Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape)
Location	Los Angeles / Ventura counties, California, USA
Nearest city	Malibu, CaliforniaNearest city: Malibu, California
Coordinates	34°06′14″N 118°36′09″W / 34.10389°N 118.6025°W / 34.10389; -118.6025Coordinates: 34°06′14″N 118°36′09″W / 34.10389°N 118.6025°W / 34.10389; -118.6025
Area	154,095 acres (62,360 ha)
Established	November 10, 1978 Established: November 10, 1978
Visitors	447,190 (in 2005)
Governing body	National Park Service along with other state and local agencies.

The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is a U.S. National Recreation Area, administered by the National Park Service, located in Los Angeles, California. Most of the park lies in Los Angeles County, while the western third and a small northern extension of it lie in Ventura County to the northwest. The main headquarters for the park itself is located in Thousand Oaks[1], near one of its main entrances in Newbury Park. The recreation area preserves one of the best examples of a Mediterranean climate in the world.

Santa Monica Mountains NRA contains 154,095 acres (62,360 ha), California State Parks own 42,000 acres (17,000 ha), the National Park Service controls 21,500 acres (8,700 ha), and the rest are local park lands and private property. In size, Santa Monica Mountains NRA is the largest urban national park in the United States. The park was established November 10, 1978, after a campaign for the area by local conservationists.

Recreational opportunities abound, including biking, birding, camping, hiking, and horseback riding. The Backbone Trail System runs for nearly 70 miles across the length of the park. Channel Islands National Park lies immediately to the west.

Westward Beach at Point Dume

Sea Oats along Pacific Coast Highway

The following parks and areas are managed by the National Park Service:

• Arroyo Sequit
• Backbone Trail System
• Cheeseboro/Palo Comado Canyon
• Circle X Ranch
• King Gillette Ranch
• Paramount Ranch
• Peter Strauss Ranch
• Rancho Sierrra Vista/ Satwiwa
• Rocky Oaks
• Solstice Canyon

The following California State Parks are located within Santa Monica Mountains NRA:

• Topanga State Park
• Leo Carrillo State Park
• Malibu Creek State Park
• Point Mugu State Park
• Will Rogers State Historic Park
• Point Dume State Beach

Entertainer Bob Hope caused controversy in the early 1990s when he proposed to sell 5,900 acres (2,400 ha) of neighboring land to the federal government in exchange for 59 acres (24 ha) of federal parkland in the nearby Cheseboro Canyon section of Santa Monica Mountains NRA in order to build an access road serving a new golf course and housing development.[2] The land swap was never completed.

Vehicles

• Only electric or non-motorized model aircraft are allowed.
• Only electric or non-motorized model terrestrial vehicles are allowed.
• Motorized model boats are not allowed on park waters.

The use of electric and non-motorized models is a traditional useof the area at Paramount Ranch.

External links

• NPS Official Site for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
• Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy
• Santa Monica Mountains Fund