Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area Programs in Ventura County
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Free events and programs at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area locations in Ventura County and adjacent areas are highlighted below! (updated periodically to remove past activities). For additional details and other event locations, visit samofund.org/calendar.
Most activities subject to cancellation if there's significant rain.
10/26, 11/24, 12/28 - Welcome Walk at Malibu Creek State Park 10am to 12:30pm - Join a docent for a refreshing walk along Malibu Creek, through a wooded valley. Learn about fire restoration, plus the park’s animals, plants, early inhabitants, and movies filmed on location. Meet at the Main Trailhead parking lot (second, lower lot) by the restrooms.
Sun 10/20, 11/17, 12/15, 1/19/20, 2/16, 3/15, 4/19, 5/17, 6/21, 7/19 8am to 11:30am - San Fernando Valley Audubon Bird Walk at Malibu Creek State Park - Considered the recreational crown jewel of the Santa Monica Mountains, Malibu Creek State Park has over 8,000 acres of rolling tall grass plains, oak savannahs and dramatic peaks. It’s no wonder many call it “The Yosemite of Southern California.” Seasoned birders and beginners alike will enjoy good bird watching and a beautiful, easy hike. Meet at the second (lower) day-use parking lot. Entrance to the park is on the west side of Las Virgenes Rd., just south of Mulholland Hwy. Entrance fee is $12 per car.
Sat 11/2, 12/7, 1/4/20, 2/1 8:30-10am - Birds of the Santa Monica Mountains Walk at King Gillette Ranch - Bring your binoculars, bird guide, and/or camera and join us for an easy bird walk around the grounds of King Gillette Ranch. This area attracts many songbirds, water birds, woodpeckers, and raptors and we are always treated to something interesting. Kids are welcome and the walk is less than a mile at a very easy pace as we stop often to observe the birds. We leave promptly at 8:30 from the flagpole. Heavy rain cancels (but I will be there for anyone who wants to walk in it!). See you there!
Sat 10/19 6:30-8:30pm - Movie Night at Malibu Creek State Park featuring “The Second Time Around” - From 1946 to 1974 today’s park was a movie ranch owned by 20th Century Fox where dozens of movies and TV shows were made. Join us on for a romantic comedy with Debbie Reynolds as the innocent city girl who travels to the wildness of the frontier west. Filmed in CinemaScope. Park in the lower lot and walk a short distance to the outdoor amphitheater. Parking is $3 an hour. $12 maximum.
10/20 10am to noon and 1-3pm - Gourd Necklace Workshop at Rancho Sierra Vista - Get creative with Potawatomi artist Nadiya Littlewarrior as she presents a workshop on making and decorating gourd necklaces. The first workshop begins promptly at 10am. The second workshop begins at 1pm. Please be on time. All ages welcome. Materials will be provided.
To sign up for a work shop follow the links below:
Sun 10/20 2-3:30pm - Who Lives Here? Jr. Ranger Program at SM Mountains Visitor Center - Join a ranger and learn something cool about the many different owls in the Santa Monica Mountains. Practice your scientific exploration skills with an owl pellet dissection activity. Earn a Jr. Ranger badge and get sworn in by a ranger! Family friendly fun for all ages.
Fri 10/25 6:30-7:30pm - Park After Dark at Paramount Ranch - Go behind the scenes with a ranger and explore Paramount Ranch at night! See the eerie remains of Western Town. Stand on a dangerous, abandoned racetrack. Gaze into the sky to see the stars that still shine here. Bring a flashlight, water, and wear sturdy shoes. Stargazing will be available if the sky is clear. (805) 370-2301.
Sat 11/2 9-10:15am - Yoga on the Mountain at SM Mountains Visitor Center - Trying to find a new way to exercise and connect with nature?
Yoga instructors Dawn and Greg will lead a 1-hour Yoga session and end with live acoustic music! We invite people of all skill levels to join us on an outdoor yoga class at our King Gillette Ranch Visitor Center.
Parking is free, but please arrive 10 mins early to the class.
Please bring your own Yoga mat and water. Limited supply of yoga mats to borrow for first timers!
Must RSVP at www.eventbrite.com/e/yoga-on-the-mountain-tickets-75041636555
11/3 10am to noon and 1-3pm - Make an Authentic Native American Pinch Pot at Rancho Sierra Vista - Join Navajo – Pueblo of Isletas Native, Rowan Harrison, as he will teach and demonstrate how to create your very own small, traditional, hand-coiled pottery.
The first workshop begins promptly at 10am. The second workshop begins at 1pm. Please be on time. Materials will be provided. All ages welcome.
To sign up for a work shop follow the links below:
11/9 9:30am, 11:30am and 2pm - Medicinal Plant Walk with Jim Adams PhD at SM Mountains Visitor Center - Professor Jim Adams, PhD, of the USC School of Pharmacy, leads a plant walk on the medicinal uses of California native plants. Adams is trained in Chumash healing and will discuss traditional recipes for making healing medicines.
Coauthor of Healing with Medicinal Plants of the West, Adams will be available to sign his book.
Walks will begin at 9:30am, 11:30am, and 2pm
Reservations Required. Email samo@wnpa.org or call 805-370-2301 for reservations and more info.
11/9 10-11am at SM Mountains Visitor Center - Coffee with Nithya Raman - The King Gillette Ranch Visitor Center is proud to host “Coffee With…” featuring local scientists, professors, and experts. Casually chat about social and environmental topics while you sip fresh, locally roasted coffee. We provide the coffee; you provide the mug!
On Saturday, November 9, from 10:00-11:00 am, join urban planner and community advocate Nithya Raman for a talk about the connections between homelessness issues and Los Angeles’ natural, open spaces.
RSVP at www.eventbrite.com/e/coffee-with-nithya-raman-tickets-75489094915
11/17 10am-noon and 1-3pm - Make a Dream Catcher at Rancho Sierra Vista - Come make a dream-catcher with Wichita tribal artist Michael Williams. He will teach the basics of creating your very own dream-catcher using natural resources.
There are two workshops available. The first workshop begins promptly at 10am. The second workshop begins at 1pm. Please be on time. Materials will be provided. All ages welcome.
To sign up for a work shop follow the links below:
Sat 11/16 5:30-9pm - Fall Star Party at Paramount Ranch
Join rangers and astronomers for stargazing! Telescopes will be set up in the field next to Western Town. If conditions permit, see the cold, icy worlds of Uranus and Neptune as well as our distant neighbor, the Andromeda Galaxy.
Dress warmly. In order to preserve night vision, red flashlights and headlamps are preferred. Restrooms are available. The event is free and accessible. Rain or fog cancels.
12/1 10am-3pm - Winter Solstice Festival at Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa - Join us for a full day of Native American hand-crafted art, music, storytelling, dance demonstration, and family fun.
More than a dozen Native American Indian artists will show and sell artwork reflecting Chumash, Tongva, Wichita, Hupa, Cahuilla, Apache, Kumeyaay, Dine/Navajo, and many other Native cultures.
This is a great opportunity to purchase beautiful and unique Native American art for the holidays and meet our local artists.
Native American flute music, traditional dance demonstrations, and stories will be performed throughout the day. All ages welcome.
Santa Monica Mountains Interagency Visitor Center in Calabasas
King Gillette Ranch - View from near Inspiration Point
Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center in Newbury Park
Directions to various locations
Cheeseboro/Palo Comado Canyons: Ventura Fwy (101) to Chesebro Rd exit. Turn north on Palo Comado Canyon Rd then right on Chesebro Rd. Go north 1 mile to park entrance. Turn right and follow road to parking lot.
Circle X Ranch: Pacific Coast Hwy to Yerba Buena Rd. Turn inland; go 5.4 miles to Circle X Ranch contact station.
Sandstone Peak Trailhead: 1 mile north of Circle X Ranch contact station on Yerba Buena Rd. Parking lot is on left.
Mishe Mokwa Trailhead: 1.75 miles north of the Circle X contact station along Yerba Buena Road. Parking lot is on right.
King Gillette Ranch: Ventura Fwy (101) Exit Las Virgenes Rd. Go 3 miles south on Las Virgenes Rd to Mulholland Hwy intersection (traffic light). Turn left on Mulholland Hwy. Park entrance is 0.1 mile on right.
Malibu Creek State Park: Ventura Fwy (101) Exit Las Virgenes Rd. Go 3 miles south on Las Virgenes Rd to Mulholland Hwy intersection (traffic light). Park entrance is 0.25 mile south of the intersection on Las Virgenes Rd. From Pacific Coast Hwy: north on Malibu Canyon Rd to park entrance on left.
Paramount Ranch: Ventura Fwy (101) to Kanan Rd exit. South on Kanan 0.5 mile. Left on Cornell Way and veer to right. South 2.5 miles, entrance is on right side of the road.
Peter Strauss Ranch is located at 30000 Mulholland Highway, Agoura Hills.
Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa: Ventura Fwy (101) to Lynn Rd exit. South on Lynn Rd 5.25 miles to Via Goleta. Park entrance is on the left at Via Goleta. Continue all the way to a parking lot where the road ends. To get to the Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center, walk 0.3 mile up gravel road from the parking area to brown wooden building.
Wendy Trailhead: Ventura Fwy (101) to Wendy Dr. exit. South on Wendy Dr to dirt pullout at intersection with Potrero Rd.
Santa Monica Mountains Interagency Visitor Center at King Gillette Ranch: From Ventura Fwy (101): Exit Las Virgenes Rd. Go 3 miles south on Las Virgenes Rd to Mulholland Hwy intersection (traffic light). Turn left on Mulholland Hwy. Go 0.1 mile and turn right into entrance of King Gillette Ranch. The visitor center is the first building on your right. 26867 Mulholland Highway, Calabasas.
