paramount ranch

little known attraction next to 2,300 acre state forest,lots of parking, tour old and present western movie set, old false front buildings to view, lots of hiking, biking and horse trails,

We tried to visit this free park last year but it had been rented out for a festival and cost $22 per person to get in. Imagine how frustrated we were, going to a free location that was about a 45 minute drive, only to find out we couldn't get in. (Not without paying $44!) Plus it was massively crowded which wasn't what we were looking for to go hang out in a park for the day. We finally had the chance to try visiting again this month. It wasn't busy at all on a Saturday. I love that you can hike trails near Malibu State Parks but not pay anything to get in or for parking. They have bathroom facilities before you go into the cute Western part of town. That's the best part, where you can stroll through where they shot Dr. Quinn and other shows / movies. Lots of fun photo ops. Bring a picnic lunch. And if you're feeling adventurous, it's not far from Mulholland Drive. Take a pretty drive after you visit the park. We took it from there to Malibu Beaches. Very fun, mostly free day trip. I'll paste link to the website to check for events before you go. I assume they'd also post if a shoot is going on so you can avoid it at those times too. (You need a permit for any professional photography or filming.) http://www.nps.gov/samo/planyourvisit/paramountranch.htm

We just recently moved into the Agoura Hills area. I had been to the Paramount Ranch, many years ago, when they held the Rennaisance Faire there. It was a surprise, to find out, that there has always been a western town there. Where they have filmed many movies, and western t.v. shows. If you look inside some of the buildings, you can see, that some of them are finished inside, and we're used for inside shots. Everyone who visits, seems to enjoy, taking family photos there.There is no admission fee, so if your looking for a free fun side trip, this is a good place to go.

I was thrilled to discover this place, this real throw-back to the days of filming the old "Wild West' movies as well as "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman." It seems like the land time forgot - these old sets, with dirt roads set in among the most beautiful woods with a number of really lovely hiking trails that afford terrific views. You can't believe you're this close to LA, and yet it feels you've gone to the Wild West a hundred years ago, or more. I take my dog here frequently, and she loves the trails - YES I keep her on her leash of course but it's a much more enjoyable place for our walks that sidewalked neighborhoods. Whenever I have company I take them here - it's not your usual "LA attraction" and yet it is part of Hollywood's history.

This is an old west 'town' but it's just facades - you can't go inside. But strolling around the 'town' and taking photos is fun. There are a few small trails here that are suiting to kids. They host an annual banjo festival in the spring. It is well worth a visit then too!

Years ago I went to the Renaissance Faire, now I enjoy early morning walks in Paramount Ranch several times a week. It is not crowded and the air is fresh and beautiful. You may see coyotes and other wild life. It is quiet and peaceful. There is an authentic Western town, been there for many years. They are hoping to renovate it. It is nice to just relax and enjoy the beauty of the mountains.

great place to see old western sets and they still film there from time to time, so if your lucky you might see Hollywood in action. Great place to have a picnic, walk trails with great scenery. Also close to wine tasting while on the way to Malibu from the San Fernando Valley. Unless going on a picnic I wouldn't make it a destination trip.

Fun to stop if you're near, but I wouldn't make a special trip. Walked thru in 20 minutes and you see it all. There's only about 15 buildings and they are in desperate need of painting. Right off Mullholland Highway. We drove from LA up the PCH to Malibu, then uphill to the site. Someone needs to organize volunteers to paint this place and furnish the interiors. Then you would have something to brag about.

My husband took me here as a surprise day trip cute old western town in a beautiful park. They have hiking trails and best of all no fee and they allow pets. True the buildings are sadly in need of a little TLC but over all I really enjoyed walking through the little town its quiet pretty and relaxing and you feel like any minute Billy the kid could come rushing around a corner Loved it

If you are a western buff, or even just looking for a nice scenic view, this is a great place! We only looked around for 30 minutes or so, but you could spend easily spend a few hours hiking the trails and having a picnic there.

This is a good place for kids to imagine themselves in a western film. The buildings form a really authentic looking frontier town although you can't get into any of them apart from one tumbledown shack which proved an endless source of fun for the youngsters and the rail depot served as a great stage for ŷimpromptu performances. There are nice shady picnic benches and the whole area is quiet and peaceful. We didn't explore the trails as we had a stroller, but we were a bit disconcerted to see a large snake near one of the bridges, although fortunately it quickly disappeared down a hole.

I had no idea this place existed. It is really in the middle of nowhere, but fun to visit. The friend I was with decided to visit this ranch, which is open until sunset. Now I do not feel the need to travel to Tombstone, Arizona immediately as this satisfied my thirst to see an old ghost town that looks pretty legitimate.

I did not know there was a tour by the rangers, so we only visited the outsides.It's really nice around, the buildings are a bit old but there's something to it that says "hey, I'm sure I've seen this somewhere".Don't expect a tour, but this is a nice place to spend an hour visiting, or to hike around.

There is more movie history than could be imagined at Paramount Ranch and it's not just Dr. Quinn. Check the Santa Monica Mountains Webb site regarding special events and walking tours. Those old enough to remember will have been to the Renaissance Pleasure Faire when it was held at Paramount Ranch. Always a great place for a Sunday afternoon walk.

Paramount Ranch is an old studio set where Dr. Quinn and numerous other shows and films were shot and, while now operated by the National Park Service as part of the Santa Monica Mountain National Recreation Area, it is still used for filming on occasions. While it is interesting to explore and to hike a short trail into the nearby hills, the thing we really enjoyed was the Ranger guided tour which takes one inside a number of the buildings, discusses the history of the set and a number of the movies and shows filmed here, a chance to see some historic photos and insight into some of the “movie magic” that was used in the creation of westerns. Unfortunately, the Ranger guided tours do not seem to be posted on the NPS website and the only way were learned about the tour was by chance when visiting the interagency Visitor Center at King Gillette Ranch and asking the volunteer for recommendations. If one is interested in the Ranger guided tour, I would recommend stopping by or calling the visitor center (805-370-2301) to learn the times and dates of the guided tours.