5 hikes where you can find L.A.’s most iconic animals

Held in memory of conservationist Steve Irwin, Sunday’s National Wildlife Day encourages education about our world’s animals and celebrates those who work to protect them. The animal: California newt The hike: Grotto Trail, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Circle X Ranch is known as home to the landmark Sandstone Peak, but it’s also got the three-mile out-and-back Grotto Trail, which you’ll prefer in the summer heat. “1…2…3, blue butterfly!” Cameras snapped as a peninsula partnership celebrated the announcement of the “Go Wild for the Peninsula” campaign, funding the creation of a 96-acre Wildlife Corridor that aims to restore native flora, reduce fire risk and protect local fauna like the cactus wren, California gnatcatcher and the endangered Palos Verdes blue butterfly. I attended the kickoff event led by the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy, with support from the city of Rancho Palos Verdes, the L.A. County Regional Park and Open Space District and both U.S. and California departments of fish and wildlife — the entities have contributed $19.7 million of the $30-million goal to preserve this important stretch of coastal land. The young mountain lion was the seventh killed this year in a “road mortality” in the National Park Service’s study area, which spans the Santa Monica Mountains, Simi Hills, Griffith Park and the Santa Susana and Verdugo mountains.