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Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in Los Angeles County,
California should seem out of place.
Located a short distance from
downtown Los Angeles and some of L.A.'s cities and communities such as Santa
Monica, Santa Monica Mountains NRA, is an amazing journey into a
Mediterranean ecosystem containing plants and wildlife in a semi-arid
climate near the Pacific Ocean. Santa Monica Mountains NRA runs nearly 50
miles distance from the Santa Monica Pier through Malibu and Point Mugu at
its western beach beginnings to the Hollywood Bowl. It contains
approximately 150,000 acres of land, plants, trees, animals, bugs, birds and
flowers in a wilderness setting.
Acting as a cooperative
partnership between federal, state & local park agencies and private
preserves, Santa Monica NRA is comprised of lands that include: Leo Carrillo
State Park, Malibu Creek State Park, Point Dume State Beach, Point Mugu
State Park, Topanga State Park and Will Rogers State Historic Park.
As you stand on Santa
Monica's Pacific Pier pleasure park with its Ferris Wheel and forever views,
to the south you see the hills of Rancho Palos Verdes and to the right in
closer view are the Santa Monica Mountains with their bluish cast. They rise
above Los Angeles, widen to meet the curve of Santa Monica Bay and reach
their peak facing the ocean. Seen throughout the Southern California seasons
in colors ranging from earthen tones of reddish-brown to blues and greens,
the mountains mostly contains broadleaf evergreens. Mixed with shrubs,
succulents and native plants, the warm Southern California climate in which
they are located provides a welcoming home to roughly 450 species of
vertebrate and 13 species of nesting raptors.
As you hike, bike, camp
and climb through the wilderness area in L.A.'s backyard, you may come
across a variety of wild animals such as bobcats, mountain lions, coyotes
and deer. Over 25 species of animal and invertebrates that call this
national recreation area home are listed as rare, threatened or endangered.
Once home to native
people such as the Chumash and Gabrielino/Tongva Indian tribes, the
mountains here and to the south in Rancho Palos Verdes provided the highest
vistas allowing tribes to communicate using smoke signals in a predecessor
to Morse code with its dots and dashes. Further south in Signal Hill, native
Americans sent smoke signals visible approximately 22 miles away in the
Catalina Islands. (Signal Hill once named the Bay of Smokes because of this
activity and today, you can visit a park atop Signal Hill to watch tall
sculptures release misty clouds that look like smoke, symbolizing the
region's early inhabitants.) Over 1000 archeological sites exist in the
Santa Monica National Recreation Area.
While earlier inhabitants
may have experienced their share of runaway fires, modern man is not immune
to nature's hand. Many fires have started in or near the Santa Monica SRA
and you'll see many caution signs when you visit, warning of fire danger
levels. Sometimes the simplest careless acts can create a disaster, burning
thousands of acres of dry forest land and even burning near by houses.
When you enter the parks in this system, the rules and regulations are
usually posted or rangers will be available to advise you.
Where to go: One place to begin your
visit to this wonderland of recreational opportunities is at the
National Park Visitor Center at 401 West Hillcrest Drive in Thousand Oaks,
California. Call: (805) 370-2301 nps.gov
Where to stay: You don't
have to rough it when you visit the national parks. Located next to
swank Santa Monica with its celebrities, and wealthy homes, museums
and shops, some of our Santa Monica favorite hotels include:
Best Western Gateway Hotel Santa Monica, 1920 Santa Monica Blvd;
Best Western Ocean View Hotel,
1447 Ocean Avenue (this hotel is ocean close, and half the rooms
overlook the beach and Santa Monica Pier. It is one of the
affordable choices for beach access.
Comfort Inn Santa Monica, 2815 Santa Monica Blvd.
Holiday Inn Santa Monica Beach At The Pier 120 Colorado Ave., Holiday Inn is a few blocks
from the beach.
Hotel Casa Del Mar,
1910 Ocean Front Walk - like the names
says, you can walk on the ocean front near the ocean and Santa
Monica beaches.
Hotel Oceana 849 Ocean Avenue,
is across the street from the beach. If you need location, then this
is a pretty good choice.
Le Merigot-A Jw Marriott Beach Hotel And Spa 1740 Ocean Avenue,
with great amenities and ocean views, plus this nice hotel's strong
point is the sense of community. Our BC (beachcalifornia) staff have
tried it and found the people who work there are absolutely beyond
compare in their nice "can-do" and helpful attitude.
Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel 1700 Ocean Ave.
maintains the boutique hotel branding Loews is known for. On my
visit the rooms were absolutely lovely, offering ocean views. I had
one small misunderstanding with the staff and was unimpressed with
how it was handled, but other than that, I recommend the place.
Santa Monica Beach Travelodge
1525 Ocean Avenue, is located across the street from the beach. You
save a few bucks by staying there rather than on the ocean side of
the road.
Shutters On The Beach,
One Pico Boulevard is like it says...on the
beach. It's a great boutique property that when you visit or wander
by, people feel privileged.
The Fairmont Miramar Hotel Santa Monica
101 Wilshire Boulevard- this hotel offers five diamond quality. If
you can find it at a reasonable price, by all means book it. The
beach is just a block or two walk and the hotel maintains its own
aura of privacy.
