Point Mugu State Park

Adventure

Point Mugu State Park is one of my favorite state parks in all of Southern California. It offers van and RV nomads with a lot of activities to include hiking, surfing, camping, paddleboarding, camping, and fishing.

The park is located in both the Santa Monica Mountains and on the coast. There are five miles of ocean shoreline with rocky bluffs, sandy beaches, sand dunes, rugged hills and uplands, two major river canyons, and wide grassy valleys dotted with sycamores, oaks, and a few native walnuts.

Beach

There are five miles of coastline at the park to explore. You can go swimming, paddle boarding, body surfing, and surf fishing.  There are three main beaches in the park which are:

• Mugu Beach
• Sycamore Cove Beach
• La Jolla Beach

Hiking

There are more than 70 miles of hiking trails. There is Sycamore and La Jolla Canyons where most trails start. Both canyons have parking. 

The 68 miles long Backbone Trail starts and ends in La Jolla Canyon. The trail traverses the entire Santa Monica Mountain range. If you are up to the challenge I recommend giving it a try. 

The most popular trails in the park are: 

• Backbone Trail (hard)
• Grotto Trail (easy)
• Mugu Peak Trail (moderate)
• Scenic and Overlook Trails Loop (easy)

A short distance north of the park off the Pacific Coast Highway is the Chumash Trailhead which has a small parking lot. 

Camping

There are three campgrounds within Point Mugu State Park that offer beachfront and canyon camping. These parks are:

• Sycamore Canyon Campground
• Thornhill Broome Campground
• La Jolla Group Campground

Parking and Hours

There are four main areas you can park which are; mugu Beach, Sycamore Cove & Canyon, La Jolla Beach & Canyon, Thornhill Broome Beach & Campground, and 

• All-day – $12.00 per car, per day
• 3 hrs – $9.00 per car
• 2 hrs – $6.00 per car
• 1 hr – $3.00 per car

Hours Open: Monday- Sunday: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM

It’s a privilege to have Point Mugu State Park for our enjoyment, so please practice Leave No Trace principles.