Countywide : Park Information Broadcast on Radio

Motorists passing through the Santa Monica Mountains can now tune in to the latest information on recreational activities, special events and natural resources available in the rugged region.

Messages in English and Spanish on 1610 AM will introduce drivers to the history and unique features of several distinct National Park Service sites: Malibu Lagoon State Beach along Pacific Coast Highway, Sycamore Cove in Point Mugu State Park, Malibu Creek State Park and Rocky Oaks on Kanan Road.

Updated periodically, the information is broadcast over a 2 1/2- to three-mile range in each area, said parks spokeswoman Jean Bray.

Thousands of drivers pass through the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area each day, but the park service does not know how many tune into 1610 AM.

English-language broadcasts have been aired at a few of the sites for the past year, but the Spanish announcements started recently, when the park service expanded its radio coverage to target all four recreation areas.

Another National Park Service facility in Ventura County, Channel Islands National Park, does not have its own radio broadcasts, Bray said. But nationwide, many large parks air regular announcements on either 1610 AM or 520 AM, she said.

The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, established in 1978, includes 40 miles of beach, 570 miles of trails, and the scenic Mulholland Highway through the mountains.