Definitely one of our favorite afternoon get-aways of last year, King Gillette Ranch is a fun and historic piece of land that's fun to explore. Next Saturday, weather permitting, enjoy "Walking on the Razor's Edge," a tour of a unique location that brings together the seemingly disparate worlds of a razor mogul, a famous movie director, and one of the largest Chumash Villages. Learn about the home, the garden, and the landscape in the Santa Monica Mountains on this 1.5 hour excursion. Put on shoes and clothes appropriate to the weather and for some moderate hiking, leave your dog at home (sorry!) and don't forget to bring $7 for the parking fee. more ›

The largest urban national park is partly within Los Angeles, yet so many don't know it. Perhaps one of the reasons can be blamed on where the National Park Service set up its visitor center and headquarters 11 years ago this week: in Thousand Oaks. Take a look at the over 153,000 acres that make up the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, which basically spans the range from Runyon Canyon in Hollywood to the beaches of Malibu, and you'll see that the suburban Conejo Valley floor is not ideal. more ›

About 30 people gathered yesterday to assist the National Park Service and other regional parks agencies in developing a new interagency headquarters, centrally located in the Santa Monica Mountains at King Gillette Ranch, just outside of Calabasas. more ›