In partnership with National Park Service, SAMO Fund continues its mission to make the trails accessible to everyone by supporting bridge builds over difficult terrain.
Santa Monica Mountains Fund supports projects like the Zuma Canyon Bridge and the Cheeseboro Bridge because they restore vital trail connections, enhance public safety, and protect the natural environment. At Zuma Canyon, the new bridge allows trail users to safely cross a steep, fire-impacted area while reducing damage to the fragile creek habitat. At Cheeseboro, the bridge completes a fully accessible loop, connecting two trailheads and enabling people of all abilities to experience the beauty of the Santa Monica Mountains. Both projects reflect SAMO Fund’s commitment to building inclusive, resilient access to public lands.
Cheeseboro Canyon Trail Bridge
Santa Monica Mountains Fund, in partnership with the National Park Service, constructed a 63-foot-long accessible pedestrian bridge in the Cheeseboro/Palo Comado Canyon Unit of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The bridge spanned a seasonal creek, completing a 1.1-mile universal access trail by connecting two newly built accessible trailheads. This trail now serves more than 200,000 visitors annually, improving safety and creating inclusive access for people with mobility challenges.
Read the feature in The Acorn
Zuma Canyon Trail Bridge
The Zuma Canyon Bridge, rebuilt by the Santa Monica Mountains Fund in 2022, is a vital piece of infrastructure on the Backbone Trail in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, serving more than 10,000 visitors annually. The original bridge was destroyed by the 2018 Woolsey Fire, one of three lost in Zuma Canyon. In its absence, trail users were forced to navigate a steep and hazardous descent into the creek bed and climb back out—an especially dangerous challenge for older adults, families, and cyclists. This detour also damaged the surrounding riparian habitat, where repeated foot and bike traffic caused erosion and ongoing ecological degradation. Replacing the bridge was essential for both public safety and environmental protection.
