Join the movement! – Santa Monica Mountains Task Force

If you’re at CicLAvia today, drop by our trail work information pop-up booth! It’s located at Beethoven St. and Venice Blvd. We’re here today representing a pair of organizations which, together, provide the backbone of the volunteer workforce that maintains the trails you love to hike/run/ride in the Santa Monica Mountains.

That is, the Santa Monica Mountains Task Force of the Sierra Club (SMMTF), the Santa Monica Mountains Trails Council (SMMTC).

Volunteer crew leaders joined forces with NPS in 2021 to host a special event *at Peter Strauss Ranch* for *National Public Lands Day | Photo by John Nilsson*

Our volunteers will be stationed on the route from 9 am until 4 pm, and are ready to answer any questions you might have about getting involved in trail work and land stewardship in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Santa Monica Mountains Trail Days

Our two groups, along with a third, the Concerned Off-Road Bicyclists Association (CORBA), form the organizing committee of Santa Monica Mountains Trail Days which takes place each year in April.

Now running for over 40 years, Trail Days is a fun weekend for individuals, families, and groups to give back to the parks by helping maintain trails. We invited people who participated in April 2025 to upload their favorite photos to our shared album.

Trail Days 2026 will be on April 17-19 (Fri-Sun). Save the date! Registration opens on February 1.

Meet the volunteers!

Sierra Club’s Santa Monica Mountains Task Force

Sierra Club is the most enduring and influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. The Santa Monica Mountains Task Force was formed in 1972 as a sub-committee of the Angeles Chapter to protect the Santa Monica Mountains from over-development and maintain open space for future generations. In 1978, Ron Webster formed a volunteer trail crew under the Task Force, and went on to align and build a great many trails in the Santa Monica Mountains and adjacent parkland.

Volunteer with Sierra Club

Ron Webster’s Backbone Trails *| Illustrated by Melanie Beck (NPS*)

Sierra Club volunteers at Trippet Ranch in 2023, with crew leader Rachel Glegg (front center), hosting a “intro to trail maintenance” volunteer event during California State Parks Week.

Santa Monica Mountains Trails Council

The Santa Monica Mountains Trails Council (SMMTC), a volunteer nonprofit organization, is dedicated to establishing, preserving and maintaining the public trail system throughout the Santa Monica Mountains and adjacent areas through education, advocacy and partnership with public and private sectors.

Volunteer with Trails Council

Santa Monica Mountains Trails Council volunteers, led by Cindy Kimmick (left), have assisted the Nature Conservancy with several multi-day oak restoration projects on Santa Cruz Island.

CA State Parks assembled a team of seasoned volunteer trail builders, led by SMMTC crew leader Jerry Mitcham (front right), to install a hidden retaining wall on Musch Trail in 2023 | Photo by Kevin Davenport

Concerned Off-Road Bicyclists Association

The Concerned Off-Road Bicyclists Association (CORBA) is a chapter of the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA). They are an all-volunteer non-profit organization serving the mountain bicycling community of Los Angeles and its surrounding areas including southern Ventura County. They are dedicated to preserving open space, maintaining access to public lands, and creating more trail opportunities for all to enjoy.

Volunteer with CORBA