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American Latino Heritage
Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area covers over 153,000 acres and protects a mosaic of natural and historic resources. Established as a unit of the National Park Service in 1978, the park has continued to expand in both size and international recognition. Federal, State and local agencies and organizations work together to preserve its landscape, rare species of flora and fauna, fragile coastal ecosystems, hundreds of miles of recreational trails, and historic resources.
Now an attraction for tourists, the Santa Monica Mountains region has been the home of people of diverse cultures for thousands of years. Before Europeans arrived in what is now coastal California, American Indian tribes populated the region for more than 10,000 years, among them the Chumash and Tongva/Gabrielino cultures. The Chumash were thriving along the coast sustaining themselves with the abundant food, mineral, and aquatic resources present in the temperate environment when the Spanish arrived. The Spanish explorers encountered the Chumash in the late 1700s when they became the first Europeans to explore the region. After them came the rancheros and homesteaders.
In the 1700s, Spain controlled a strong empire in what is now Mexico and Central and South America. The Spanish King Carlos III, fearing that England and Russia would overtake the bordering lands to the north, set out to explore and colonize what the Spanish called “Alta California.” In 1774, Captain Juan Bautista de Anza was one of the first to identify a relatively safe overland route into the vast territory with the assistance of tribal guides. A year later, he convinced 300 colonists to return to the north with him to establish a presidio and mission near San Francisco Bay. The route they traveled became the one Spaniards would use over time as they continued to settle in California, changing the cultural character of the region forever.
Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail traces the route the Spanish followed to explore and settle the area. The trail is over 1,200 miles long and cuts directly through and near Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Visitors can follow much of it by car. Many sites along the way are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Several access points are available in the Santa Monica National Recreation Area. More information is available on the National Park Service’s Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail website.
The Spanish presence continued to grow in Alta California as the Spanish Crown regularly funded missionary expeditions intended to “civilize” the native people and introduce Catholicism to tribes. The Spanish also sent the military north to forge new pathways into the territory and protect the often-isolated mission communities. Reports back to Mexico spoke of lush plains and fertile lands perfect for agriculture. Soon settlers were leaving the comfort of their homes in Mexico to pursue their fortunes in California.
Under a land-grant system, hundreds of Spanish colonists moved north in the early 1800s to establish huge ranchos. Ranchers introduced sheep, cattle, horses, wheat, oats, mustard seed, and other non-native products into California, especially in what is now the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The area was rich with expanses of wild grasses and fresh-water systems prized particularly for their ability to sustain large herds of livestock. When Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821 and Alta California became a part of the new nation, Mexican ranchers and farmers continued in the lucrative quest to farm the land. This legacy remained even as California switched national hands once more to become part of the United States in 1848.
Many landscapes that are reminders of the early Spanish and Mexican ranching eras still exist in the recreation area today for visitors to explore. The northern-most section of the area, Cheeseboro/Palo Comado Canyon Park, is a popular destination for hiking. The area, once home to the Chumash and later to Spanish settlers, is now quiet parkland where visitors can experience the landscape early explorers encountered on their travels north. The canyon is home to fresh-water springs and various species of deer, bobcats, and rabbits. Visitors can enjoy superb views from the top of Simi Peak.
Nearby, at Peter Strauss Ranch, a beautiful park commemorates the early rancho history of the Santa Monica region. Rancho Las Virgenes once occupied the land and later, an 1881 land grant by the Mexican government perpetuated the farming. The original coast live oak that marked the land grant survey stands near the park’s swimming pool with the land grant markings still visible in its ancient bark.
At the western edge of the Santa Monica Mountains is Rancho Sierra Vista, once known as Rancho El Conejo. In 1803, the King of Spain granted Rancho El Conejo to retired soldiers Jose Polanco and Ignacio Rodriquez. Over the years, the original 48,672 acre land-grant was subdivided and sold to various Mexican and later, American owners, one of whom renamed the property Rancho Sierra Vista. The land’s owners were ranchers and farmers until the National Park Service purchased it in 1980 for public parkland. The western boundary of the park still reflects the edge of the original land grant for Rancho El Conejo.
Spanish, and later, Mexican cultural practices, traditions and agricultural products altered the general character of what is now the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The recreation area provides a place for today’s visitors to reflect on this cultural heritage while experiencing one of America’s truly beautiful places. Hiking, biking, walking, and horse-riding trails wind through the land and are accessible from various visitor centers.
In 1980, the California State Legislature established the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy to be a partner with the National Park Service and other local organizations to help preserve the area’s natural and historic resources. The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority offer educational, interpretive and conservation-based programs throughout the mountain region.
The land and its stories are diverse in this park with its tall peaks, sandy beaches along the roaring sea, gentle valleys of grass, and oak forests. Visitors interested in history, culture, archeology, and nature will all enjoy the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.