Malibu Creek State Park, consisting of over 7,000 acres, is located in the Santa Monica Mountains just 25 miles from downtown Los Angeles. The park provides opportunities for hiking, fishing, horseback riding, and bird watching. Malibu Creek, which flows through Malibu Creek State Park, is the principal water course in the Santa Monica Mountains and was the center for Chumash Native American life for centuries. The Century Lake and Dam is located on Malibu Creek within the Malibu Creek State Park. The main entry is located four miles south of highway 101 on Las Virgenes Canyon/Malibu Canyon Road. The park is located just south of Agoura Hills, west of Calabasas, and north of Malibu. Tapia Park located south of the main entrance is a popular portal.

Malibu Creek State Park was transferred to the state in 1974 by former President Ronald Reagan, Bob Hope, and 20th Century Fox Studios. Hundreds of films were made at the site.

The Reagan Ranch is now part of Malibu Creek State Park and the trailhead to Mesa Peak starts within the state park.

 

Malibu Creek

Malibu Creek is a year-round stream in the Santa Monica Mountains that flows from the dam at Malibou Lake through Malibu Creek State Park to Malibu Lagoon which is part of the Santa Monica Bay and Pacific Ocean. Malibou Lake was created in 1926 after a dam was constructed at the confluence of Triunfo Creek and Lobo Creek. Water that regularly overflows the dam is the headwater of Malibu Creek. Malibou Lake is not spelled like the name of the stream and city.

 

Rindge Dam

The Rindge Dam is a 100-foot-high dam, constructed in 1926, on Malibu Creek within the Malibu Creek State Park in the Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California. The 600 acres behind the dam have been filled by sediment which has created a beautiful waterfall from Malibu Creek. Environmental groups have demanded the removal of the dam at the cost of millions of dollars because it is blocking fish from accessing the upper reaches of Malibu Creek. Other groups are advocating that the Rindge Dam be declared a California Historical Landmark.

Century Lake and Dam

Century Lake is a beautiful seven acre lake in Malibu Creek Park within the Santa Monica Mountains. The lake was created in 1903 when a fifty foot tall dam, known as the Century Dam, was constructed on Malibu Creek. Prior to the state acquiring the 2,000 acre property, it was owned by the 20th Century Fox Studios and known as Century Ranch.

 

Lake Vista Trail

Lake Vista Trail in Malibu Creek State Park has a scenic overlook that provides a beautiful view of Malibou Lake, Malibu Lake Mountain Club, and the surrounding Santa Monica Mountains. The 4.1 mile trail starts at 27800 Mulholland Highway just south of Agoura Hills. It is a very popular hike.

 

Goat Buttes

The Goat Buttes are a group of large sandstone outcroppings located along the Backbone Trail that runs through the Santa Monica Mountains for nearly 68 miles from Will Rogers State Historic Park in Pacific Palisades to Point Mugu State Park. The Goat Buttes are located in the southwestern area of Malibu Creek State Park at the north end of Corral Canyon Road. The Goat Buttes can be viewed from Las Virgenes View Park in Calabasas.

 

Liberty Canyon Natural Preserve

Liberty Canyon is a natural preserve within Malibu Creek State Park in the Santa Monica Mountains. A trail leads from the head of the canyon to the valley floor. Liberty Canyon Natural Preserve is located directly north of Mulholland Highway and directly east of Las Virgenes Creek and Las Virgenes Road.