Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, which runs along the Malibu coastline, is impressive: it includes nine state parks as well as some of Los Angeles' most popular beaches. Recent visitors gave Zuma Beach and El Matador State Beach high marks, but beachgoers should also check out Point Dume State Preserve and Leo Carrillo State Park for spectacular shorelines. In the meantime, hikers should visit Malibu Creek State Park, which is home to California redwoods, or Point Mugu State Park, which has scenic canyon trails.

Let's go to the Rising Sun Trail in Solstice Canyon or the Los Liones Trail in Topanga State Park for a challenging climb. Then, when you need a break from the California sun, visit the Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center in Newbury Park to learn about the Chumash people's history. When it comes time to sleep, the recreation area also has campgrounds that start at $10 per person, per night.