The Angeles District offers a variety of field trip sites featuring diverse learning experiences such as tide pooling on the Malibu coast, exploring the unique ecosystems of the Santa Monica Mountains, and encountering the rich historical and cultural stories of California’s landmarks. Scroll down to explore the park sites that your school can visit!
Leo Carrillo State Park
Explore the beautiful coastline at Leo Carrillo State Park. Depending on the tide, students will explore the tidepools or wrack line at the beach, learning about the marine life they find and their adaptations to survive the intertidal zone. Students will also take a nature walk along a bluff trail, learning about the coastal ecosystem and its connection with the greater Santa Monica Mountains.
Malibu Creek State Park
At Malibu Creek State Park, students connect with the local oak woodland ecosystem, discover the plants and wildlife that call it home, and explore how people have interacted with this landscape for thousands of years. We offer a variety of programs with different themes and learning goals—check them out here:
Los Encinos State Historic Park
Los Encinos State Historic Park offers students an opportunity to explore the often-overlooked histories that shaped California before and between colonization and statehood. The park’s historic buildings and landscape tell the stories of the many people who have called the San Fernando Valley home. The site highlights Native communities who maintain enduring connections to this land, the Spanish and Mexican periods, and the Rancho era that bridged California’s transition to the United States. Through hands-on activities and interpretive stations, students explore the remains of a once 4,500-acre rancho, including the eight rooms of the 1849 De la Osa Adobe, the 1872 Garnier Building, the natural spring and duck pond, and the park’s native plants, trees, and wildlife
Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook
Students will explore Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook from 420 feet above sea level, experiencing breathtaking views of the Los Angeles skyline, surrounding mountains, and the Pacific Ocean. Students will learn about biodiversity and the human impacts on this land. We highlight the animal adaptations used to survive in this ever-changing environment and explore possible solutions to habitat loss, which has a direct impact on our quality of life. This program includes a nature walk across our hillside with binoculars, a hands-on activity involving animal pelts, and a fragmentation game that mirrors the changes in our city.
Pio Pico State Historic Park
On the grounds of Pio Pico State Historic Park stands the over 170-year-old adobe, home of the last governor of Mexican California. Don Pio Pico was one of the wealthiest and most influential men in the Wild West territory. Students learn the history of Pio Pico, what life was like in the 1800s at the ‘Ranchito’, and how he made his money and eventually lost it. Your class will experience three different rotations and immerse themselves in the life of a Mexican Rancho.
