A Favorite Place: Santa Monica Mountains
By Kelli (Kelli) on August 17, 2010
There is a good chance that you have never heard of the Santa Monica Mountains. However, there is a good chance that you have seen them masquerading as Korea, Wales, Colorado, the South Pacific, "Olde" England, or even another planet. This is Hollywood's back yard and countless productions have been filmed here. The movie history is fun, but let's meet the Santa Monica Mountains as what they really are, a small mountain range on the Pacific coast. |
The mountains are not high enough to create distinct climate zones, but that does not mean that they are vegetatively uniform. North-facing slopes, south-facing slopes, deep alluvial soils, rocky outcrops, moist canyons, exposed ridges, and ocean influence all result in the presence of many different plant communities. The south face of much of the range is right on the ocean and ocean is a major influence on the local climate. This time, forget what you have seen on television. The ocean here is cold, barely reaching 70F in the summer. Broadly speaking, this keeps the south side of the mountains cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, though one does not need to venture far from the shore before the effect is greatly weakened. The Santa Monica Mountains are an easy place to visit, provided you have your own transportation. Much of the area is public land in the form of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and several large state parks. Some parks have entrance fees and some are free. In general, at the places where you have to pay an entrance fee, you will find flush toilets, water, and picnic tables. At the places that are free, you might find pit toilets or nothing at all. There are a few campgrounds, but this is mainly a place for day hikes. You may be sharing some trails with mountain bikers or horsemen. The mountain bikers police themselves well and I have found them to be polite and friendly. Remember that hikers yield to horses. No unauthorized motorized vehicles are allowed on any of the trails or fireroads. You can find trails of all levels of difficulty, except perhaps the very easiest. It is a mountain range, so there nothing that is extensively flat. The weather is agreeable for hiking virtually all year. Even during the so-called rainy season, I can still go out at least once a week. The rocky soil prevalent in most places does not get all that muddy, though sometimes after heavy rain the trails can run with water like small creeks. This, however, is short-lived. Daytime temperatures in the winter are usually above 60F and I rarely ever need a jacket. Nighttime temperatures can dip below freezing, but since this happens only on clear nights, snow is extremely rare. I find summer to be the "worst" time for hiking. Unless you are within about 200 yard of the ocean, it will routinely get above 90F and there no place with continuous shade. However, you will not get rained out. Bring water, wear a hat, and use sunscreen. If you feel you will get hungry, bring your own food. There is no food service in the parks. A few mountain lions live in or travel through the range but they are rarely seen. In 23 years, the most I have seen is a track. Rattlesnakes constitute the biggest animal threat. Insects are not usually bothersome but sometimes mosquitoes and biting flies can be a problem and ticks are bad in some years. Poison oak is everywhere, even in drier sites. State parks may close on days with high fire danger. Though it may seem pretty obvious which route you think you should take, it is best to have a map. It is amazing how different things look in real life, and people get lost every year. The Santa Monica Mountains are among my favorite hiking places. They are close to where I live, the trails are abundant, it is uncrowded, it is available year round, there is variety in the scenery, and there is variety in the flora. I have been going there for over twenty years and I still see new things. I highly recommend the range for day hikes in the Los Angeles area.
For further information on subjects mentioned here, see: The Mediterranean Climate: Where Summer is Winter |
fire, hiking, mediterranean climates, native plants, nature, Santa Monica Mountains, wildflowers |
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Comments and discussion:
Subject | Thread Starter | Last Reply | Replies |
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Topanga | evelyninthegarden | Apr 29, 2022 1:11 PM | 3 |
beautiful! | vic | Oct 10, 2010 5:36 PM | 14 |
wonderful article | Maridell | Aug 19, 2010 5:29 PM | 5 |