Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area: A National Park getaway

You might expect that the world’s largest urban national park would be among the most crowded. So, you may be surprised to learn that this week’s National Park Getaway, with its endless sandy beaches and hundreds of trail miles, is not one of the top 100 most visited national parks.

That’s not to say that it isn’t loved. Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is an easy drive from the busy streets of Los Angeles, making it a popular recreation site for local outdoor enthusiasts and out of town visitors alike. Bikers, birders, campers, hikers, photographers and horseback riders make full use of this legendary region. Still, you’ll find plenty of opportunity to get away and to soak in the scenes and scents of
canyons, valleys, scrub oak and ocean.

The Santa Monica Mountains are richly diverse: culturally, geologically and biologically. Home to more than 1,000 plant species and more than 450 animal species, the recreation area also protects significant cultural and archaeological resources. Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area preserves one of Earth’s finest Mediterranean climate ecosystems.

The recreation area extends from the giant Hollywood sign in the Hollywood hills north all the way to Ventura. And though there are no RV campgrounds in the recreation area, several private and state park campgrounds are adjacent to it.

You can read more on the Santa Monica Mountains NRA at NPS Getaways.