Nature treasure adventure: History & Archeology
Over 100 decades of human History
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is home to over 10,000 years of human history. The area was inhabited by the Chumash people and then ranched in the 19th century before urban development spread throughout the area.
SAMO Fund supports archeological research in the mountains. Find out more about the park’s history and archeological collections. With over a thousand sites, the SMMNRA includes one of the highest densities of archaeological resources in any mountain range in the world.
SAMO Fund staffers work with NPS on the cultural resources team. The Fund supports cultural activities at the Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center.
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FOSSIL DISCOVERIES
There are many fossils in the SMMNRA, if you know where to look!
Fossils have been found showing invertebrates and vertebrates as well as plants, from the Late Jurassic to Pleistocene.
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FILMIng history
There are many sites throughout the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area that have been used for filming, from black and white to modern day movies, as well as a number of shows for television. Can you think of any more that aren’t listed here?
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Luxury resort, movie location, State Park
Crags Country Club was founded in 1900 by 100 wealthy Los Angeles businessmen. It was set in almost 2,000 acres along Malibu Creek and included the man-made Century Lake, used for sailing, fishing and duck hunting.
During the Depression, membership at the club declined. The drive from Los Angeles took up to two hours at that time and the increasingly aging members were no longer able to make the drive. The club closed in 1936 due to steep membership fees and a lack of interest.
The club and land was sold to 20th Century Fox Studios in 1946. Movies filmed here included: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid; Love Me Tender, starring Elvis; and The Seven Year Itch, starring Marilyn Monroe.
The land was eventually bought by the state of California and designated as a State Park.
Yearling trail and Malibu State Park
There are many movie sites in Malibu State Park. One of them is located in the Historic Reagan Ranch area, Yearling Row. The ranch gets it’s name from movies that both Reagan and his Wife starred in: “The Yearling” and “Kings Row”
The trailhead can be accessed via Malibu State Park.
M*A*S*H Site
Malibu Creek State Park was formerly owned by 20th Century Fox, draws visitors from around the world because of its cinematic past.
The MASH site is probably the biggest draw, but over 100 movies, including the original Planet of the Apes, have also been filmed in the park.
The trailhead can be accessed via Malibu State Park.
Paramount Ranch
The ranch has been the location for many types of movie productions over the last 100 years – horror, westerns, international dramas, comedies, music videos, adverts and more.
Historic structures were lost in the Woolsey Fire of 2018. However the site is currently under the first phase of reconstruction.
