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Backbone Trail

 4.4 (5)
  1. Areas
  2. CA
  3. …Southern California
  4. …Santa Monica Mountains NRA
  5. Point Mugu State Park
Google Map

Length


68.8 Miles 110.7 Kilometers


12,338' 3,761 m

Ascent

-11,948' -3,642 m

Descent

7%

Avg Grade (4°)

39%

Max Grade (21°)

2,975' 907 m

High

56' 17 m

Low

Shared By Zander Göpfert

Conditions

Unknown
History
Getting forecast...

“The entire long-distance trail between the Ray Miller Trailhead and Will Rogers State Historic Park.”

— Zander Göpfert
Driving DirectionsGPX File

Dogs Unknown

Features Birding · Views · Waterfall · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Description

A Santa Monica Mountains ridgeline trail has been a goal for more than 50 years. Originally, it was set to stretch between Griffith Park to Point Mugu, but that concept never came to fruition. In the 1970s, with the start of state parks in the mountains, the idea began to gain momentum. The Backbone Trail would connect from Will Rogers State Historic Park to Point Mugu, heading right through the middle of Malibu Creek State Park.

During the 1980s, a number of supporters began to work on the project with California State Parks, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, and the National Park Service. By 1990, 43 miles of the trail had been completed. It climbed ridges, cut across chaparral-covered hillsides, dove into oak woodlands, and forded creeks and valleys.

Like Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, the Backbone Trail System has grown inch by inch across a collage of public lands. It has been constructed by volunteers, the California Conservation Corps, and professional staff from various parkland agencies. Sections of the trail were old animal paths that turned into singletrack trails; other segments were adopted fire roads. Only the most recently built sections have been created to modern trail standards.

Because of this trail-stitching process, some sections have different names and not every section is open to each user. For example, biking is limited to fire roads and is not permitted on singletrack trails—unless that trail is sanctioned and signed for bikes.

With the finishing touches being completed in the summer of 2016, the trail is now completely connected from end to end, stretching an uninterrupted ~67 miles through breathtaking coastal California scenes. Stay tuned for a possible National Recreation Trail designation in the months to come.

Contacts

Land Manager: NPS - Santa Monica Mountains

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Check-Ins

Aug 12, 2017
Allen Gfy
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Trail Ratings

  4.4 from 5 votes

#1

in Point Mugu State Park

#4385

Overall
  4.4 from 5 votes
5 Star
40%
4 Star
60%
3 Star
0%
2 Star
0%
1 Star
0%
Rankings

#1

in Point Mugu State Park

#430

in California

#4,385

Overall
88 Views Last Month
1,801 Since Oct 13, 2016
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Photos

Amazing view of Santa Monica, you can see Catalina Island on the left side of the photo
Amazing view of Santa Monica, you can see Catal…
 4
Owl's Clover: Found some nice patches along the trail.
Owl's Clover: Found some nice patches along the…
 3
Chasing the sun rise from Rogers Road. View of Downtown Los Angeles.
Chasing the sun rise from Rogers Road. View of…
 2
Echo Cliffs
Echo Cliffs
 3
Good morning Los Angeles!
Good morning Los Angeles!
 3
View of Catalina Island
View of Catalina Island
 3

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