About this permit
Malibu Creek State Park extends across the crest of the Santa Monica Mountains, encompassing over 8,000 scenic acres of craggy canyons, gorges and meadows, with 35 miles of fire roads and trails. The campground is a drive-in base in the range, with drinking water, flush toilets, showers, a dump station and fire rings, plus a walk-in group camp taking 10 to 60 people.
The headline change is how you book it. Select campsites at Malibu Creek State Park are now part of California State Parks' monthly Reservation Draw program, described by the agency as a lottery-style system offering all visitors an equal chance to apply for reservations every month. You enter through the Camping and Lodging page on ReserveCalifornia, or by phone. The wider drawing rules apply: free to enter, applications up to eight months ahead with drawings seven months ahead, winners have 30 days to claim and pay, and any unclaimed inventory is released for reservation during the normal six-month rolling window. That last clause is the part that matters for anyone who did not win.
Fires here follow a published tier. Firewood may be burned in the fire rings on LOW (green) fire safety days; firelogs and charcoal briquettes are allowed at MEDIUM (yellow) when weather permits; on a HIGH (red) day, wood, firelogs and briquettes are all prohibited. Check the sign near the campground entrance for the day's level.
The route
The campground sits above Malibu Creek, split in the reservation system into a "Creek Campground" and a "Lower Loop," plus a walk-in group camp for 10 to 60 people. Sites have fire rings, drinking water, flush toilets, showers and a dump station.
The walking is short and the destinations are famous. Rock Pool and Century Lake are both rated easy by the park; the M*A*S*H site and the Lookout Trail are rated moderate. Malibu Creek slopes from west to east through the middle of the park, and the creek was dammed in the early 1900s to form the seven-acre Century Lake. The bridge to the M*A*S*H site was reinstalled in April 2026.
The Backbone Trail crosses Malibu Canyon 1.5 miles from the campground, which makes this the practical resupply and shower stop on a 67-mile route where camping is only allowed at designated campgrounds. From here it is 14.9 miles to Musch Trail Camp and 30.2 miles to Circle X Ranch.
Why it matters
California State Parks expanded its Reservation Drawing beyond the Steep Ravine cabins, and the park page confirms it: select campsites at Malibu Creek State Park are now part of the monthly Reservation Draw program. That puts a Los Angeles drive-in campground in the same allocation bracket as the Steep Ravine cabins.
