Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
| Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area | |
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IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
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| Location | Santa Monica Mountains; Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, California, U.S. |
| Nearest city | Malibu, California |
| Coordinates | 34°06′14″N 118°36′09″W / 34.10389°N 118.60250°WCoordinates: 34°06′14″N 118°36′09″W / 34.10389°N 118.60250°W |
| Area | 156,671 acres (634.03 km2) |
| Established | November 10, 1978 |
| Visitors | 609,636 (in 2011) |
| Governing body | National Park Service; with State and local agencies. |
| Website | Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area |
The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is a United States National Recreation Area containing many individual parks and open space preserves, located primarily in the Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California. The SMMNRA is located within the greater Los Angeles region, with two thirds of the parklands in northwest Los Angeles County, and the remaining third, including a Simi Hills extension, in southeastern Ventura County.
Overall administration is by the National Park Service, coordinating with state, county, municipal, and university agencies. The Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area preserves one of the best examples of a Mediterranean climate ecosystem in the world. It also protects one of the highest densities of archaeological resources in any mountain range in the world.
The Santa Monica Mountains NRA contains 156,671 acres (63,403 ha) in the Santa Monica Mountains of the Transverse Ranges between the Pacific Ocean and inland valleys. Its southeastern slopes are part of the headwaters of the Los Angeles River. The California State Park system owns 42,000 acres (17,000 ha), the National Park Service controls 23,620 acres (9,560 ha), and the rest of the SMMNRA lands are in local agencies parks, university study reserves, and private property conservation easements. In size the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is the largest urban national park in the United States.
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