Plans made to trek Backbone Trail





The Santa Monica Mountains Trails Council will sponsor the seventh annual Backbone Trail Trek May 5 through 12. Registration is taken on a first-come, first-served basis and is limited to 25 hikers.

A fee is charged to cover expenses; money left after expenses will go toward improving and maintaining trails in the Santa Monica Mountains. The fee is $450 for Trails Council members or $500 for nonmembers. Membership is open to anyone for an annual fee of $35.

The trek will begin at the trail’s western point in Point Mugu State Park and end at Will Rogers State Historic Park off Sunset Boulevard in Pacific Palisades.

Hikers will camp overnight at park campgrounds along the trail. Each hiker will carry a daypack with lunch, water and trail incidentals, covering an average daily distance of 10 miles. The entire hike is about 67 miles long and a total of 11,000 feet are gained and lost as the mountains and ridges are crossed.

The council makes all campground arrangements and provides meals, a truck to haul the hikers’ camping equipment and car shuttles to and from the trailheads. Trek leaders will be volunteers who can answer questions on flora, fauna, geology, history, future facilities and other subjects.

For more information or to obtain registration forms, go online to www.smmtc.org, call (805) 492-6522 or e-mail BBTTrek@Yahoo.com.

The council, an organization dedicated to the establishment and maintenance of the public trail system through the Santa Monica Mountains, sponsors the annual event to bring attention to the Backbone Trail which runs the mountains’ length.


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *