an updated plan that saw the limestone pulverized, mixed with water, and pumped via a buried pipeline to the mouth of Santa Ynez Canyon, where it would continue along the ocean floor to an offshore buoy.

Will Rogers William Penn Adair Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American vaudeville performer, actor, and humorous social commentator. He was born as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, in the Indian Territory (now part of Oklahoma ...

parodied the plan on the front page of the

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

, after which

William Mulholland William Mulholland (September 11, 1855 – July 22, 1935) was an Irish American self-taught civil engineer who was responsible for building the infrastructure to provide a water supply that allowed Los Angeles to grow into the largest city in Cal ...

came to Bell's defense. Around the same time, Morrison urged to establish the Santa Monica Mountains as Whitestone National Park, named after the limestone cliffs. In 1930, lifelong national park advocate Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. proposed a network of parks, beaches, playgrounds, and forests to promote social, economic, and environmental vitality in Los Angeles,Robert Garcia, ''et al'', ''Free the Beach! Public Access, Equal Justice, and the California Coast'', Center for Law in the Public Interest, April 2005, 6–7 and he also advocated for public ownership of at least of beach and mountain between

Topanga Topanga (Tongva: ''Topaa'nga'') is an unincorporated community in western Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located in the Santa Monica Mountains, the community exists in Topanga Canyon and the surrounding hills. The narrow southern ...

and Point Dume. His report, however, was not successful. In 1938, May Rindge (widow of Frederick H. Rindge) lost control of her Santa Monica Mountain lands and was forced into bankruptcy. She proposed to establish a park in exchange for the cancellation of $1.1 million in unpaid taxes, but the county refused her offer. Heteromeles arbutifolia 1

In the 1960s and 70s, possibly even as early of the 1950s, several proposals designating the Santa Monica Mountains as Toyon National Park went before

U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a bicameral legislature, including a lower body, the U.S. House of Representatives, and an upper body, the U.S. Senate. They both ...

, and in 1971, Representative Alphonzo Bell Jr. introduced the first a bill to create Toyon National Park.

State Parks

In 1944,

Will Rogers State Historic Park Will Rogers State Historic Park is a California State Historic Park in the Santa Monica Mountains, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. The park was established in 1944 to preserve the estate of American humorist Will Rogers, includi ...

was created, marking the first state park in the Santa Monica Mountains and the first public land in the mountains since

Griffith Park Griffith Park is a large municipal park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains, in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The park includes popular attractions such as the Los Angeles Zoo, the Autry Museum of the Amer ...

in 1896. In 1967, the State Division of Beaches and Parks acquired of the Broome Ranch (originally part of

Rancho Guadalasca Rancho Guadalasca was a Ranchos of California, Mexican land grant in present-day Ventura County, California, given in 1836 by Governor Mariano Chico to Ysabel Yorba. The grant was in the southern part of the county, bordering on Los Angeles Coun ...

) for $15.1 million , which they used to establish Point Mugu State Park. In 1972, the park system purchased for $2.1 million , nearly doubling the park's size. In 1980, a remaining that adjoined the property was purchased, becoming Rancho Sierra Vista open space park. In 1974, the Topanga State Park (originally Topanga Canyon State Park) was opened to the public. The park encompass large areas outside Topanga Canyon, from Pacific Coast Highway to Mulholland Drive. Also in 1974, the State of California purchased the Century Ranch including a 120-acre property formerly owned by

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

for $4.8 million . In 1975,

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was an American comedian, actor, entertainer and producer with a career that spanned nearly 80 years and achievements in vaudeville, network radio, television, and USO Tours. He appeared ...

's Century Ranch-abutting Hope Ranch was purchased for $4.1 million , and in 1976, the State Parks and Recreation Commission officially named the Century, Reagan, and Hope Ranch lands Malibu Creek State Park.Robert A. Jones, "Century Ranch gets Park Status in Compromise," ''Los Angeles Times'', January 10, 1976, page B1.

Establishment of the National Recreation Area

In 1964, Susan B. Nelson, later known as the mother of the Santa Monica Mountain National Recreation Area, helped organize Friends of the Santa Monica Mountains, Parks and Seashore. The SMMNRA was established on November 10, 1978,McLellan, Dennis (May 22, 2003
Susan Nelson, 76; Mountain Parklands Advocate
Obituary. ''

'' with a strategy of growing the park through "mosaic pieces" that would link critical habitats, save unique areas, and expand the existing park.

In the 1980s, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy was created to acquire and preserve land for open spaces, habitat preserves, and public recreation. One of their first acquisitions was Rancho Sierra Vista in 1980, and

Paramount Ranch A movie ranch is a ranch that is at least partially dedicated for use as a set in the creation and production of motion pictures and television shows. These were developed in the United States in southern California, because of the climate. Movie ...

was also acquired that year. In the early 1990s,

created controversy when he proposed selling of land in the Corral Canyon area to the government in exchange for in the nearby Cheeseboro Canyon section of the SMMNRA, land he planned to use for access road to a new golf course and housing development. The land swap was never completed, with the Jordan Ranch becoming the Palo Commado section of the Cheeseboro Canyon/Palo Comado Canyon Open Space parks and most of the land for the Corral Canyon Park later donated by Hope. Rolling Hills at Upper Las Virgenes Canyon

Rolling Hills at Upper Las Virgenes Canyon

In 2003, Ahmanson Ranch was acquired by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy to create the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve. In 2010, of land northwest of the U.S. 101/ Las Virgenes Road junction, as well as additional land to the southeast of Las Virgenes Road, were acquired by the Santa Monica Mountain Conservancy. Additionally, several hills with undeveloped ranch land in the area also had their viewsheds protected from development, and these areas now serve as an unofficial gateway to the SMMNRA and its visitor center on Las Virgenes Road at King Gillette Ranch. In 2018, the Woolsey Fire burned 88% of the federal parkland and more than 40% of the natural area in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Park superintendents

*Robert Chandler, 1979–1982 *Daniel Kuehn, 1983–1988 *William Webb (Acting Superintendent), 1988–1989 *David Gackenbach, 1989–1995 *Arthur Eck, 1995–2002 *Woody Smeck, 2002–2012 *David Szymanski, 2012–2024 *Jody Lyle, 2024–present

Studies

In order to understand the effects of U.S. 101 on Santa Monica Mountains wildlife survival, movement, and genetic diversity, the

began tracking bobcats in the area in 1996, mountain lions in 2002, and black bears in 2019. The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, a vegetated overpass spanning U.S. 101 at Liberty Canyon, is meant to alleviate some of the negative effects discovered by the study. The

's Rim of the Valley Corridor Special Resource Study, which entails connecting the

and parklands surrounding the San Fernando, Crescenta, Santa Clarita, Simi, and Conejo valleys is also currently under study. This study could involve adding up to to the SMMNRA.

Cultural resources

The

have been occupied by humans for more than 10,000 years and contain many prehistoric and historic sites. More than 1,000 archaeological sites are in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, making it one of the highest densities of archaeological resources in any mountain range in the world. At least 73 archeological sites, structures, cultural landscapes, and cultural properties in the SMMNRA are eligible for listing on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. The SMMNRA also contains 26 known

Chumash Chumash may refer to: *Chumash (Judaism), a Hebrew word for the Pentateuch, used in Judaism *Chumash people, a Native American people of southern California *Chumashan languages, Indigenous languages of California See also

* Pentateuch (dis ...

pictograph A pictogram (also pictogramme, pictograph, or simply picto) is a graphical symbol that conveys meaning through its visual resemblance to a physical object. Pictograms are used in systems of writing and visual communication. A pictography is a wri ...

sites and a number of

California Historical Landmark A California Historical Landmark (CHL) is a building, structure, site, or place in the U.S. state of California that has been determined to have statewide historical landmark significance. Criteria Historical significance is determined by meetin ...

s lie within the area, including the site of the Port of Los Angeles Long Wharf (#881), Point Dume (#965), and Adamson House (#966). Also within the SMMNRA is

, however, the Woolsey Fire severely damaged the ranch in 2018. Santa Monica Mountains Fund (SAMO Fund) works to encourage appreciation and understanding of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) by supporting its

and

California State Parks California State Parks is the state park system for the U.S. state of California. The system is administered by the California Department of Parks and Recreation, a department under the California Natural Resources Agency. The California State ...

programs. The SMMNRA encompasses homelands of indigenous people including the

Chumash people The Chumash are a Native Americans in the United States, Native American people of the central and southern coastal regions of California, in portions of what is now Kern County, California, Kern, San Luis Obispo County, California, San Luis O ...

in the western portion and the

Tongva The Tongva ( ) are an Indigenous peoples of California, Indigenous people of California from the Los Angeles Basin and the Channel Islands of California, Southern Channel Islands, an area covering approximately . In the precolonial era, the peop ...

people in the eastern end.

National Recreation Area information

The

Anthony C. Beilenson Anthony Charles Beilenson (October 26, 1932 – March 5, 2017) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a Democratic Congressman from Southern California. He served ten terms in the United States House of Representatives from 1977 unt ...

Interagency Visitor Center opened in June 2012 and is operated by four partner agencies:

, California State Parks, Santa Monica Conservancy, and Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority. The Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center is the only site in the SMMNRA dedicated to Indian cultures. Park headquarters are located offsite in Thousand Oaks. Main entrances to the SMMNRA are located in Malibu, Newbury Park,

Agoura Hills Agoura Hills () is a city situated in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 20,330 as of the 2010 United States census, 2010 census, which decreased to 20,299 in 2020. Agoura H ...

Calabasas Calabasas may refer to: * Calabasas, Arizona, former populated place in what is now Rio Rico, Arizona * Calabasas, California, city in Los Angeles County, California See also * Calabaza Calabaza is the generic name in the Spanish langua ...

, Woodland Hills, and

Parks within

State Parks

* Leo Carrillo * Malibu Creek * Point Mugu *

Beaches

Carbon Carbon () is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol C and atomic number 6. It is nonmetallic and tetravalence, tetravalent—meaning that its atoms are able to form up to four covalent bonds due to its valence shell exhibiting 4 ...

* County Line * Robert H. Meyer (El Matador, El Pescador, and La Piedra) * Las Tunas * Malibu Lagoon * Point Dume *

Santa Monica Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

* Thornhill Broome *

* Zuma

Other

* Arroyo Sequit * Backbone Trail System * Circle X Ranch * Corral Canyon * Franklin Canyon King-Gillette-Ranch-01

* King Gillette Ranch * Marvin Braude * Morrison Ranch *

* Peter Strauss Ranch * Rancho Sierra Vista * Rocky Oaks -access date: September 6, 2010 Rocky Oaks Park * Runyon Canyon * Solstice Canyon * Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve * Zuma and Trancas Canyons

References

External links

*
Visitor Center for Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
— ''at King Gillette Ranch Park''.

Wildflowers of the Santa Monica Mountains

Outdoor LA Hiking Trails
— ''Trail and trailhead maps and directions''.
Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy

Santa Monica Mountains Fund
* McLellan, Dennis (May 22, 2003

Obituary. ''

'' * Woo, Elaine (May 23, 2008
Hiker pushed for an L.A. national park
Obituary: Jill Swift, 1928–2008. ''

'' * Nelson, Valerie J. (June 29, 2012
Margot Feuer dies at 89; helped create Santa Monica Mountains park
Obituary. ''

'' {{authority control National recreation areas of the United States * Simi Hills Regional parks in California National Park Service National Recreation Areas Parks in Los Angeles Parks in Los Angeles County, California Parks in the San Fernando Valley Parks in Ventura County, California Protected areas established in 1978 Protected areas of Los Angeles County, California Geography of Ventura County, California National Park Service areas in California Venues of the 2028 Summer Olympics Olympic cycling venues