Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
Backbone Trail near Mishe Mokwa
Map showing the location of Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
Map showing the location of Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
Map showing the location of Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
Map showing the location of Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
LocationSanta Monica Mountains; Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, California, U.S.
Nearest cityMalibu, California
Newbury Park, California[1]
Coordinates34°06′14″N 118°36′09″W / 34.10389°N 118.60250°W / 34.10389; -118.60250
Area157,700 acres (638 km2)[2]
EstablishedNovember 10, 1978 (1978-November-10)
Visitors795,217 (in 2022)[3]
Governing bodyNational Park Service; with State and local agencies.
WebsiteSanta Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is a United States national recreation area containing many individual parks and open space preserves, located primarily in the Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California. The SMMNRA is in the greater Los Angeles region, with two thirds of the parklands in northwest Los Angeles County, and the remaining third, including a Simi Hills extension, in southeastern Ventura County.

Overall administration is by the National Park Service, coordinating with state, county, municipal, and university agencies. The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area preserves one of the best examples of a Mediterranean climate ecosystem in the world. It also protects one of the highest densities of archaeological resources in any mountain range in the world.[4]

In size the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is the largest urban national park in the United States and the largest urban national park in the world.[5][6][7][8]

The Woolsey Fire in November 2018 burned 83% of all National Park Service land in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.[9]

  1. ^ http://www.conejo-openspace.org/open_space_areas_in_TO.htm#Santa Archived February 9, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
  2. ^ "Listing of acreage – December 31, 2011" (XLSX). Land Resource Division, National Park Service. Retrieved March 19, 2012. (National Park Service Acreage Reports)
  3. ^ "NPS Annual Recreation Visits Report". National Park Service. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  4. ^ National Park Service, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area: Statement of National Significance, ca. 2000, page 4
  5. ^ White, Mel (2009). Complete National Parks of the United States. National Geographic Books. Page 405. ISBN 9781426205279.
  6. ^ Schreiner, Casey (2016). Day Hiking Los Angeles: City Parks / Santa Monica Mountains / San Gabriel Mountains. Page: Introduction. Mountaineers Books. ISBN 9781680510096.
  7. ^ Vlahides, John A. and Tullan Spitz (2004). Coastal California. Lonely Planet. Page 162. ISBN 9781740594684.
  8. ^ "Area Attractions | Bank of America Performing Arts Center | Official Site".
  9. ^ "Woolsey Fire Incident Information". Cal Fire. CA.gov. Retrieved November 13, 2018.