From campfires to hikes to silent film screenings, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area offers a multitude of activities for locals and out-of-towners alike.
By P.G. O’Malley/Special to The Malibu Times
Looking for something interesting to do this summer, something to entertain the kids or visiting relatives? Look no farther than the mountains in Malibu’s backyard. A host of summer activities sponsored by various groups associated with the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area offer an opportunity to get away from it all for a few hours and learn something more about the place you live.
Every Saturday from July through September, at 10 a.m., Malibu Creek State Park presents Junior Rangers, a one-hour program where kids from ages 7-12 can learn about the park’s plants and animals. Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m., a ranger or special guest hosts a campfire program, and on Sundays at 9 a.m. you can take a tour of the natural and cultural treasures of the park that was for years the set of TV’s “M*A*S*H.”
If you’re a bird watcher, the Sierra Club hosts bird walks every Sunday during the summer at 8 a.m., or at the same time in Topanga State Park (bring water and a snack).
If you’re interested in Native American culture, spend a Satwiwa Evening at Rancho Sierra Vista (101 north to Lynn Road, south about 5 miles to Via Goleta, take a left, park and walk up the gravel road). The evening event takes place every Saturday in July and August at 6:30 p.m. and feature a different Native American host each time.
If entertainment’s more your thing, take a Saturday morning excursion to Paramount Ranch. From Set to Screen is a guided hike through the sets that have been the backdrop for many a movie and TV western. Programs are scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on the first and third Saturdays in July, August and September (Kanan Dume Road north to Cornell Way, left, veer to the right, then south for 2.5 miles.) The Silent Society of Hollywood Heritage hosts silent films under the stars amid the ranch film sets on July 21 and Aug. 18. July’s flick is “Hot Water,” starring Harold Lloyd and Jobyna Ralston; in August you can watch Buster Keaton and Kathryn McGuire in “Sherlock, Jr.” If talkies are more your thing, learn how it all works with The Magic of Sound, July 20, 11 a.m., a program with Foley Artist Dean Minnerly.
Looking for something to do on an overcast Malibu Sunday? Drive over the mountains to Peter Strauss Ranch (Kanan Road north, east on Troutdale) for two hours of foot-stomping music. On July 14 it’s Border Radio with a mix of country standards and original songs inspired by music from the Tex-Mex border; on Aug. 11 Pacific Crest presents an afternoon of traditional bluegrass music; on Sept. 8, Bryan Bowers plays his autoharp; and on Sept. 22, Toni Janotta concludes the series with her jazz quartet. The events are presented in conjunction with the Topanga Banjo and Fiddle Concert and begin at 2 p.m. The site is shaded but bring a folding chair.
If you want to end a hectic Saturday with a little peace and quiet-and a chance to see a mule deer and coyotes in their natural habitat-join the NPS twilight hike scheduled for Cheeseboro Canyon in Agoura Hills on July 13. The 3.5-mile loop takes about two and a half hours, and a bonus is the sunset from Modela Ridge. Meet at 6 p.m. at the trailhead on Cheesebro Road in Old Agoura. Or you can learn more about coyotes and bobcats from park service biologist Dr. Seth Riley on Aug. 10 at 4 p.m. at the recreation area visitor center in Thousand Oaks.
Closer to home, Charmlee Wilderness Park, just up the hill from Malibu on Encinal Road, offers full moon hikes on Wednesday, July 24, Thursday, Aug. 22 and Saturday Sept. 21. Reservations required (310.317.1364); be there by 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, July 27, bring your marshmallows and skewers, take an evening stroll through the park and meet for stories and a roast afterward; the program starts at 6:45 p.m. and repeats on Aug. 17 when it begins at 6:15 p.m. and on Sept. 7, at 5:45 p.m. Call for reservations.
Interested in knowing more about Malibu? The beach get your juices going? Cool off with a 2-hour twilight hike through Zuma and Trancas canyons, July 27, 5 p.m., or, if you’re interested in testing your endurance, take a 7-mile roundtrip hike with the Sierra Club from Paramount Ranch to the Malibu Dam on Tuesday, July 30 (4 hours). Meet at Paramount Ranch at 8:20 a.m., or reserve Tuesday, July 16 or Aug. 13 for an 8-mile roundtrip walk from Westward Beach to Paradise Cove; 8:45 a.m. Meet at the Westward Beach parking lot. As for all Sierra Club hikes, bring water and lunch. Less strenuous hikes (2 hours) are offered at Rocky Oaks (Kanan Road at Mulholland) at 4 p.m. on July 21, Aug. 10 and Sept. 15.
If you’re interested in flexing your muscles, join the Weed Wars at Malibu State Park at 9 a.m. on July 14 or Aug. 11 at Malibu Bluffs. Claim your space by calling 818.348.5910. Or take a few hours on a Saturday taking care of newly planted oak trees in Malibu Creek State Park (July 20, Aug. 17 and Sept. 21). Call 818.346.9675, ext. 12 to tell them you’re coming.
Interested in giving something back for all the trails you’ve walked? Join a Trail Rehab Workday, Saturdays in September at 8 a.m. Call 818.222.4531 for the schedule of where to meet. No experience necessary. Topanga Docents begin their training on Sept. 21 (reservations required: 818.758.1964) and docent training for the UCLA Stunt Ranch Preserve begins on Oct. 7 (818.346.9675, x 343).
Ed Bagley, Jr. moderates a panel on “Living Simply,” at the S. Mark Taper Foundation Amphitheater, 99 seats, in Coldwater Canyon Park, July 21 at 7 p.m. The event is part of the Green Series sponsored by Whole Foods. The program for Aug. 25 is “From Farm to City,” featuring the Seed Lady of Watts, and Sept. 29, “Signs Of Hope.” Call the Actors Conservancy Ensemble at 888.922.3846 for a full schedule of the summer’s programs of intimate evenings, staged readings, etc. and for reservations. (Bring a sweater and a picnic.)
Finally, mark your calendar on Sept. 28 for the Second Annual Acorn Festival at Malibu Creek State Park with live music, food and kid’s programs. Except for Coldwater Canyon, all the events noted here are free. Call 805.370.2301 with questions.