Leo Carrillo State Park is one of many state parks located in the coastal section of the Santa Monica Mountains, one of the few transverse (east-west spanning) mountain ranges in the world.
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation area encompasses over 150,000 acres, 46 miles of California coastline, protects over 50 threatened or endangered plant and animal species, and offers a rich diversity of activities and curricula to fit almost any trip goals. This unit of the National Park Service is managed by 20 different agencies at every level including private, city, county, state and federal partners. There are 26 distinct natural communities including salt marshes, intertidal zones, oak woodlands, chaparral, grasslands and sandy beach. Leo Carrillo State Park/Beach is a tent based camping site steps from the beach. It is ideal for studying beach ecology (both sandy beach and rocky tide pools), riparian and chaparral all within a short distance. Natural features combined with a rich cultural history of the Chumash and Tongvan Native Americans and close proximity to the greater Los Angeles areas, make this location one of our most popular sites. We have the ability to run any program ranging from a relaxing retreat to a rigorous science camp and anything in between.