Temescal Gateway Park offers many recreational opportunities and acts as a gateway to Topanga State Park, Will Rogers…More State Historic Park, and the 20,000-acre "Big Wild" of the Santa Monica Mountains. The 141 acres of Temescal Gateway Park include easy-to-moderate trails for hiking, picnic tables, grassy areas, restrooms, a camp store, meeting rooms, an auditorium and classrooms. Other amenities and programs at the park include the Earth Adventure Camp for children, the Temescal Canyon Conference and Retreat Center and the Temescal Dining Hall for events. The park and facilities can be reserved for weddings and other events. Dogs must be leashed within the park. Special events and hikes are held at the park throughout the year.</p> <p>Development of the park began as early as 1922, when Reverend Dr. Charles Holmes Scott developed the land for the Methodist Church as a West Coast center for the Chautauqua movement. In 1943, the Presbyterian Synod purchased the property for private retreats. The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy purchased the property in 1994 to preserve the park as a public space. Temescal Gateway Park is managed by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, a local government and public entity established in 1985. The MRCA provides ranger services, fire prevention, scientific expertise and educational and youth leadership programs.</p>