On May 2, 2026, Save Elephant Hill, MRCA, and the El Sereno community celebrated the opening of a new hiking trail that traverses the eight-acres of MRCA's publicly owned property on Elephant Hill. With funding from the Los Angeles County Regional Parks and Open Space District, this milestone represents significant progress toward creating meaningful public access to the protected open space first acquired by MRCA in 2014.
Along with the trail development, grant funding from the Off Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division (OHMVRD) of California State Parks will help restore Elephant Hill habitat, damaged by years of illegal off-road vehicle use that has severely degraded the hillside’s natural resources and created significant soil erosion.
The OHMVRD grant allows MRCA to undertake measures to prevent unauthorized vehicle access—which endangers wildlife and encourages illegal dumping and other nuisance activity—with the goal of restoring the hillside habitat. MRCA Rangers will also increase patrols to deter off-roaders, and the agency will install physical barriers at multiple access points: fire gates, railing and large boulder placements. Signage will inform visitors that off roading activities are prohibited on Elephant Hill and provide information about State off road recreation facilities.
As a subcontractor on this project, Save Elephant Hill has been working with local partner organizations to conduct a series of public events and dialogue with participants about the environmental damage caused by off roading vehicles and the benefits of protecting open space in urban settings. This programming has resulted in decreased levels of off roading and more nature-based recreation on the site, but more remains to be done.
With the trail opening in 2026, these developments mark the first tangible step in realizing the long-awaited vision for Elephant Hill as protected public open space—preserving wildlife habitat, preventing further environmental degradation, and providing the community with safe access to nature in an urban setting.
