Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area - Plan Your Visit

Operating Hours Seasons

The National Park Service Visitor Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. The Visitor Center contains a bookstore which is open during the same hours.

VISITATION:

Mountains:

Highest in spring; Lowest in summer

Beaches:

Highest in summer; Lowest in winter

Getting There

Plane

Nearby Airports include the Los Angeles International Airport and the Hollywood/Burbank Airport.

Car

The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is located west of Griffith Park in Los Angeles County and to the east of the Oxnard Plain in Ventura County. U.S. Highway 101 (Ventura Freeway) borders the mountains on the north, and State Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) and the Pacific Ocean form the southern boundary. Access to most park areas is available via many roads that cross the mountains between these two major highways. A portion of the park also stretches into the Simi Hills, north of U.S. Highway 101.

The National Park Service Visitor Center is located at 401 West Hillcrest Drive in Thousand Oaks, California.

From Ventura Freeway (U. S. Highway 101) to Lynn Rd turn north on Lynn road turn east (right) on Hillcrest Drive left onto McCloud Ave. First driveway on the right.

If you are going South on the 23 Freeway, exit at the Thousand Oaks Blvd/ Hillcrest Drive exit go west or right onto Hillcrest and turn right onto McCloud.

Public Transportation

Public Transportation is available through:

The ParkLink Shuttle This service will begin service in the Summer of 2005.

For more ParkLink Shuttle information call: 888-734-2323.

Thousand Oaks Transit

(800) 438-1112 in Thousand Oaks and Vista in Ventura County.

Los Angeles Metropolitan Tranportation Authority

The MTA Route 434 takes visitors to park sites along the Pacific Coast Highway(Highway 1).

Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus

This bus connects LAX with park sites in Santa Monica and Pacific Palisades.

Point Dume Headlands Nature Bus

This is a free shuttle that connects Westward Beach Road (near the Pacific Coast Highway 1 with Point Dume Nature Preserve.

Getting Around

Traveling by car is the most convenient way to get around the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Maps are available for planning your visit.