National Park Service to Launch Lottery for Guided Backbone Trail Hike
Interested in hiking the entire 67-mile Backbone Trail across the Santa Monica Mountains but don't know how to get started? Well, you're in luck!
Members of the public will have a chance to apply for the National Park Service's 15th annual group-led hike of the trail, which runs over eight Saturdays in early 2018. The lottery for the hike will be open from September 20 to 30, 2017. The National Park Service will select 28 participants.
According to National Park Service volunteer and co-lead of the hike Ralph Waycott, "By doing it in segments over the course of four months, the hike is like a field study class, allowing closer examination of the most intriguing resources while seeing the seasonal changes occur right in front of us."
Explore More of KCET Series "BackBone Trail"
The hike will include numerous breaks for discussions on topics including local botany, geology, geography, and Native American tribes.
Be prepared to average about 8.5 miles with 3,200 feet of elevation gain and loss for each segment. The first segment begins at Point Mugu State Park on Saturday, January 13, 2018, and the last stretch will end at Will Rogers State Historic Park on Saturday, April 28, 2018 .
To learn more and apply, visit Backbone Trail lottery application website beginning Wednesday, September 20, 2017.
Top Image: Mesa Peak Motorway (Backbone Trail) | Courtesy of the National Park Service