Deer Creek Beach

The opportunity to connect 8 million people to the outdoors doesn’t roll around often. Protecting Deer Creek Beach, an expansive 1,241-acre property of stunning Southern California oceanfront did exactly that.

For more than 25 years, Trust for Public Land kept a watchful eye on the last two-mile stretch of private, untouched coastline near Malibu, hoping to write the final chapter of the property’s tumultuous past. Well known in local lore, this property has a deep and public history of ownership claims. The Mansdorf family originally purchased the property over a four-decade period with revenue from their aircraft business, which famously helped develop the Pregnant Guppy cargo plane. Since then, the land sat nearly vacant, occasionally posing as a backdrop for local car commercials.

In collaboration with the National Park Service (NPS), the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA), the National Park Foundation, and local elected leaders, Deer Creek Beach is now permanently protected as a wild playground, creating a connection to the outdoors for southern Californians—an especially great need in this highly urbanized region.

As a future stretch of the proposed Coastal Slope Trail, backpackers will be able to hike more than 30 miles of California coastline without seeing a single beach house or sprawling mansion–just uninterrupted, breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. Perched above Highway 1, the bluffs of Deer Creek Canyon give stunning views of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, with the Islands of Anacapa, Santa Cruz and Catalina emerging beyond the Pacific Ocean. This beautiful space will serve nearly 8 million people who live within an hour’s drive to the property and connect more Californians to the outdoors.

Despite its proximity to metropolitan Malibu, this land bustles with biodiversity. During winter migration months, gray and humpback whales can be seen making their journey south, while dolphins, sea lions and other marine life are teeming on this undisturbed 2-mile stretch of coastline. Not only does Deer Creek Beach provide unspoiled coastal habitat, but the mountains and bluffs serve as critical sanctuary for the local mountain lions, deer, coyotes, and coastal birds. Its protection also means large habitat linkages will be safeguarded for better adaptation to hotter and drier climates, contributing to California’s 30×30 goals, and climate resiliency.