Santa Monica Mountains

The Santa Monica Mountains are a low transverse range in southern California in the United States. They run for approximately 40 mi (64 km) E-W from Point Mugu in Ventura County into Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles. The mountains form a barrier between the San Fernando Valley and the Los Angeles Basin, separting "the Valley" on the north and west-central Los Angeles on the south. In local speak, "going over the hill" refers to crossing the range. The mountains have more than 1,000 sites of archeological significance, particularly in regard to the Tongva and Chumash people. Host to an immense variety of wildlife, from mountain lions to the endangered steelhead, the Santa Monica Mountains are both a refuge for animals and plants and an escape from the big city for human Angelenos.

Much of the mountains are located within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Preservation of lands within the region are managed in part by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.