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John Larronde's Hawaiian surfboard, carved from wood
John Larronde's Hawaiian surfboard, carved from redwood, was one of the first to be used at Topanga Beach.
Pablo Capra painting, "Hammocks," c. 1999
Pablo Capra's painting shows hammocks hanging from sycamore trees by newly sprouting bamboo (arundo) in his backyard at 3712 Rodeo Grounds.
Pablo Capra painting, "Arundo," c. 1999
Pablo Capra's painting, "Arundo," shows bamboo growing in The Rodeo Grounds.
The Topanga Beach Bus doesn't stop at Topanga Beach
The Topanga Beach Bus returned to its regular schedule a year and a half after the Palisades Fire on June 15, 2026. (It had been running on a limited schedule says April 21, 2025.) However, a sign on the bus announces, "Due to construction, bus will…
Robert Campbell and Pablo Capra sit in The Rodeo Grounds
Robert Campbell and Pablo Capra sit in the yard at 3712 Rodeo Grounds.
Plastic curtains protect Topanga Post Office employees
Plastic curtains protect employees at the Topanga Post Office during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cardboard desks enforce social distancing.
A plastic curtain protects the Topanga Beach Bus driver
A plastic curtain protects the driver of the Topanga Beach Bus during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Reel Inn enforces social distancing during COVID-19
The Reel Inn seafood restaurant (18661 PCH) has spray-painted arrows and marks on the floor leading up to the order window to enforce six feet of social distancing. A cook wears a face mask. At this time, only takeout was allowed.
During the…
During the…
A pirate climbs a ship's mast at a Las Tunas Beach house
A pirate mannequin climbs a rope on a ship's mast with a knife in his mouth. The scene was constructed on the roof of a Las Tunas Beach house at 18948 PCH.
Lifeguard Scott DeBoer wears a face mask at Topanga Beach
Two weeks after Los Angeles partially ended their COVID-19 beach closure on May 13, 2020, a sign on the Topanga Beach lifeguard tower shows new pandemic rules. The sign says, "Beach responsibly. No picnicking. No canopies. No coolers. Physical…
A sign at the Topanga Beach stairs shows COVID-19 rules
Two weeks after Los Angeles partially ended their COVID-19 beach closure on May 13, 2020, a sign at the Topanga Beach stairs shows new pandemic rules. The sign says, "Beach responsibly. No picnicking. No canopies. No coolers. Physical distancing of…
Cholada Thai Beach Cuisine enforces social distancing
Cholada Thai Beach Cuisine (18763 PCH) has a sign that says, "Open for takeout only." Transactions are made at a window. Fences, traffic cones, and police tape separate spaces for entering and exiting to enforce social distancing.
During the…
During the…
A sign at Topanga Beach warns "beginners and kooks"
A sign made from a skimboard is posted on a tree by the Topanga Beach stairs. It says, "Warning, beginners and kooks. South of tower (that way ←). Please respect. You give, you get." Graffiti says, "No longboarders."
Los Angeles County partially…
Los Angeles County partially…
Signs at the Reel Inn show COVID-19 pandemic restrictions
Signs on the wall show COVID-19 pandemic restrictions at the Reel Inn at 18661 PCH. They say, "Please keep your distance," and "Face masks are mandatory." At this time, only takeout was allowed. A speech bubble from a fish artwork advertises, "Raw…
Surf Cam: Topanga Creek turns the ocean brown
Topanga Creek floods Topanga Beach during a rainstorm, turning the ocean brown.
Panorama of Topanga Lane and The Rodeo Grounds, 2021
Panorama shows Topanga Lane and The Rodeo Grounds in Lower Topanga.
Wires are bundled on a telephone pole at Topanga Beach
A bundle of wires hangs from a telephone pole by a palm tree on PCH at Topanga Beach.
The wind tears an American flag in two at Topanga Beach
The wind tears an American flag into two pieces on the hill above PCH at Topanga Beach.
A metal sign marks the entrance to Topanga Beach, 3/3
A metal street sign marks the entrance to Topanga State Beach in 300 feet. It is covered in graffiti and stickers. The Topanga Ranch Motel and the Reel Inn are in the background.
Surf cam: Surfers defy the COVID-19 beach closure
Los Angeles County ordered a COVID-19 pandemic, beach closure from July 3 through July 6, 2020, because of a rise in infections. Surfers defied the order to ride waves on Fourth of July weekend.
An overgrown path in The Rodeo Grounds has nasturtiums
An overgrown path in The Rodeo Grounds has nasturtium flowers.
State Parks eradicates arundo with tarps in Topanga Lane
State Parks attempts to eradicate arundo bamboo (a non-native plant) by blocking the sunlight with tarps in Topanga Lane.
A yellow gate bars the entrance to The Rodeo Grounds
A yellow gate on Topanga Canyon Blvd. bars the dirt road and entrance to The Rodeo Grounds after the eviction of the Lower Topanga community by State Parks. The 7-Eleven gas station is in the background.
A sign found in The Rodeo Grounds says, "Rancho Rodeo"
An old sign with a horseshoe says, "Rancho Rodeo." It hung on the Casser family's house at 3703 Rodeo Grounds. Before that, it hung on the Pascal family's house at 3707 Rodeo Grounds. It may date back to the rodeos that were held there in the 1920s.
Bill Flaxman stands in the creek bed at Brookside
Bill Flaxman stands with a walking stick in the Topanga Creek bed at Brookside.
Grass grows over an abandoned Jacuzzi at Brookside
Grass grows over an abandoned Jacuzzi at Brookside after the eviction of the Lower Topanga community by State Parks. The dirty water is brown and full of debris.
Bill Flaxman stands under a big tree in Brookside
Bill Flaxman stands with a walking stick under a big tree in Brookside.
Cynthia Dial's house at 3948 Topanga Lane is gone
Cactus and a palm tree grow by a concrete picnic bench. Cynthia Dial's house at 3948 Topanga Lane (The Snake Pit) is gone after the eviction of the Lower Topanga community by State Parks.
Rusted car parts lie in the grass in Topanga Lane, 3/3
Rusted car parts and a street sign lie in the grass in Topanga Lane. Graffiti says, "Full-time meltdown."
Rusted car parts lie in the grass in Topanga Lane, 2/3
Rusted car parts lie in the grass in Topanga Lane during the pandemic. Graffiti says, "COVID-19" and "The harsh reality 2020."
Marlies Armand's house at 3833 Topanga Lane is gone
Nasturtium flowers grow by a sycamore tree hollow at the former site of Marlies Armand's house at 3833 Topanga Lane after the eviction of the Lower Topanga community by State Parks.
A tree branch grows horizontal over a path in Topanga Lane
A tree branch grows horizontal over a path through the grass in Topanga Lane.
The Wisdoms' house at 3948 Topanga Lane is gone, 2/2
Cactus, palm trees, and bushes grow at the site of the Wisdom family's former house at 3948 Topanga Lane (The Snake Pit ) after the eviction of the Lower Topanga community by State Parks.
Wing surfers ride hydrofoil boards at Topanga Beach
Wing surfers ride hydrofoil boards by surfers at Topanga Beach. Santa Monica is in the background.
Surf cam: Surfers crowd Topanga Beach
Surfers crowd the water two and half weeks after Los Angeles County partially ended their COVID-19 beach closure on May 13, 2020. A sailboat sails by. The number of new surfers notably increased during the pandemic. (Lying or sitting on the sand was…
Surf cam: Empty waves break during COVID-19
Surf cam: Empty waves break at Topanga Beach during the COVID-19 pandemic's beach closure.
Surf cam: Topanga Beach is empty during COVID-19
Surf cam: Topanga Beach is empty during the COVID-19 pandemic's beach closure. Parking is blocked and PCH is deserted.
Unknown artist painting, "Girl with Balloons," 1990s?
The Reel Inn is decorated with string lights at 18661 PCH. In the rafters hangs a surfboard with a painting of a girl holding balloons. She rides a shark that swims through the clouds.
A car drives by The Chart House in "Grand Theft Auto V"
The video game "Grand Theft Auto V" shows a fantasy version of a car driving by The Chart House and the intersection of PCH and Topanga Canyon Blvd.
Peeling stickers spell out, "Topanga Surf Club"
Peeling letters stuck to the back of a street sign spell out, "Topanga Surf Club," marking an area where surfers used to hangout at Topanga Beach.
Graffiti says, "Topangry Locals," at Topanga Beach
Graffiti says, "Topangry Locals," on a lamppost in the Topanga Beach parking lot.
Panorama of The Rodeo Grounds, 2017
Panorama of The Rodeo Grounds shows the former sites of the Capra family house (3712 Rodeo Grounds) and Dittrich family house (3707 Rodeo Grounds) after the eviction of Lower Topanga by State Parks. Topanga Creek is at left.
Blue Juice stands under the Malibu Inn sign at their reunion
The surf-rock band Blue Juice takes a group photo under the sign announcing their reunion show at the Malibu Inn. They are John Albert, J. Murf, Jeff Ort, and Sammy Cammack.
Native American artifacts that were found in Lower Topanga
Native American artifacts found in Lower Topanga by Shane McMahon include a metate, arrowheads, hollowed rocks, rounded rocks, a long bead, and a wand that may be a "paviut."
Graffiti says, "Topanga," on a ruined Topanga Beach wall
Graffiti says, "Topanga," on a ruined concrete wall from the 1923 Topanga Lagoon bridge. In the background are the Topanga Beach lifeguard tower and a beach access mat.
Topanga Beach graffiti tells surfers to "Go to Sunset"
Graffiti on the stairs tells beginning surfers to "Go to Sunset." Mounds are piled by the Topanga Beach lifeguard tower for a sand replenishment project. The rocks are out at low tide.
Billy panhandles with an electric guitar at PCH and Topanga
Billy [SURNAME?] panhandles with an electric guitar by his bicycle at the intersection of PCH and Topanga Canyon Blvd.
Michele Capra and Natalie Zeri watch the sunset
Michele Capra and Natalie Zeri watch the sunset from the overlook in the Post Office Tract.
Reel Inn dining room panorama, 2009
Panorama shows the Reel Inn seafood restaurant at 18661 PCH. Long picnic tables fill the dining room. The menu is written on chalkboards. Surfboards hang from the ceiling.
Sam Bertolet holds a surfboard that says, "Topanga"
Lifeguard Sam Bertolet holds a buoy and a rescue surfboard that says, "Topanga," by the Topanga Beach lifeguard tower.
Tony Knox plays music at La Esperanza at Las Tunas Beach
Tony Knox sings and plays guitar with his punk rock band Fallujah 71 at La Esperanza (18862 PCH), a Las Tunas Beach house. Robert Overby ("Baretta") watches from a chair. Billy Zane watches from behind a gate.
Surf cam: Mounds of sand are piled by the lifeguard tower
Surf cam: Mounds are piled by the Topanga Beach lifeguard tower for a sand replenishment project.
Paul Lovas sits on the bench at Topanga Beach
Surfer Paul Lovas sits on the bench in the Topanga Beach parking lot. The lifeguard tower is in the background.
George Trafton holds his Skateboarding Hall of Fame trophy
George Trafton holds his award trophy at the 2025 Skateboarding Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Vans Headquarters in Costa Mesa, CA. He wears a lei.
George was a member of the Makaha skateboard team and the Hobie / Vita-Pakt Super Surfer…
George was a member of the Makaha skateboard team and the Hobie / Vita-Pakt Super Surfer…
Topanga Sue's Makaha skateboard has stickers
"Topanga Sue" Lilley's Makaha skateboard is displayed from the top and bottom, revealing her name, a patch of grip tape, and several stickers, including one that says, "Makaha Surf Skateboard, 2601 Colorado Ave., Santa Monica, California," and…
Surf cam: Sunset turns Topanga Beach pink, 2018
Swell Magnet's surf cam shows sunset turning the water pink by the Topanga Beach lifeguard tower.
Baretta and James Mathers hug by James's art studio
Robert Overby ("Baretta") wears a hat that says, "Malibu." James Mathers wears a straw hat and a fur coat. They hug in front of James's art studio at 3726 Rodeo Grounds. Graffiti shows the anarchy symbol.
Christoph Marquardsen finds his Mercedes in the creek
Friends tried to drive Christoph Marquardsen's Mercedes-Benz across Topanga Creek as the water rose. The car got stuck and then was carried several hundred feet downstream.
Carole Winter and Michael Morales's house is boarded up
The house of Carole Winter and Michael Morales, at 3681 Topanga Canyon Blvd., is boarded up during the eviction of the Lower Topanga community by State Parks. Graffiti says, "Idlers of the Bamboo Grove." A faded historic sign on the side advertises,…
Pablo Capra stands in his greenhouse in The Rodeo Grounds
Pablo Capra stands in his greenhouse at 3712 Rodeo Grounds.
James Mathers's Cadillac was carried downstream, 1/2
James Mathers's Cadillac got stuck as Topanga Creek rose. The car was carried 100 feet downstream to Topanga Lane before the water receded.
Baretta points to Paul Neill's truck, stuck in Topanga Creek
Robert Overby ("Baretta") points to Paul Neill's truck, which is stuck in Topanga Creek in The Rodeo Grounds. At left is the sign "Rodeo Grounds Forever."
A dirt road descends into the trees of The Rodeo Grounds
A dirt road descends into The Rodeo Grounds. The cottonwood tree at the entrance is at center. The Moonfire Temple is on top of the hill.
Pablo Capra publishes "Idlers of the Bamboo Grove"
Publisher Pablo Capra sits on the floor and holds an ankh in his greenhouse at 3712 Rodeo Grounds. He assembles multiple copies of his chapbook, "Idlers of the Bamboo Grove: Poetry from Lower Topanga" (Brass Tacks Press, 2002). On the wall is a…
Baretta stands by a tree stump in The Rodeo Grounds
Robert "Baretta" Overby stands on a dirt road by the stump of the cottonwood tree at the entrance to The Rodeo Grounds after the eviction of the Lower Topanga community by State Parks. Non-native plants like this tree were also uprooted.
Street signs show Topanga Canyon Blvd. and Rodeo Grounds
Street signs show the intersection of Topanga Canyon Blvd. and Rodeo Grounds (private).
A dirt road ascends from The Rodeo Grounds
A dirt road ascends from The Rodeo Grounds after the eviction of the Lower Topanga community by State Parks.
Topanga Creek flows under the Rodeo Grounds bridge, 3/3
Topanga Creek flows under the Rodeo Grounds bridge after the eviction of the Lower Topanga community by State Parks.
Baretta sits by his shack at 3681 Topanga Canyon Blvd.
Robert "Baretta" Overby sits by his shack in the backyard of 3681 Topanga Canyon Blvd.
"Rodeo Grounds Forever" sign protests the evictions
A rubber snake coils around a sign that says, "Rodeo Grounds Forever," at the entrance to that neighborhood, The "Forever" part was added later to protest the evictions by State Parks.
James Mathers looks at Norton Wisdom's art studio
James Mathers looks at the paintings in Norton Wisdom's art studio at 3948 Topanga Lane (in The Snake Pit).
Arundo grows along the dirt road in The Rodeo Grounds
Arundo bamboo grows along the dirt road in The Rodeo Grounds.
There's a puddle on the Rodeo Grounds dirt road by the tree
A cottonwood tree grows on the dirt road at the entrance to The Rodeo Grounds. There is a puddle in the foreground.
Kay 'n' Dave's Cantina opened in 1991
Dave Licht and his wife Kay opened their first Mexican restaurant, Kay 'n' Dave's Cantina, at 18763 PCH in 1991 (across from Topanga Beach). In front was a phone booth.
Odie sits by Michael Greene's house at 3726 Rodeo Grounds
Odie (the Capra family's dog) sits by Michael Greene's house at 3726 Rodeo Grounds
Non-native arundo is sprayed with blue herbicide Roundup
A non-native arundo stalk is sprayed with the blue herbicide Roundup by State Parks in the lower Topanga Creek bed. The health impacts of the glyphosate-based Roundup, as well as its effects on the environment, have been at the center of substantial…
Non-natives plants are sprayed with blue herbicide Roundup
A non-native arundo patch is sprayed with the blue herbicide Roundup by State Parks in the lower Topanga Creek bed. The health impacts of the glyphosate-based Roundup, as well as its effects on the environment, have been at the center of substantial…
A non-native tree is sprayed with blue herbicide Roundup
A non-native arundo tree is sprayed with the blue herbicide Roundup by State Parks in the lower Topanga Creek bed. The health impacts of the glyphosate-based Roundup, as well as its effects on the environment, have been at the center of substantial…
Gold rings by Cy and Vera Wood
Gold rings by Cy and Vera Wood (CYVRA) depict a mask, a horse, and an Indian.
Woody's Shack at the Theatricum Botanicum
Artist James Mathers stands on the doorstep of Woody's Shack at the Theatricum Botanicum. Folk singer Woody Guthrie lived here in 1952.
La Esperanza has an address plaque at Las Tunas Beach
A ceramic address plaque at the Las Tunas Beach house, La Esperanza, reads, "18862 Malibu" (18862 PCH). The house's name means, "The Hope," and formerly belonged to actors Greta Garbo, June Havoc, Fred MacMurray, and screenwriter Frank Pierson.
Bamboo covers the entry at the former Las Tunas Isle Motel
Arundo bamboo covers the arched doorway and doorbells at the former Las Tunas Isle Motel at 18904 PCH.
The former Las Tunas Isle Motel door has room doorbells
Arundo bamboo surrounds the room doorbells at the front door of the former Las Tunas Isle Motel at 18904 PCH.
The former Las Tunas Isle Motel has a check-in window
Arundo bamboo walls surround the check-in window, doorbell, and light at the former Las Tunas Isle Motel at 18904 PCH.
The former Las Tunas Isle Motel has a bamboo wall
The Tiki Room has an arundo bamboo wall at the former Las Tunas Isle Motel at 18904 PCH.
The bathroom of the former Las Tunas Isle Motel is green
The bathroom wall and ceiling have a tropical-plant decor, with green palm leaves painted around a lamp, at the former Las Tunas Isle Motel at 18904 PCH.
The former Las Tunas Isle Motel has a stained-glass window
A stained-glass window shows an underwater scene with fish, seaweed, and a mermaid at the former Las Tunas Isle Motel at 18904 PCH.
Guy Bodman and Donny Hirlinger on the Topanga Beach Bus
Surfers Guy Bodman and Donny Hirlinger ride the Topanga Beach Bus to catch some waves.
A Don Quixote statue stands by the Topanga Beach stairs
A statue, with a hat and beard resembling Don Quixote, stands by the Topanga Beach stairs.
A 1930 map marks Lower Topanga as a future park
A 1930 map ("Diagram of Beach Frontage") marks Lower Topanga as the site of a future park, and the Santa Monica / Venice coastline as a future harbor.
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