SANTA MONICA BACKBONE TREK
| Dates: | May 3 - 10 7 days, 6 nights |
| Cost: | $520 |
| Your Fees Include: | 6 nights camping, meals, entrance fees, guided activities |
| Walk Status: | OPEN |
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| Download a schedule of walks and registration form here. | |
Questions about this walk?
Contact Jerry Mitcham, SMMTC
AN OLD FAVORITE RETURNS!
Read a recent article about this tripView a photo slideshow of the Backbone Trek.
(you must have the Flash Viewer 7 or later for this to work).The Backbone Trek 2008 is a seven day hike along the 67 mile length of the beautiful Santa Monica Mountains. This event is co-sponsored by the Santa Monica Mountains Trails Council (SMMTC) and Coastwalk.
The Backbone Trail traverses the length of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. It follows ridges, chaparral-covered hillsides, enters oak woodlands and crosses creeks and valleys. The daily hikes are rated moderate to strenuous difficulty and average about 10 miles per day. Daily elevation changes range from 500 to 3,000 feet. Hikers carry only a daypack with lunch, water and personal items. Volunteers truck the hiker’s camping equipment from campground to campground. When the night’s campground is not located near the trailhead, a van shuttle is provided to and from the campground. Hikers usually arrive at the night’s campground around 3:00 PM. Upon arriving in camp, participants may relax while being treated to light snacks and cool drinks. While accommodations at the campgrounds vary, all have potable water, toilets, and picnic tables; all but two campgrounds have shower facilities. Hot meals prepared by volunteers are served every evening. In the mornings, hikers prepare their own breakfast, lunch and trail snacks from an assortment of provided “fixings”. One of the highlights of the BBT occurs on Tuesday evening, when hikers are treated to a sit down dinner of an all-you-can-eat Bar-B-Q dinner and entertainment in the main dining room of the of the popular Calamigos Ranch.
The Backbone Trek begins May 3, 2008 at La Jolla Canyon in Point Mugu State Park. After unloading participant’s individual equipment and shuttling private vehicles to a secure parking area, hikers have an opportunity to meet the BBT volunteers, share a light dinner and receive event orientation.
The BBT culminates on May 10, 2008 at Will Rogers State Historic Park. A light lunch and cool drinks are provided while all participants share their experiences and say good-byes. After lunch, participants are shuttled back to the vehicle parking area to pick up personal camping gear and private autos.
Other attractions in the area:
- The Getty Center (West Los Angeles) and Getty Villa (Malibu)
- Venice Beach Boardwalk
- Universal Studios
- Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens
- Page Museum -- L.A. Tarpits
- California Science Center
- Autry National Center
- Channel Islands National Park
- Hollywood Bowl -- classical, pops & spectacles
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