Our Campus

Santa Monica Mountains Institute is located at Circle X Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. 

Tucked in the canyons above Malibu and nestled below majestic Boney Mountain, you find Circle X Ranch. This former Boy Scout camp offers many opportunities for learning, exploration, and adventure.

Many trails wind through this rare coastal Mediterranean ecosystem. The plants you see here, such as coastal sage scrub and mixed chaparral, are adapted to hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Keep an eye out for red shank chaparral, a tree-like shrub with reddish-brown bark, clusters of thread-like leaves, and small bunches of white flowers in July and August.

From the dry, rocky slopes near Sandstone Peak to the lush fern-studded Grotto, Circle X Ranch is full of beauty. In fact, on a clear day from Sandstone Peak, the highest point in the Santa Monica Mountains, you can see all the way to the Channel Islands. At night, the stars are bright, and you can listen to the coyotes sing.

Circle X Ranch
12896 Yerba Buena Road
Malibu, CA 90265

Planning a visit? Please see our map & directions page for important travel information.

Information courtesy National Park Service.