Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
| Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area | |
|---|---|
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape) | |
Backbone Trail near Mishe Mokwa Trail in the SMMNRA | |
| Location | Santa Monica Mountains; Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, California, U.S. |
| Nearest city | Malibu, California Newbury Park, California |
| Coordinates | 34°06′14″N 118°36′09″W / 34.10389°N 118.60250°W |
| Area | 157,700 acres (638 km2) |
| Established | November 10, 1978 |
| Visitors | 795,217 (in 2022) |
| Governing body | National Park Service; with State and local agencies. |
| Website | Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area |
The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) is a national recreation area containing many individual parks and open space preserves, located primarily in Southern California's Santa Monica Mountains. Located in greater Los Angeles, two thirds of SMMNRA's parklands are in northwest Los Angeles County and the remaining third, including a Simi Hills extension, is in southeastern Ventura County. It is administered by the National Park Service in coordination with state, county, municipal, and university agencies.
In size, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is the largest urban national park in the world. It is also one of the best examples of a Mediterranean climate ecosystem and it protects one of the highest densities of archaeological resources in any mountain range in the world.