When we think of Hollywood, we tend to think of—well Hollywood. That includes renowned sites such as the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Hollywood sign, and of course, several world-famous film studios. But no discussion about Hollywood is complete without mentioning the Santa Monica Mountains. These mountains are located approximately 25 miles from Los Angeles’ downtown area. The mountains feature grasslands, canyons full of boulders, and a peaceful lake. Several TV shows and numerous movies were filmed in this region, including MASH and Planet of the Apes (the original one).
One of the most memorable places in the National Recreation Area of the Santa Monica Mountains is Malibu Creek State Park. This park is huge, covering over 7,000 acres that are perfect for activities such as hiking, biking, and camping. In November 2014, an additional 700 acres were made available to the public. This land was once owned by James Cameron, director of “Titanic” and “Avatar.” So whether you’re interested in the area’s link to Hollywood’s history, you’re a fan of outdoor recreational activities (or both), Malibu Creek State Park should definitely be on your agenda when visiting Southern California.
The region’s link to Hollywood can be traced to several decades in the past. “Daddy Long Legs” was the first film that was filmed there. It was filmed almost a century ago, in 1919! Speaking of 100, over 100 TV shows and films have been filmed in the Santa Monica Mountains. No trip to the Malibu Creek State Park is complete without visiting the grasslands, where the film “How: Green Was My Valley (1941)” was filmed. Interestingly, the movie won a total of five Academy Awards. This is the highest total among all movies that have been filmed in the region.
An array of other TV shows and movies were filmed in the park. There’s the original “Planet of the Apes (1968)” movie. Today you can still visit the location of Ape Village, which was constructed specifically for the film starring Charlton Heston. There’s also the defunct Crags Country Club, where films such as “The Seven Year Itch (1955)” starring Marilyn Monroe, and “Butch C Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)” were filmed. The Santa Monica Mountains is also the location of the filming of the hit TV show “MASH.” Today you can see original vehicles that appeared in the show.
When visiting the Malibu Creek State Park, it’s important to make your trip as enjoyable and informative as possible. There are so many experiences you can have in the region, to create an experience as if you were reliving a scene in a TV show or movie. It’s also critical to learn about the park’s history. So visit the visitor center of the Malibu Creek State Park. This will provide you with important items such as maps and historical photos. You can also get information about the four RV campsites in the park, and a guide for rock climbing along the various routes in the region. This information will help to make your trip a truly memorable one.