| Boney Peak | |
| Elevation: | 2828+ ft (862+ m) |
| Elevation Ref: | [1] |
| Listing: | Sierra Club LPC[2] |
| Location: | Ventura County, California, U.S. |
| Range: | Santa Monica Mountains |
| Coordinates: | 34.1163°N -118.9404°W |
| Coordinates Ref: | [3] |
| Topo: | USGS Triunfo Pass |
| Easiest Route: | Old Boney Trail from Satwiwa |
Boney Mountain in Ventura County, California is one of the highest peaks in the Santa Monica Mountains. The prominent mountain visible from Newbury Park, California is .[4] It is also known as Boney Peak.[5] The mountain contains four of the highest peaks in the coastal range of the Santa Monica Mountains: Boney Peak, Sandstone Peak, Exchange Peak, and Tri Peaks.[6] The highest summit in the Santa Monica Mountains is Sandstone Peak (Mount Allen), situated less than a mile northeast of Boney Peak along the same ridge of volcanic rock. It is the top section of a mass of volcanic rock which solidified around 15 million years ago, and was later uplifted to its dominant position, overshadowing western Conejo Valley.[7] The Chumash Native Americans have a long and deeply spiritual history of interaction at and near the mountain, and the peak is considered a sacred mountain to the Chumash people.[8] [9] [10] [11] [12]
It is located in the Circle X Ranch Park, within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.[13] The surrounding Boney Mountain State Wilderness Area lies within the eastern portion of Point Mugu State Park. Boney Mountain State Wilderness includes trail access to the rest of Point Mugu State Park, as well as Big Sycamore Canyon and Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center.[14] Hiking trails from Satwiwa Native American Cultural Center in southernmost Newbury Park reach Boney Mountain and Peak, and feature views of the Pacific Ocean, Channel Islands, and Mount Baldy. Nearby trails lead to Danielson Monument and the Sycamore Canyon Waterfall.
Boney Mountain was described by Chumash Indians to anthropologist John P. Harrington around year 1900:
Early one morning in 9080 B.C., the ancestral grandfather from whom I took my name, headed west on one of his most adventurous hunting trips ever... As the group climbed Old Boney, they looked back to the north and could see the pleasant openings of the Conejo- and Hidden Valleys. There, there appeared to be good grazing ground for the mammoth herd and they proceeded thence.[15]
The story may be a lore related to the Paleo-Indians, the distant ancestors of the Chumash.[16] An ancient Chumash village known as Satwiwa was located at the foothills of the mountain, which remains sacred to the Chumash people. Satwiwa is believed to be first inhabited 13,000 years ago,[17] and was still a Chumash inhabitation site as of 2,000 years ago.
In 2019, newspaper photos showed the peak was frosted with snow. Long time Newbury Park residents said it was the first time they had seen snow on the peak.[18]