Topanga, California

Template:Short description Template:Redirect Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement Topanga (Tongva: Topaa'nga) is an unincorporated community in western Los Angeles County, California, United States.<ref name="auto"/> Located in the Santa Monica Mountains, the community exists in Topanga Canyon and the surrounding hills. The narrow southern portion of Topanga at the coast is between the city of Malibu and the Los Angeles neighborhood of Pacific Palisades. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Topanga as a census-designated place (CDP). As of the 2020 census the population of the Topanga CDP was 8,560.<ref name="quif">Template:Cite web</ref> The ZIP code is 90290 and the area code is primarily 310, with 818 only at the north end of the canyon. It is in the 3rd County Supervisorial district.

Topanga is the largest unincorporated area in Los Angeles County by area, although a majority of it is undeveloped. The 2025 Palisades Fire severely impacted the community with the devastation of structures destroyed, forcing evacuations, and multiple road closures.

History

Name development

Topanga is the name given to the area by the Native American indigenous Tongva tribe,<ref>Bright, W. (1998). 1500 California Place Names 3rd Ed. UC Press. pg 155.</ref> and may mean "where the mountain meets the sea"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> or "a place above". The name in the Tongva language, Topaa'nga, has a root Template:Transliteration that likely comes from the Chumash language.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was the western border of their territory, abutting the Chumash tribe that occupied the coast from Malibu northward. Bedrock mortars are carved into rock outcroppings in many locations.

Development of settlement and colonization

Topanga was colonized by Mexicans in 1839.<ref>"Topanga". Before the Spanish settled the area, land was given to Mexican soldiers. In 1828, the Mexican governor of Alta California, or upper California, gave Francisco Sepulveda 30,000 acres of land. The California State University Northridge. Template:Webarchive</ref> In the 1920s, Topanga Canyon became a weekend getaway for Hollywood stars, with several cottages built for that purpose. The rolling hills and ample vegetation served to provide both privacy and attractive surroundings for the rich and famous. During the 1960s, Topanga Canyon became a magnet to many new artists.

In 1965, Wallace Berman settled in the area. For a time, Neil Young lived in Topanga, first living with producer David Briggs, then buying his own house. He recorded most of After the Gold Rush in his basement studio in 1970. Charles Manson lived for a time in Topanga, where he briefly befriended Young and Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys. Members of the Manson Family began their campaign of murder on July 31, 1969, with the murder of Topanga resident Gary Hinman, a music teacher who had opened his home to anyone needing shelter.

2005 boulder disaster

On January 10, 2005, after heavy rains, a 25-foot, 300-ton boulder rolled down a hillside and landed on Topanga Canyon Blvd.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> Photos of the boulder made the news internationally.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The boulder blocked traffic for most of a week, cutting off thru traffic between the San Fernando Valley and the Pacific Coast Highway.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Six-foot holes were drilled into the boulder, then low-yield explosives were used to partially blow it up. A previous attempt with dynamite failed due to heavy saturation by rain.<ref name=":0" />

Palisades Fire (2025)

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} The January 2025 Southern California wildfires, particularly the Palisades Fire, ravaged through the Topanga State Canyon and parts of the community during extremely high drought conditions and very severe Santa Ana Winds.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Palisades Fire devastated the lower portion of the community, with most homes near the Topanga State Beach destroyed,<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> along with Topanga Ranch Motel<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Topanga State Park. The entirety of Topanga was put under an evacuation order.

Geography

Topanga Canyon

1915 road map of Los Angeles to Topanga Canyon & Return

Photograph of Topanga Summit, made in 1922

Topanga Creek drains Topanga Canyon and is the third-largest watershed entering the Santa Monica Bay.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The creek is one of the area's few remaining undammed waterways, and is a spawning ground for steelhead trout.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The area averages about Template:Convert of rain annually.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Topanga Beach<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> lies on the coast at the outlet of Topanga Creek. Topanga Canyon Boulevard, State Route 27, is the principal thoroughfare, connecting the Ventura Freeway (US 101) to the north with Pacific Coast Highway (SR 1) on the south. The southern portion of the boulevard largely follows Topanga Creek. North of the Old Topanga Canyon Road intersection, the boulevard traverses the Santa Monica Mountains.

Panorama from Viewpoint Trail in Topanga State Park

Topanga Canyon contains lands of Topanga State Park, the largest park in the Santa Monica Mountains and one of the world's largest open space preserves surrounded by a city,Template:Citation needed as well as the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. It is part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. It primarily represents a California coastal sage and chaparral ecoregion, with large areas of the California oak woodland plant community and a variety of California native plants.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Climate

This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above Template:Convert. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Topanga has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Demographics

Topanga first appeared as a census designated place in the 2010 U.S. census.<ref name=2010CensusCA/>

2020 census

Topanga CDP, California – Racial and ethnic composition
Template:Nobold

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	% 2010	Template:Partial
White alone (NH)	7,002	6,656	84.47%	77.76%
Black or African American alone (NH)	112	112	1.35%	1.31%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	22	24	0.27%	0.28%
Asian alone (NH)	343	411	4.14%	4.80%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)	1	6	0.01%	0.07%
Other race alone (NH)	24	69	0.29%	0.81%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	251	523	3.03%	6.11%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	534	759	6.44%	8.87%
Total	8,289	8,560	100.00%	100.00%

The 2020 United States census reported that Topanga had a population of 8,560. The population density was Template:Convert. The racial makeup of Topanga was 79.4% White, 1.5% African American, 0.5% Native American, 4.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.9% from other races, and 10.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.9% of the population.<ref name=DP1>Template:Cite web</ref>

The census reported that 99.7% of the population lived in households, 0.3% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized.<ref name=DP1/>

There were 3,474 households, out of which 26.5% included children under the age of 18, 50.3% were married-couple households, 7.4% were cohabiting couple households, 24.6% had a female householder with no partner present, and 17.7% had a male householder with no partner present. 25.4% of households were one person, and 10.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.46.<ref name=DP1/> There were 2,314 families (66.6% of all households).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The age distribution was 18.2% under the age of 18, 5.4% aged 18 to 24, 22.1% aged 25 to 44, 33.1% aged 45 to 64, and 21.1% who were 65Template:Nbspyears of age or older. The median age was 47.9Template:Nbspyears. For every 100 females, there were 94.5 males.<ref name=DP1/>

There were 3,758 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert, of which 3,474 (92.4%) were occupied. Of these, 76.0% were owner-occupied, and 24.0% were occupied by renters.<ref name=DP1/>

style }}

Lower Topanga Canyon

The bottom of Topanga Canyon, where it meets Pacific Coast Highway and Topanga Beach, was owned for many yearsTemplate:When by the Los Angeles Athletic Club, a wealthy private club in downtown Los Angeles. The Template:Convert parcel was rented out to various businesses and residents for decades at relatively low rents, considering that it borders Malibu. Lower Topanga became unique as one of the last outposts of the classic Topanga Canyon bohemian hippie lifestyle.

The Chumash people considered Lower Topanga a sacred, economic, and cultural meeting place for tribes all along the coast. One of the main neighborhoods, the "Rodeo Grounds", takes its name from a rodeo arena that existed there on a Mexican ranch in the 1800s.

In the early 1900s, Lower Topanga was a Japanese fishing village. William Randolph Hearst owned the property for a time and turned it into a weekend getaway spot with beach shacks for his and Marion Davies's guests.

In the '60s, a lively community of artists and surfers sprang up in Lower Topanga. They maintained their houses without assistance, sometimes digging them out of the mud after floods or setting backfires to prevent a spreading wildfire from burning down the neighborhood. The roads remained unpaved.<ref name="lifeasapoet2002">Capra, Pablo. Idlers of the Bamboo Grove: Poetry from Lower Topanga Canyon. Brass Tacks Press, 2002.</ref>

In 2001, Lower Topanga was sold to California State Parks. The Lower Topanga community occupied less than 2% of the total purchased land. State Parks relocate residents and bulldozed the houses. (State Parks had already evicted residents who lived directly on Topanga Beach in the late '70s).<ref>Lovas, Paul. Topanga Beach Experience. Brass Tacks Press, 2011.</ref>

A group of 10 Lower Topanga poets calling themselves the "Idlers of the Bamboo Grove" published a book of the same name in 2002, celebrating their community and lamenting the prospect of having to leave. Their publisher, Brass Tacks Press, continued publishing works about Lower Topanga, as well as maintaining an online Lower Topanga Photo Archive.

Even though Lower Topanga residents were given money to leave, some fought bitterly against their relocation in court. The last holdouts were forced off the land in March 2006.<ref name="lifeasapoet2002"/> TreePeople and Mountains Restoration Trust are working to restore the area to its condition before development.

Culture

Topanga is known as a bohemian enclave attracting artists, musicians, filmmakers, and others. Many music festivals have been organized in the canyon, including the Topanga Days Festival and Topanga Earth Day. The Topanga Film Institute<ref name="topangafilminstitute1">Template:Cite web</ref> hosts the annual Topanga Film Festival.

In the 1950s, blacklisted actor Will Geer sold his large Santa Monica home and moved his family to a small plot in the canyon, where they could grow their own produce. Geer's friend Woody Guthrie had a small shack on the property. They unintentionally founded what became an artists' colony. Since its founding in 1973, the Geer family has continued to operate the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum. It has grown into an Equity theater, and occupies a natural outdoor amphitheater. It features Shakespearean plays, modern classics, original productions, and concerts. Performers have included Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, Della Reese, and Burl Ives.Template:Citation needed Odetta was part of the early music scene in the 1960s.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

A famous venue in the canyon was the Elysium Institute, also known as Elysium Fields, a nudist club started by Ed Lange in 1967.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After surviving extended battles with county officials the Template:Convert property was sold in 2002 by Lange's heirs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Every Memorial Day weekend on the grounds of the Topanga Community House, Topanga has a fair and parade called Topanga Days. Topanga Days Country Fair features music, belly dancing, over 80 unique craft vendors, and a variety of food from Cajun to Mexican to vegan. A parade is held on Memorial Day.Template:Citation needed

Topanga Canyon also hosts an annual reggae festival, Reggae on the Mountain,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> that has become one of the area's biggest events. Like Topanga Days, it serves as a fundraiser for the Topanga Community Club.Template:Citation needed

The Topanga Film Institute presents the Topanga Film Festival each July. The festival endeavors to bridge cultures, create and expand community, and provide cultural exchange and networking opportunities.<ref name="topangafilminstitute1"/><ref name="theguardian1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>[1] Template:Webarchive</ref>

Two outdoor shopping centers featuring local businesses form the hub of local commerce. Topanga has no hotels, motels, gas stations, or chain or big-box stores.

Topanga's location in the Santa Monica Mountains makes the natural surroundings an important part of the culture. Streams, waterfalls, cliffs of exposed bedrock, landmark rock outcroppings, and overlooks with panoramic views of the mountains, Pacific Ocean, and Los Angeles are attractions. There are many trails for short walks, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, birdwatching, and rock climbing, all of which are important parts of the local community.

Government and infrastructure

The County of Los Angeles Public Library operates the Topanga Library, at 122 N Topanga Canyon Blvd.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Los Angeles County Fire Department operates Fire Station No. 69 in Topanga as a part of Battalion 5.<ref>Hometown Fire Stations. County of Los Angeles. Template:Webarchive</ref> During the 1960s and '70s, "problematic firefighters" were placed here under the supervision of James O. Page.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) operates the Malibu/Lost Hills Station in Calabasas, serving Topanga.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The United States Postal Service Topanga Post Office is at 101 S Topanga Canyon Blvd.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The California Highway Patrol, West Valley Area, handles the traffic on the State Route and in the unincorporated areas.Template:Citation needed

The Topanga Coalition for Emergency Preparedness (T-CEP) operates an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) near the Topanga Town Center.Template:Citation needed

Education

Palisades Charter High School

William Howard Taft High School

Most Topanga residents are zoned to schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District.<ref name=TopangaSDmap>Template:Cite web
2010 map: Template:Cite web</ref> LAUSD schools with attendance boundaries including most of Topanga include:<ref>Brenoff, Ann. "Topanga, mountain mellow but oh so pricey." Los Angeles Times. December 1, 2002. Retrieved October 22, 2011.</ref>

• Topanga Elementary School
  • A 1998 Los Angeles Magazine article reported that a teacher said that the fact that many of the students' parents are creative professionals contributes to the school's high test scores. As of 1998 many parents conduct music and art lessons at the school, as Topanga itself is an artists' colony.<ref name=LAmagHSp56>Hardy, Terry. "Top of the Class" (education section). Los Angeles Magazine. Emmis Communications, October 1998. Vol. 43, No. 10. Template:ISSN. Start: p. 52. CITED: p. 56.</ref>
• A choice between Revere Charter Middle School or Woodland Hills Academy (formerly Parkman Middle School)
• A choice between Palisades Charter High School and Taft High School<ref>"Palisades Charter High School Attendance Zone." Los Angeles Unified School District.</ref>

The area is in Board District 4.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As of 2025, Nick Melvoin represents the district.<ref>"Template:Cite web</ref>

Some portions are in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD),<ref name=TopangaSDmap/> zoned to Webster Elementary School and Malibu High School.<ref>"Malibu Boundaries." Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. Retrieved October 22, 2011.</ref> Some are in the Las Virgenes Unified School District.<ref name=TopangaSDmap/>

Private schools:

• Manzanita School at Big Rock Ranch
• Viewpoint School in Calabasas

The County of Los Angeles Public Library operates the Topanga Library.<ref>"Topanga Library." County of Los Angeles Public Library. Retrieved March 24, 2014. "122 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd. Topanga, CA 90290"</ref>

Notable people

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}

In popular culture

The popular television series Boy Meets World and its sister series Girl Meets World both prominently feature a character named Topanga Matthews (née Lawrence). In episode 9 of Girl Meets World's first season, "Girl Meets 1961", it is revealed she is named for Topanga Canyon. Her daughter, Riley, learns that Topanga's grandmother, Rosie, was told about the canyon in a chance meeting with a stranger who was headed there. Rosie then wrote in her journal: "Topanga: What a beautiful name for something that you want to love."

Tongva Valley, which appears in the 2013 videogame Grand Theft Auto V, is based on Topanga Canyon.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

American rapper Trippie Redd released the single "Topanga" in 2018, referencing the community.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref>

See also

• Template:C

External links

• Topanga Chamber of Commerce
• Topanga Elementary School
• Template:Usurped, local magazine covering Topanga and the surrounding area
• Topanga State Park official website
• Topanga Messenger, the local newspaper. Closed doors December 1, 2016.
• Messenger Mountain News, local newspaper covering Topanga and the Santa Monica Mountains from January 2017 – April 2020.
• Topanga New Times, magazine covering Topanga and the Santa Monica Mountains since May 2020.
• Topanga Community Club, home of Topanga Days
• Official report Old Topanga Fire
• Project to save historic Los Angeles County Engine 69 which served Topanga area around 1955
• Topanga Days Country Fair
• "The Fire Next Time", a story on Topanga Coalition for Emergency Preparedness (T-CEP)
• Topanga Creek watershed map Template:Webarchive