Welcome Back to the Ridge: Temescal Gateway Park Reopens This Friday!

For anyone who calls Pacific Palisades home, our connection to the landscape isn't just about the ocean views—it’s about the dirt under our boots. For the last 18 months, our community’s outdoor heartbeat has felt a bit quiet. Following the devastating Palisades Fire of January 2025, one of our absolute favorite trailheads and gathering spaces was forced into a long, necessary slumber.

But this week, we have the ultimate milestone to celebrate.

The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) officially announced that Temescal Gateway Park will reopen to the public this Friday, July 17, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. It’s a moment of profound joy, relief, and deep appreciation for the massive, collaborative effort that brought this beloved canyon back to life.

Your Weekend Playbook: What’s Open?

While the mountain is still healing, our most iconic ridge-lines and connector trails are pristine, safe, and ready for your weekend footsteps. Whether you're looking for a challenging morning run or a peaceful family picnic, here is where you can head this weekend:

• The Rebuilt Rivas Trail: This beloved trail has been fully restored, offering hiker access up to two breathtaking scenic overlooks of the coastline, as well as its historic connection directly over to Will Rogers State Historic Park.

• The Sunset Trail: Fully open and offering its signature, panoramic transition into the wider Topanga State Park trail network.

• Picnic & Rest Zones: Both the Sycamore Grove and Rubell Picnic Areas are completely cleared, safety-checked, and ready for summer afternoon gatherings.

⚠️ A Crucial Trail Note: The popular Temescal Canyon Trail to the waterfall remains closed until further notice. The fire damage in the deeper canyon created hazardous, highly unstable conditions that require extensive engineering and restoration before hikers can safely return. Please respect the trail closure signs—staying on the open, designated paths is vital for both your safety and the delicate habitat recovery currently underway.

The Power of Community & Smart Local Solutions

What makes this reopening so inspiring is the sheer scale of the community defense and recovery that made it possible. When the fire first tore through the canyon, the MRCA Fire Division mounted an incredible stand that literally saved the park's historic buildings from destruction.

From there, the park pivotally transitioned into the central logistics hub for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, serving as the command center for the massive regional cleanup effort across the Palisades. Once the heavy lifting was done, a true army of local volunteers and organizations—including the California Conservation Corps, the Sierra Club, and our own local champions at Resilient Palisades—stepped in to clear hazardous trees, plant native flora, and rebuild the trail steps we'll be stepping on this Friday.

A Win-Win for Park Funding & Infrastructure

To keep the momentum going, the MRCA recently approved a temporary land-use agreement with the LADWP. A 65,000-square-foot dirt overflow lot (located north of Simon Meadow) will be used over the next three years to stage the critical reconstruction and undergrounding of power lines damaged in the fire.

Because the site is remote, it won’t impact your public trail access. Even better? LADWP is paying fair market rent to use the site, with 100% of those lease payments being funneled directly back into Temescal’s ongoing restoration and park operations. And once the utility project wraps up, LADWP is contractually obligated to fully restore and improve the site for the community’s long-term enjoyment.

The Campbell Wellman Take

"This is the news we’ve been waiting for," says the team.

Temescal Gateway Park is more than just a park—it’s where we clear our minds, walk our dogs, bump into neighbors, and teach our kids to appreciate the outdoors. Having this gateway back open is a massive victory for our local quality of life. When we talk about what makes Westside real estate so uniquely valuable, it always comes back to our relationship with the natural environment. To have world-class trailheads quite literally in your backyard is a luxury you can't put a price tag on. As you head up the trail this weekend, take a moment to look at the new green shoots emerging from the soil. Our canyon is coming back, and we couldn't be more proud of the community that rallied to protect it. See you on the ridge!