The Santa Monica Mountains and Rim of the Valley Trail Corridor

The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy Zone encompasses more than 645,161 acres, or about 1,000 square miles. The Conservancy is guided by the goal of an interlinking network of parks, trails, and open space for public use and wildlife habitat, ensuring natural and recreational lands for present and future generations.

Through the heart of California’s largest metropolitan area, the ecologically diverse Santa Monica Mountains extend 46 miles from Elysian Park overlooking downtown Los Angeles to the Oxnard Plain. From fog-shrouded canyons, to sunny inland valleys, the ecologically diverse range is influenced by the effects of the Pacific Ocean. Hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters create a Mediterranean ecosystem–one of five such areas in the world.

The Rim of the Valley Trail Corridor is a network of parks and trails connecting the Santa Monica Mountains to all the mountains surrounding the San Fernando, Simi, Conejo, and La Crescenta Valleys. Its boundaries consist of parts of the Santa Monica, Santa Susana, San Gabriel, and Verdugo Mountains, as well as the San Rafael Hills, and the upper Santa Clara River Watershed. The recreational feature that will one day tie the Corridor together is the Marge Feinberg Rim of the Valley Trail.

GEOLOGY

The region’s geologic diversity rivals any in the world. Rocky outcrops and 3,000-foot summits are part of a varied topography stemming from volcanic activity and the complex interaction of tectonic plates and the San Andreas faulty system.

WILDLIFE

The ocean and mountains provide rich habitat for an abundance of wildlife. More than 45 species of mammals can be found here including the grey fox, mule deer, bobcat, gray fox, and mountain lion. A tenuous network of cross-freeway habitat linkages and wildlife corridors keep the Santa Monica Mountains biologically connected with all of the mountain ranges in the Conservancy Zone.