Topanga State Park

Topanga State Park is a California state park located in Los Angeles County. It is located adjacent to the unincorporated community of Topanga, California, within the city of Los Angeles, California. Covering 11,000 acres (45 km²) it is the largest state park within city limits.

The word Topanga itself comes from Shoshonean people, who lived in the area for thousands of years until the establishment of San Fernando Mission by the Spanish.

Recreation

Many trails exist within the park, which are accessible to hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders as posted. Most trails are wide fire roads providing paths for hiking and mountain biking. Notable points of interest in the park are; Eagle Rock, Eagle Spring Trail, and Hub Junction. Unpaved portions of Mulholland Drive are accessible through the Temescal Fire Rd.

The Backbone Trail System, a multi-use long-distance trail spanning nearly 70 miles across the Santa Monica Mountains, passes through Topanga State Park. It can be accessed via the Trippet Ranch trailhead.

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. The Center is located in the lodge used by Trippet Ranch for skeet shooting.

Proposed for closure

Topanga State Park was one of the 48 California state parks proposed for closure in January 2008 by California's Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as part of a deficit reduction program. [ [http://cbs5.com/local/California.parks.budget.2.627476.html CBS5.com: List Of Calif. Parks To Close In Budget Proposal] ] It is still currently open.

References

External links

* [http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=629 Topanga State Park (California State Parks)]
* [http://tc-docents.org/ Topanga Canyon Docents] - includes information about the nature center