Malibu Creek: Photograph by Will Tenney

Malibu Creek

Nestled in a canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains just a few miles west of downtown Los Angeles is Malibu Creek State Park. The many rock outcrops are popular climbing spots, and the cool waters of the winding Malibu Creek offer city dwellers a respite from summer heat. Before the land became a state park in 1974, Ronald Reagan owned 300 acres as the Reagan Ranch in the 1950s and 60s, Bob Hope owned a large tract, and Paramount and 20th Century Fox both owned parts of Malibu Canyon. Many films have been made in this wild location including M*A*S*H, The Planet of the Apes, and Doctor Dolittle.