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TRAILS COUNCIL BEGINNINGS

The Santa Monica Mountains contains historic trails originally made by the Chumash Indians and later improved by the Spaniards.  However, encroaching urban sprawl, particularly in 1972 with the construction of Kanan-Dume Road, has destroyed major portions of these trails and continues to threaten their existence and use.

The Santa Monica Mountains Trails Council was born out of the concern and need to preserve these historic trails.  Through our commitment to the trails of the Santa Monica Mountains, some of these historic trails now link local, state, and federal parks, creating a vast recreational resource that extends from Griffith Park in Los Angeles to Point Mugu in Ventura County.

The Santa Monica Mountains Trails Council coordinates with various government agencies in efforts toward development and preservation of the trail system; assists in negotiations with property owners regarding specific trail alignments; promotes public awareness; and builds, monitors and maintains trails. The Santa Monica Mountains Trails Council works to protect and enhance the trail system that serves as a recreational, educational and historical resource for generations to enjoy.

The original founders of the SMMTC are the following people:

Dick Hubbard and Grant Gerson are still members. Darrell Readmond recently passed away in December, 2005. The others have been deceased for more than 5 years.

The organization was founded by a group of local horsemen who saw that their trails were in danger of being lost to development.

Darrell Readmond was the first with the vision and foresight to see the Backbone Trail developed across the crest of the mountains. To that end, he worked for years with others like Warren Jessup and (?????) to draw the trail on the maps that they had at the time.