Topanga State Park

Topanga State Park(/təˈpæŋɡə/) is aCaliforniastate parklocated in theSanta Monica Mountains,withinLos Angeles County,California.It is part of theSanta Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

Topanga State Park
IUCN categoryIII (natural monument or feature)
The entrance to the Trippet Ranch area of Topanga State Park
Location	Los Angeles County, California,United States
Nearest city	Los Angeles, CA
Coordinates	34°5′43″N118°32′56″W
Area	11,000 acres (45 km2)
Established	1964
Governing body	CA Dept. of Parks & Recreation

The park is located adjacent to the community ofTopanga,within theCity of Los Angeles.Covering 11,000 acres (45 km²), with thirty-six miles of trails and unimproved roads, the park's boundaries stretch from Topanga Canyon toPacific PalisadesandMulholland Drive.There are more than 60 trail entrances. Topanga State Park is not only the largest park in the Santa Monica Mountains, but it is also considered the largest park located in the limits of a city.

History of area

Native American

The word Topanga is an oldShoshonean languageword meaning 'above' and referring to the canyon settlement being above the flood waters of Topanga Creek.TheTongvaandChumash peoplesinhabited the area for thousands of years.The land of Topanga Canyon was originally inhabited by Native American groups collectively referred to as the Topanga Culture, including the Chumash and Tongva.

Colonial

Juan Rodriguez Cabrillofirst claimedCaliforniafor Spain in 1542. The Topanga region was not invaded until after the establishment of thePueblo de Los AngelesandMission San Fernando Rey de Españain the late 1700s. When Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821, control ofAlta Californiawent to the new government. In 1828 the Mexican Governor of Alta California grantedFrancisco Sepulvedaprovisional title to the more than 30,000 acres calledRancho San Vicente y Santa Monica.The rancho included the eastern portion of the City ofSanta Monica,Santa Monica Canyon, and the mountains to the ridgeline on the west bank of Topanga Creek. The land remained relatively unused, except for flat portions used for crops and grazing. The steeper sections were deemed unusable, even for sheep and cattle.

Trippet Ranch area of the park.

American

California became part of the United States in 1848, and a state in 1850. Eventually ownership of the Rancho San Vicente y Santa MonicaMexican land grantwas confirmed by the U.S. Land Claims Commission. The land was made available under theHomestead Act.Among the many homestead patents filed in the Santa Monica Mountains, the one filed by a beekeeper named McAtee was for the western edge of the Rancho San Vicente y Santa Monica, and area along what became Entrada Road, the current main entrance to Topanga State Park.

In the 1920s, the canyon became a popular weekend get-away destination for residents of growing Los Angeles. Summer cabins were built along Topanga Creek and throughout the area in subdivisions in the surrounding hills. In this same trend, in 1917,Oscar A. Trippet, Sr.bought half of the McAtee homestead, which he and his family used as a get-away from the city. When Trippet died in 1923, his son, Oscar Jr., commissioned Los Angeles architectSummer Spauldingto build the superintendent's house, horse stables, and a skeet lodge. A stock pond was also built which is still located inside the park at the northeast corner of the parking lot. The Trippet family owned of the land until 1963, when it was sold to a developer.

The next year, 1964, a park bond was approved by voters to purchase Trippet Ranch and some adjoined land. Topanga State Park was opened to the public in 1974. Its land includes more than 7,500 acres from the Rancho San Vicente y Santa Monica land grant. Additional acreage has been added in the form of 1,500 acres from the Palisades Highlands and another 1,600 acres added in 2002, near the mouth of the Topanga Creek.

Sunset on the trail to Trippet Ranch.

Natural history

Geologically, the park has many sedimentarysandstonerock formations, marinefossils,exposedfaults,and volcanic intrusions.

Flora

See also:Flora of the Santa Monica Mountains

The primaryhabitatsin the park are of theCoastal sage scrubandmontane chaparral and woodlandsecoregions.In Trippet Ranch there is a significant area ofCalifornia oak woodland.The smaller habitats includebay laurelwoodland (Umbellularia californica),walnutwoodland (Juglans californica), andgrasslandsavannah.The various types of plants and habitats are due tomicroclimatedifferences across the park.

Fauna

See also:Category:Fauna of the California chaparral and woodlands

There are over eighty mammal species and more than sixty reptile and amphibian species. Snakes present include theSouthern Pacific rattlesnake(Crotalus oreganus helleri). Topanga State Park is home to many species of migratory and resident bird species.

Topanga Nature Center

The Topanga Nature Center houses a collection of mounted native animals and birds, as well as hands-on displays of natural artifacts. It is dedicated to the flora, fauna and geography of the area. The center is located in the lodge formerly used by Trippet Ranch forskeet shooting,a short walk from the Trippet Ranch parking lot, and is currently open on Sunday afternoons only.

Recreation

Points of interest in the park include: Eagle Rock, Eagle Spring Trail, and Hub Junction. Three historical attractions of the park are Trippet Ranch buildings, Will Roger's cabin, and the Josepho Barn.

Trails

Lower part of the Musch Trail heading up to Eagle Rock

Many trails exist within the park, which are accessible tohikers,mountain bikers,andhorseback riders,as posted. The primarytrailheadsare at the Trippet Ranch area, including for the Musch Trail,passing prominentEagle Rock.Many trails also are wider dirt fire roads. Unpaved portions ofMulholland Driveare accessible through the Temescal Fire Road andMulholland Drive.

TheBackbone Trail System,a multi-uselong-distance trailspanning nearly 70 miles across theSanta Monica Mountains,passes through Topanga State Park. It can be accessed via the Trippet Ranch trailhead.

The Santa Inez Trail is accessible from Trippet Ranch on the west, or the Palisades Highlands neighborhood on the east. The trail's lower section follows Santa Inez Creek throughriparian habitats,and then climbs through unique and massivesandstoneformations to the Topanga Fire Road and Trippet Ranch.

Funding

California Department of Parks and Recreation

While never actually closed to the public, Topanga State Park was on a list of 48California state parksproposed in January 2008 for closure by California's then-GovernorArnold Schwarzeneggeras part of a deficit reduction program. In protest, environmentalists and area residents collected more than 17,000 signatures asking that the closure idea be halted, with the petition delivered to the governor by a symbolic delegation of school children. This direct public action was credited with averting the proposed closure.

In July 2012, it was reported that nearly $54 million in "hidden" funds was in the possession of California's state park system, creating widespread anger. The funds were more than enough to have covered any of the alleged state park budget shortfalls, and State Parks Director Ruth Coleman, in charge for a decade, resigned her position, with her second in command being fired. Coleman denied any knowledge of the secret assets.Later, the $54 million figure was reported to be misrepresented, with the actual hidden surplus amounting to $20 million, still enough to cover the alleged shortfall that had prompted the plans to close as many as 70 California state parks. In February 2013 it was revealed that the approximately $20 million had been hidden for as long as 20 years by theCalifornia Department of Parks and Recreation.

Federal trail improvements

In August 2012, CongressmanBrad Shermanannounced that he secured federal funds to help improve parks and public areas. His first project was to help restore sections of the 65 mileBackbone Trail,one of the most popular trails in the park and theSanta Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.The Congressman said, "The Backbone Trail provides thousands of hikers, bicyclists and other outdoor enthusiasts with an unparalleled recreational experience through the heart of the Santa Monica Mountains. These improvements will enhance that experience and improve safety for everyone that uses this popular trail." The money is going to go to clearing back brush on the trails, fi xing and preventing landslides along the trail, and repairing the Chicken Bridge in the park. Hikers have reported significant improvements to the trails, and the project was completed in 2013.

See also

• California chaparral and woodlands
• Chaparral
• List of flora of the Santa Monica Mountains

External links

• California State Parks: officialTopanga State Parkwebsite
• Topanga Canyon Docents—includes information about the park's nature center.
• Image of young woman seated on a rock, Topanga Canyon in either the 1920s or 1930s.Los Angeles TimesPhotographic Archive (Collection 1429). UCLA Library Special Collections,Charles E. Young Research Library,University of California, Los Angeles.