Paramount Ranch is a old western town replica created in 1927 by Paramount Studios as a shooting location for cowboy westerns and a variety of movies and TV shows. In the 1950s, it even served as a location for sports car racing. Today, it is a part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area as a place for events, hiking, and equestrian sports. An easy 2 or 3 mile hike will take you through the town and around the hillside and meadow. The unique nature of being an old movie set makes it worth a short trip if you are passing through the Santa Monica Mountains.