MRCA Parks Series
AIR is pleased to share our series of Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority parks featuring spectacular & relaxing destinations in the Los Angeles area. The series contains material we filmed following the devastating Woolsey Fire when MRCA hired AIR to capture drone footage of nature's regrowth and the lush 2019’s Springtime beauty of their parks, with particular attention to locations available for film, commercial, TV, music video & photography with required permits.
AIR is thankful for MRCA, their staff and community leaders for preserving open spaces for us to enjoy, especially now. Please follow posted park rules regarding masks & social distancing.
For more information about MRCA and about filming and photography at their parks, please visit: www.lamountains.com
Note: Any and all drone activity in any MRCA park requires prior permit approval.
Ed Davis Park in Towsley Canyon
Transport yourself away from city life and experience a feast for your eyes -- geological wonders and wide, open spaces.
A popular local hiking & mountain biking spot located in Newhall, CA, named after State Senator Ed Davis who championed preservation in Towsley Canyon. Go early and pack water. A 5.2 mile loop trail offers spots of shade with hills and trail dotted by native wildflowers. Dramatic, water worn rock formations flanking the Towsley Gorge provides welcomed shade. Rock hop over a creek and through the Gorge that connects Santa Clarita Valley to San Fernando Valley. The traffic of the 5 Freeway feels far away as the trail reveals vast, open space as far as the eye can see. Dogs on leash permitted. Pay parking available at trailhead.
King Gillette Ranch
Enjoy the serenity of King Gillette Ranch
Once the grand estate of a razor magnate, King Gillette Ranch is now a place for people to relax, celebrate & learn in the Santa Monica Mtns. Located in Calabasas, its Spanish Colonial Revival style mansion designed by Wallace Neff and grounds are popular wedding/reception venues & filming locations. The park is a peaceful place for a stroll & a picnic. The Anthony C. Beilenson Visitor Center provides local nature, historic & cultural information.
Michael D. Antonovich Regional Park at Joughin Ranch
Location scouts are drawn to Michael D. Antonovich Regional Park at Joughin Ranch’s vistas, winding roads & rolling hills covered with dramatic oak trees and even grazing cattle. Less than 35 miles from DTLA, hikers, mtn bikes & equestrians head to this 2,326 acre park to escape city life. This protected open space is home to raptors -- the golden eagle, great horned owl, red-tailed & Copper’s hawks and many threatened plant species.
(Music: Bach Cello Suite No. 1, G Major, Prelude performed by Cooper Cannell)
San Vicente Mountain Park
San Vicente Mountain Park offers 360 degree views spanning the Encino Reservoir, San Fernando Valley, Santa Monica Mountains & Los Angeles Basin atop LA-96’s Cold War Nike Missile Site Radar Tower - one of 16 operated by the US Army in LA from the 1950s to the 1970s as a line of defense against the threat of Soviet planes dropping atomic bombs on the city. The park connects to a network of hiking, biking & equestrian trails.
Vista Hermosa Natural Park
It’s no surprise that Vista Hermosa Natural Park located just west of Downtown Los Angeles is a popular neighborhood park and a destination for non locals -- A beautifully designed 10.5 acre park with visitor recreation and environmental sustainability in mind – a collaboration between MRCA and Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy with the Los Angeles School District and the City of Los Angeles.
Boasts one of the city’s most photographed spots with the spectacular backdrop of DTLA’s iconic skyline – making it a popular wedding & film location.
Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (Long Cut)
Celebrate Nature's Regrowth
Following the destructive Woolsey Fire that resulted in the temporary closure of several parks including Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve, MRCA hired AIR to capture drone footage of nature's regrowth and 2019's lush Springtime beauty of their parks, particularly locations available for filming. With footage shot in April 2019, this film celebrates the park's post fire recovery and rejuvenation.
This spacious 2,983 acres park has an extensive trail system loved by hikers, cyclists & equestrians. Climbers enjoy scaling its geological features. Its picturesque scenery is ideal for filming while its Ranch House is a lovely wedding &reception venue. Acquisition of the former Ahmanson Ranch created this beautiful park, permanently protecting land that is home to several threatened ecological species and that serves as a critical wildlife corridor. Park trailheads are located in West Hills and Calabasas.
(Music: “Kamogawa Dreaming” by South London HiFi)