Why you should experience Mulholland Highway in Los Angeles, California.
Mulholland Highway is a picturesque corridor where Calabasas' Santa Monica Mountain landscapes, ranching legacy, outdoor recreation, and scenic driving traditions define one of Southern California's most celebrated mountain roads.
Running through Calabasas Highlands between Monte Nido and Malibu Canyon, the corridor connects protected parkland, trailheads, equestrian properties, canyon communities, scenic overlooks, and residential enclaves that collectively reflect the enduring relationship between Calabasas and the Santa Monica Mountains. Rolling hillsides, native oak woodlands, sandstone formations, winding pavement, and expansive canyon vistas preserve a corridor shaped by mountain topography, conservation initiatives, and careful land stewardship. National Park Service managers, California State Parks, municipal agencies, conservation organizations, and residents continue reinforcing Mulholland Highway's importance while supporting recreation, environmental preservation, and regional connectivity throughout the western Santa Monica Mountains. The result is an experience defined by scenic beauty, ecological continuity, and the enduring character of Calabasas Highlands.
What you should know about Mulholland Highway.
Mulholland Highway is best known for traversing the Central Santa Monica Mountains, following a route named in honor of William Mulholland, the pioneering engineer whose completion of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in 1913 transformed Southern California's urban development. The Calabasas segment occupies land historically associated with the approximately 113,000-acre Rancho Las Virgenes, granted in 1802 by the Spanish Crown to José María Verdugo, before later ranching operations and twentieth-century transportation projects established permanent connections across the mountain range. Construction of Mulholland Highway progressed during the 1920s, providing one of the earliest continuous scenic automobile routes through the Santa Monica Mountains while linking agricultural communities, ranches, and emerging recreational destinations between the San Fernando Valley and the Pacific Coast. Creation of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in 1978, together with continued stewardship by the National Park Service, California State Parks, and the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, has reinforced Mulholland Highway's importance as a corridor connecting protected landscapes, trail systems, wildlife habitat, and historic mountain communities.
Malibu Creek State Park, established in 1974, preserves more than 8,000 acres of volcanic formations, oak woodlands, chaparral ecosystems, and historic ranchlands directly adjoining Mulholland Highway while providing extensive hiking, climbing, and educational opportunities. King Gillette Ranch, acquired for public ownership in 2005, serves as an interagency visitor center for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area while preserving the former estate of inventor King C. Gillette adjacent to the corridor. The Leonis Adobe Museum, preserving the 1844 ranch residence of Miguel Leonis, documents nineteenth-century ranch life within the Las Virgenes region that shaped the landscape surrounding Mulholland Highway. The Backbone Trail, extending approximately 67 miles across the Santa Monica Mountains, intersects nearby trail networks and represents one of Southern California's most significant long-distance hiking routes associated with the corridor.
How to fold Mulholland Highway into your trip.
Mulholland Highway is best experienced as an exploration of Calabasas' mountain scenery, ranching history, and protected landscapes.
Begin at King Gillette Ranch, where historic estate buildings, visitor exhibits, and expansive grounds introduce the natural and cultural history surrounding Mulholland Highway before continuing through the Santa Monica Mountains. Continue to Malibu Creek State Park, where dramatic rock formations, shaded canyon trails, and diverse wildlife provide deeper insight into the landscapes that define the corridor. Conclude at Leonis Adobe Museum, where the preserved ranch house, historic collections, and educational programs provide a memorable finale celebrating the ranching heritage that shaped Calabasas long before modern development. The progression moves naturally from mountain conservation to outdoor recreation before concluding with regional ranch history, revealing why Mulholland Highway continues expressing the enduring character of Calabasas Highlands.
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