In 2016 , the National Park Service completed land acquisitions from former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and fitness pioneer Betty Weider to enable right-of-way for the trail . In May 2016 , a new section of the trail was completed on the east side of Yerba Buena Road in support of these acquisitions . The official opening ceremony for the Backbone Trail was held on Saturday , June 4 , 2016 at Will Rogers State Park with a ribbon-cutting ceremony held at 10:00 am . Portions of the trail were closed after the Woolsey Fire in 2018 . Other trails and several parks were also closed as 88 % of the federal parkland within the Santa Monica Mountains burned in the fast moving fire . The Backbone Trail fully reopened in July 2019
Woolsey Fire
Thomas Fire
Backbone Trail