Theodore Roosevelt Presidential LibraryPublic Lands Directory

Alerts and conditions

All clear. The managing agency, the National Weather Service and wildfire reporting show no current alerts.

Overview

The Santa Monica Mountains offer easy access to surprisingly wild places. Experience the famous beaches of Malibu or explore more than 500 miles of trails. The park abounds with historical and cultural sites, from old movie ranches to Native American centers. What will you and your family discover?

From the National Park Service

History

The designation history for this site (every law, proclamation and order, and the administration behind each) is being researched and checked by the Library’s historians.

What to see and do

Activities

  • Biking
  • Mountain Biking
  • Camping
  • Car or Front Country Camping
  • Climbing
  • Rock Climbing
  • Compass and GPS
  • Geocaching
  • Hiking
  • Front-Country Hiking
  • Horse Trekking
  • Horseback Riding
  • Junior Ranger Program
  • Shopping
  • Bookstore and Park Store

Browse hiking, biking and paddling routes on AllTrails

Plan your visit

Hours

Park Sites: The park sites are open year-round. Our parking lots are open from 8 am to sunset.

Getting there

There are multiple trailheads around the park, so there is not one main entrance. You can begin your visit at the visitor center, located off Mulholland Highway in Calabasas. The Santa Monica Mountains are traversed by the 405 Freeway on the east side; crowned by the 101 Freeway on the north and west side; and Highway 1, the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), on the southern ocean border.

Visitor centers

Campgrounds

  • Circle X Ranch Campground - CLOSED (1 sites) — reserve

Weather

Summers are hot and dry while winters are cool and wet.

Phone: 8053702301

Whose lands these are

These lands are the ancestral and present-day homelands of Native nations. A section on whose lands these are is being prepared with tribal review. In the meantime, Native Land Digital offers a starting point.

Photos

Trail view with yellow flowers in the foreground that lead to green mountains against a blue sky.
Zuma Canyon in Spring · NPS
Mountain silhouettes at sunrise.
Mountains · NPS
Wispy cloud covered sky over chaparral covered mountains.
Malibu Creek Overlook · NPS
People riding horses into the sunset on a mountain trail.
Equestrians on Trail · NPS
Rocks emerging from ocean.
Leo Carrillo Beach · NPS
Two individuals sitting atop a rocky outcrop while watching the sun set.
Sunset Views · NPS

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