This Saturday, 3/22/2025, our trail crew will be working on TWO trails on the north side of Topanga SP (via Reseda Blvd). Registration is required.
As well as making repairs to the fire-damaged Gizmo Trail, we’ll carry out routine brush maintenance on the nearby Rita Walters Trail, which is closer to the trailhead and outside the burn perimeter.
We will split into several work parties, jointly-led by Sierra Club and Santa Monica Mountains Trails Council crew leaders. No experience is necessary to participate in trail work with us. Volunteers will receive one-to-one training and support from our seasoned crew leaders. We also provide the tools.
Below, you can read about each project/site: the nature of the work, tools we might be using, what to bring, etc. There will be tasks suited to most levels of physical ability, so whether you’d prefer lighter tasks like clipping overgrown vegetation, or working with picks, shovels and big rocks, there will be plenty for everyone to do!
Spaces are limited. This will be our first trail repair event following the Palisades Fire, and many more opportunities to volunteer will be posted in the coming weeks.
If you have any questions, please email the Volunteer Coordinator, or reach out to any of the leaders listed below.
Event schedule
We will meet at the Top of Reseda at 8:30 am. The park is currently closed to the public and a security guard will be posted at the entrance gate, but they are expecting us. Watch out for the stop sign camera near the top of the hill to avoid getting a ticket.
On arrival, please visit the sign-in station first!
Participants will sign two liability waivers: one for Sierra Club and the other for CA State Parks. Then we will verify your preferences for tools/tasks, and assign you a work site and crew leader. There will be hot coffee and snacks when you get there, and the bathrooms at our meeting location should be open.
Please stay close by, as there will be some very important announcements made before we move out to the work sites in groups.
By 12:30 pm, all crews will have wrapped up work and returned to the meeting spot, where ice-cold refreshments will be waiting for us.
About the work
Rita Walters Trail:
The better choice if you would prefer lighter tasks, access to the amenities, or want to stay out of the burn area. This trail begins right at our meeting spot, and is just 0.3 miles long with a very gentle climb, making for a pleasant bypass to the steep fire road that leads into the park.
Light to moderate work. The predominant task will be brushing: ie. removal of overgrown vegetation from the travel way. We’ll also clear any accumulated silt and vegetation from drains, and remove plant debris that was pushed onto the trail from the roadway above during the fire response. Some commonly used tools are loppers, shears, small saws, McLeod hoes, and rakes.
Gizmo Trail:
This is specifically post-fire restoration work. Moderate to heavy labor. Our goal is to reestablish the trail’s original construction standards. The absence of vegetation gives us a rare opportunity to fix known problem spots and improve drainage. Tools used might include McLeods, picks, shovels, buckets, rock bars, rock slings.
Directions
Meeting location: Top of Reseda Trailhead
Address for GPS: 3539 Reseda Blvd #3619, Tarzana, CA 91356
From US-101 – Exit at Reseda Blvd, and drive south on Reseda for about 15 min, up the hill and into Marvin Braude Mulholland Gateway Park. Don’t forget about the stop sign camera!
Bring with you…
- Robust footwear with a closed toe (hiking shoes are ideal)
- Long-sleeve shirt and long pants that you don’t mind getting dirty
- Warm top layer
- Sun protection: hat, sunglasses, sunscreen
- Plenty of water to drink (min. 2 liters recommended)
- Snacks / lunch to eat in the field
- Day-pack to carry your belongings
- Reusable coffee cup (optional)
Bring your own work gloves and eye protection if you have them. We have extras to loan.
Weather
National Weather Service forecast for Reseda
Steady rain cancels.
Event day contacts
Sierra Club Outing Leaders:
Rachel Glegg – (310) 985-2826 – rachel.dorman@gmail.com
Bill Vanderberg – (310) 245-2763 – bill.vanderberg@ca.rr.com
John Skidmore – (310) 490-2304 – skidss1@gmail.com
Trail Crew Leaders:
Bill Pitts
Jeremy Small
Dave Edwards