SANTA MONICA NATIONAL RECREATION AREA
Established on November 10, 1978, this Southern California recreation area contains 156,670 acres in the Santa Monica Mountains of the Transverse Ranges between the Pacific Ocean and inland valleys. Its southeastern slopes are part of the headwaters of the Los Angeles River. This is a great park for hiking, wildflower viewing, bird watching, horse riding, mountain biking, climbing, and camping. There are also some spectacular views of Santa Monica Beach. There is a rich history of Native American peoples, homesteaders and ranchers, and it is also part of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail.
There are 2 Visitor Centers: Santa Monica Mountains Anthony C. Beilenson Interagency Visitor Center at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas; and Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center in Newbury Park. Partner sites include: Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, Adamson House & Malibu Lagoon Museum, Charmlee Nature Center, Malibu Creek State Park Visitor Center, Sooky Goldman Nature Center, Topanga State Park Nature Center, Will Rogers State Historic Park.
Access is free to the Santa Monica Recreation Area (as long as you are at a National Park location within the park), and most parking lots are open between 8am and sunset. The NPS jointly protects this area with other state and local agencies as well as even some private homeowners. Local gateway communities include Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, Beverly Hills, Calabasas, Sherman Oaks, Malibu, Agoura Hills and Oxnard.
For more information call (805) 370-2301 or visit www.NPS.gov/samo.
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