Point Mugu State Park, Nature reserve in Ventura County, US

Point Mugu State Park covers 5 miles of Pacific oceanfront in the Santa Monica Mountains, with palisades, chaparral-covered slopes, sand dunes and tidal lagoons at Mugu Rock. Two major canyons with seasonal rivers, Wood and Sycamore, cut inland past grassy valleys of oaks and sycamores. The Boney Mountain State Wilderness Area rises above, its pinnacles visible from much of the park.

Point Mugu State Park lies within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, and its western edge adjoins Mugu Lagoon, a protected area inside Naval Air Station Point Mugu. The park is split by the Pacific Coast Highway into landside and beachside sections with separate ecosystems and parking lots, joined at low tide by a walkway under an adjoining bridge. It can also be reached on foot from Rancho Sierra Vista in Newbury Park, which includes the Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center.

The park connects to the Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center, which tells the story of indigenous peoples who inhabited these coastal mountains long ago. Visitors can still see traces of their presence throughout the landscape today.

Access the park through Sycamore Canyon Campground or Ray Miller Trailhead for both day visits and overnight stays. Trails range in difficulty, so wear sturdy shoes and bring water and sun protection for outdoor activities.

The Backbone Trail's western terminus is the Ray Miller trailhead at La Jolla Canyon, a nearly 70-mile (110 km) route across the Santa Monica Mountains. From the coastal bluffs here, dolphins, seals, pelicans and whales can be spotted along the Pacific Coast Highway.