This is in response to the Nov. 19 letter, “Parks should belong to dogs as well as people.”

California State Parks and the National Park Service wanted to clarify a few dog regulations and provide some additional information for those that love to hike and walk with their dogs on our community’s nearby trails.

Depending on what type of land you’re on in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (city, county, state, federal), some rules, particularly dog-in-park rules, are different.

For example, if you’re on state parkland, wilderness or not, dogs are not allowed on unpaved trails. This regulation exists at nearly all state parks across California.

If you’re on National Park Service land in the Santa Monica Mountains, dogs are allowed on leash. Point Mugu State Park is directly adjacent to National Park Service land, so if you walk far enough on a trail, you might discover that you’ve crossed over to another type of land. Make sure to read the signs to check if regulations have changed as you move from one part of the park to the other.

If you’re headed out to parkland in the Santa Monica Mountains and you’re not sure what the rules and regulations are, please call California State Parks at (818) 880-0363 or the National Park Service Visitor Center at (805) 370-2301, and park rangers will be happy to answer any questions and help you plan a great experience for you and your canine companion.

For additional information, please also see the “Where Can I Take My Dog” brochure at: www.nps.gov/samo/ planyourvisit/upload/ RecPub_Dogs.pdf.

Finally, as always, remember that if you’re not in a designated leash-free dog park, please keep your dog on a 6-foot or shorter leash. Your compliance will help protect area natural resources, including sensitive nesting sites and other delicate plant and wildlife habitat.

Thank you for your continued stewardship of the beautiful Santa Monica Mountains.
Ron Schafer
Angeles district superintendent
California State Parks
Woody Smeck, Santa Monica
Mountains National
Recreation Area
superintendent
National Park Service