The Santa Monica Mountains rise above Los Angeles, widen to meet the curve of Santa Monica Bay and reach their highest peaks facing the ocean, forming a beautiful and multi-faceted landscape. Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is a cooperative effort that joins federal, state and local park agencies with private preserves and landowners to protect the natural and cultural resources of this transverse mountain range and seashore. When most people think about the attractions of Los Angeles, a 150,050 acre National Park Service facility usually isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. But located just minutes from downtown Los Angeles, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area offers a quick and idyllic escape from the congestion and stress that typify life for Los Angeles’ city dwellers. The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area runs for 46 miles from the Hollywood Bowl to Point Mugu in Ventura County, from the Santa Monica Pier west past Malibu and has miles of soft rolling hills and wooded backcountry.
Located in a Mediterranean ecosystem, the Santa Monica Mountains contain a wide variety of plants and wildlife. The mountains also have an interesting and diverse cultural history which begins with the Chumash and Gabrielino/Tongva peoples and continues today in “L. A.’s backyard.”
Nature & Science
Ecology
The Santa Monica Mountains are one of the last remaining examples of a relatively undisturbed Mediterranean-type ecosystem in the world. A unique climate, diverse topography and other factors create a complex assemblage of vegetation types including oak woodland, several types of chaparral, coastal sage scrub, valley oak savanna, grassland, riparian woodland, wetland and coastal marsh. This vegetation diversity provides abundant habitat for animal species, including 50 species of mammals, close to 400 bird species and over 35 reptile and amphibian species. These natural resources occur within and adjacent to Los Angeles, the second largest urban area in the nation. Within the National Park System, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area represents one of the largest and most significant areas of protected Mediterranean-type ecosystem. Although 90 percent of the park contains natural habitat, more than half of these areas are privately owned. The greatest threats to the natural resources within the park are impacts associated with transformation from natural open space to developed areas. In many other parks and reserves, legislated boundaries are complete or near completion and both external and internal development threats are less severe.
Getting There
By Plane
Airports near the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area include the Los Angeles International Airport and the Hollywood/Burbank Airport.
By Car
The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is located west of Griffith Park in Los Angeles County and to the east of the Oxnard Plain in Ventura County. U. S. Highway 101 (Ventura Freeway) borders the mountains on the north and State Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) and the Pacific Ocean form the southern boundary. Access to most park areas is available via many roads that cross the mountains between these two major highways. A portion of the park also stretches into the Simile Hills, north of U. S. Highway 101.
Traveler Facts
Contact Information
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
401 West Hillcrest Drive
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
Phone: 805-370-2300 (Headquarters Recorded Message)
Phone: 805-370-2301 (Visitor Information)
Fax: 805-370-1850
Operating Hours & Seasons
The National Park Service Visitor Center is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5 am It is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. The Visitor Center contains a bookstore which is open during the same hours.
Weather / Climate
The Santa Monica Mountains have a true Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers (80 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit) and relatively cool, wet winters (40 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit). Nights can be cool any time of the year. In the summer, the coastal side of the mountains is generally 10 to 15 degrees cooler than the inland side. In the winter this pattern is reversed with warmer temperatures along the coast.
Layer your clothing to be comfortable anywhere in the mountains. For safety and comfort, use a hat, sunscreen and appropriate shoes or boots.
