Pacific Palisades : Trail-Opening Ceremony

Speakers from several parks agencies will be on hand today for a ceremony at Will Rogers State Park to commemorate the partly completed Backbone Trail across the Santa Monica Mountains. The event begins at 11 a.m.

The trail will eventually stretch 65 miles from the park to Point Mugu. It currently covers 48 miles, with gaps near Topanga and at Zuma Canyon near Malibu.

A spokeswoman for the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy said the event is meant to focus attention on efforts by the three agencies involved in the project to acquire rights-of-way to complete the remaining 17 miles.

The project began 12 years ago. It is sponsored by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the National Park Service and the California Department of Parks and Recreation, conservancy spokeswoman Garrie Johnstone said.