• Afternoon clouds cover the distance peaks of the iconic Boney Mountain

    Santa Monica Mountains

    National Recreation Area California

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  • Partial Park Closure Due to Hazardous Conditions

    Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa re-opens 5/14/13, with restrictions (sunrise to sunset, not all trails). Sandstone Peak & Mishe Mokwa trails will also open, as will Backbone Trail east of Point Mugu State Park boundary. Point Mugu backcountry remains closed. More »

  • Trucks on Cheeseboro Canyon Trail

    Occasional truck traffic (approx 6 trips per day) will take place on Cheeseboro Cyn Trail weekdays between 8am & 4pm for demolition and removal of Cheeseboro Tank. Should be completed by 5/24/13. Check back for updates or call 818-889-8996. More »

Backbone Trail from Danielson Ranch (Pt Mugu State Park) to Circle X (NPS) - Sandstone Peak parking lot

  • Mileage: 8.1 miles
  • Agencies: Pt. Mugu State Park, and National Park Service (NPS) Circle X Ranch. You will hike partly on old fire road, partly on multi-use trails, and partly on single track trails.
  • Flora: Coastal Sage Scrub, Oak Woodlands and Chaparral. Chaparral grows at a higher elevation than Coastal Sage Scrub and requires more water, although chaparral plants are still considered very drought tolerant. The large chaparral shrubs create dense stands that are hard to walk through; they have tough leathery leaves or needle like leaves. There are many characteristic plants: scrub oak, red shanks, chamise, ceanothus and manzanita.
  • Geology: You'll go from just above sea level at Danielson Ranch to the highest point in the Santa Monicas (Sandstone Peak at 3111'). You will see evidence of the geologic changes all around this area, especially at Sandstone Peak, which is not sandstone at all, but volcanic in nature.
  • Caution: This hike is a steady uphill ascent from sea level to 3000'.
 

Did You Know?

The need for plants used in restoration projects loomed large for many years, but volunteers made it happen.

A core group of dedicated National Park volunteers, often laboring in the hot sun, built a native plant nursery from the ground up in 2002. Native plants, from the common Ceanothus to the endangered Lyons pygmy daisy germinated in this volunteer-run nursery will help restore disturbed habitat.