Volunteers to Help Restore Trail Section

The Santa Monica Mountains is a wilderness filled with natural dangers. On Saturday, a group of volunteers will try to tame it.

They will help restore a 2 1/2-mile stretch of the Backbone Trail in Upper Solstice Canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, part of the National Park Service.

The project involves the removal of brush and debris from the trail to help keep it clearly marked. Buildup of brush could cause hikers to step into unseen rabbit holes and injure themselves, or to rub unwittingly against poison oak, officials said. Or worse, officials said, hikers could fail to see a rattler coiled on the trail until it’s too late.

More volunteers are needed for the activity, which will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. To reach the assembly point, participants should take Pacific Coast Highway to Corral Canyon Road, then drive north about five miles to a parking lot where the road ends. The trail is a short hike from where the restoration will take place.

Participants are advised to bring gloves, hats, protective clothing and heavy work shoes. They should also bring water, lunch, sunscreen and insect repellent. Tools will be provided.

For information, call (818) 597-9192, Ext. 201, (818) 991-1236 or (310) 589-2400.