If you do so, we recommend traveling with a group rather than by yourself for safety. If you are up for a challenge, you can choose to hike all 67 miles of Backbone Trail. Literally like the rocky backbone of the mountains! What is Backbone Trail?įirst of all, Backbone Trail is a whopping 67 miles long! The trail name “Backbone” was coined, because it literally runs through the entire range of the Santa Monica Mountains.įor me, I like to think it’s named due to the diverse rock formations scattered along the trail. To this day, the beauty and uniqueness of Backbone Trail always has us coming back for more. We’re lucky to have randomly stumbled upon what is now one of our favorite nature spots up in these mountains. But did you know that there are several hiking trails located just above Malibu in the Santa Monica Mountains? Obviously Malibu’s number one attraction is the beach. Not far from the busy city of Los Angeles, rests the quiet and beautiful beach city of Malibu. Climb and Explore the Unique Terrain of Backbone Trail As one of only five Mediterranean ecosystems in the world, SMMNRA preserves the rich biological diversity of more than 450 animal species and 26 distinct plant communities.

A unit of the National Park Service, it comprises a seamless network of local, state and federal parks interwoven with private lands and communities. Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) is the largest urban national park in the country, encompassing more than 150,000 acres of mountains and coastline in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area boasts a network of approximately 500 miles of trails. The Santa Monica Mountains Trails Council also helped repair a portion of the Backbone Trail section along Kanan Road in Zuma Canyon. The NPS trail crew collaborated on multiple sections of the Backbone Trail with local members of the California Conservation Corps and Camp 13, the only all-female, Malibu-based fire camp in Los Angeles that occasionally assists with trail work. Hikers going off trail can cause more damage to newly restored trails, trample new plants, and prevent the re-growth of fragile vegetation. Visitors are being asked to stay on trails and be aware that numerous safety hazards still exist. Tasks included clearing trails of hazardous rocks, branches and sticks and reestablishing trail pads by spreading any slough that fell from the hillsides onto a trail and finding large rocks and dirt to fill deep ruts that cut directly across trails.Īlthough these areas are open, there is a closure order for all burned areas that restricts the public to the trails only.

Cheeseboro/Palo Comado Canyons, Paramount Ranch, Rancho Sierra Vista and the Santa Monica Mountains Visitor Center at King Gillette Ranch are also open.Ĭlick here to see photos of the extensive post-fire work (including some before and after photos) that was done to mitigate safety issues caused by “hazard trees” (trees that were badly burned in the fire and are susceptible to falling), eroded trails and warped, burned culverts. Other trails and areas in the park still closed include Solstice Canyon and trails in Zuma/Trancas Canyons.Īll official trails in Circle X Ranch, one of the park’s most remote and scenic locations, are now open ,including the Mishe Mokwa Loop, Sandstone Peak Trail, and the Tri Peaks Trail. “An especially rainy season hindered the work and created a variety of additional hazards, but these folks really came through and made it happen.” “Our small trails crew, assisted on some days by our valuable partners, which include members of the California Conservation Corps, Camp 13 and the Santa Monica Mountains Trails Council, did a phenomenal job in restoring these trails,” said David Szymanski, superintendent of Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Large portions of the trail have been closed since the Woolsey Fire destroyed 88% of federal parkland in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area last November. The majority of the 67-mile Backbone Trail is now open, with the exception of a four-mile stretch from Yerba Buena Road to the Mishe Mokwa Trailhead and a six-mile stretch from the Kanan Trailhead east to the Corral Canyon Trailhead. A portion of the Backbone Trail managed by the National Park Service in Malibu reopened today, along with the popular Grotto Trail in the Circle X area. Crews work to restore the Backbone Trail after the Woolsey Fire

Backbone trail santa monica mountains