Visit the Interagency Visitor Center for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreational Area at King-Gillette Ranch

Vistor’s Center in King Gillette ranch land
Photo by Sierra Club member Gayle Dufour

Map of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA)

SMMNRA website
(818) 878-0866 x228

The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority in cooperation with Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, California State Parks, and National Park Service has opened a Visitor’s Center at King Gillette Ranch. This center is for the vast Santa Monica Mountains National Recreational Area. Go on a tour of the Visitor’s Center and check out the interactive exhibits and enjoy a day hiking with your family in the King Gillette park. The Conservancy's strategic goal is to create an interlinking network of parks, trails, and open space for public use and wildlife habitat, ensuring future open space and recreational lands in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. The Conservancy works with non-governmental organizations mentioned below to make this happen.

(818) 878-0866 x228
Directions: King Gillette Ranch
26800 Mulholland Hwy.Calabasas, CA 91302
From 101 Ventura Fwy take Las Virgenes Rd/Malibu Canyon exit, go south approx. 5 ¾ miles to Mulholland Hwy. Turn left on Mulholland and then right to enter the long eucalyptus alleé driveway for Ranch

Visit Japanese Garden with Tillman Water Reclamation Facility

Tillman Water Reclamation Plant & Garden
Photo by Sierra Club member Gayle Dufour

Japanese Garden
Photo by Sierra Club member Gayle Dufour

San Fernando Valley has a very interesting way of handling our bio/water waste. Much of the waste goes to the Tillman Waste Treatment Plant that is next to the Japanese Garden. From there the biosolids are transported to the Hyperion Plant but the water parts are processed and are used for the Japanese Garden water areas and then they go to the Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve, Lake Balboa and eventually to replenish the Los Angeles River. Recycled water is now used to water grass and trees in many of our parks.

DOCTOR KOICHI KAWANA -The Garden Creator:
Dr. Kawana designed more than one dozen major Japanese gardens in the United States, including botanical gardens at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, San Diego's Balboa Park and gardens in Denver, Chicago, Memphis, Minneapolis, and the largest Japanese garden in the United States - the 14 acre garden in St. Louis. He pioneered the design of traditional Japanese gardens which utilized plants native to the area of the garden. He died in 1990; he was 60 yrs old.

Directions to the Japanese Garden: 6100 Woodley Ave, Van Nuys, California, 91406 Tel 818 756 8166 • Fax 818 756 9648 E-mail: email Tour both the Japanese Garden & the water plant at the same time.
Japanese Garden website

San Fernando Valley Group

Local Environmental Organizations

Visit the Interagency Visitor Center for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreational Area at King-Gillette Ranch

Visit Japanese Garden with Tillman Water Reclamation Facility

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