Matt Sachtler, "MASH site overview – Malibu Creek State Park – 2 January 2010" / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Cropped/resized from original. Image source CC BY-SA 2.0 Historical photograph from 2010; present conditions may differ.
Screen Trips visitor guide
MASH TV Series Filming Location at Malibu Creek
The M*A*S*H television series used the outdoor camp at the former Fox Ranch, now inside Malibu Creek State Park, while interior work took place on a Fox soundstage. Visitors can hike the park's signed route to the outdoor set clearing when conditions allow. The route is roughly five miles round trip from the main parking area, and current fire, heat, creek, bridge, and closure notices control access.
Start here
A real film location reached on foot
Water alert, checked September 19, 2026: State Parks reports no water in the park after a water-main break. Carry all drinking water and check the latest repair notice. The MASH site is reached by an approximately five-mile round-trip hike from the main parking trailhead, with one notable hill. Dogs are not permitted on the dirt trails.
Filming locations
What you can visit, and what to leave off the route
| Place | Production role | Status and cluster | Current action | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main Trailhead Parking Lot | Normal starting point for the hike to the MASH site | Conditional public stop Trail approach |
Park entrance, parking, hours, fees, and capacity are current conditions rather than production history | |
| Crags Road route | Primary park road and trail corridor toward the former Fox ranch site | Conditional public stop Trail approach |
Wide dirt route in sections; still subject to heat, fire, mud, wildlife, and closure alerts | |
| Century Lake junction area | Recognizable route checkpoint before continuing toward the set site | Conditional public stop Trail approach |
Trail waypoint, not a separate MASH filming claim; follow the current park map | |
| Seasonal bridge and creek crossing | Access infrastructure on the approach to the MASH site | Conditional public stop Trail approach |
Status changes by season and conditions; check the park on the day and do not improvise an unsafe crossing | |
| MASH outdoor set clearing | Exact outdoor production site for the film and television encampment | Conditional public stop Outdoor set clearing |
Public hiking destination when the route is open; natural and cultural features remain protected | |
| Interpretive signpost and panels | Current interpretive evidence associated with the former outdoor set | Conditional public stop Outdoor set clearing |
Look for the recreated signpost and informational panels, stay on the marked route, and leave artifacts undisturbed. | |
| Fox soundstage context | Series interior production occurred on a Fox soundstage | Private or excluded Studio context only |
Historical context only; no studio access or set survival is promised and no private route is provided |
Fact check
Filmed versus set
Filmed in
The outdoor camp filmed at the former Fox Ranch, now Malibu Creek State Park, while many interiors were produced on a Fox soundstage. California State Parks identifies the MASH movie and television encampment at Malibu Creek State Park.
Set in
The series depicts Korea, but the public trail and outdoor set clearing are in the Santa Monica Mountains in California. The park represented Korea for the outdoor production. It is the filming location, not the narrative geography.
The outdoor set is a California hike. The hospital interiors were studio work, and the park is not a complete preserved television camp.
Route shape
Choose the route cluster that can stand on its own
Film editing compresses real geography. Choose one independently worthwhile cluster, verify its current controls, and avoid converting distant or private production facts into a single checklist.
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Trail approach
Order: Begin at the official main parking area, follow Crags Road, use the park map at the Century Lake junction, and assess the creek crossing before continuing.
Transfer: Travel on the signed park route only and carry water appropriate to current conditions.
Current check: Read California State Parks alerts for fire, heat, rain, mud, bridge, trail, and parking status.
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Outdoor set clearing
Order: Reach the former camp clearing only when the full approach is open, then stay with interpretive features and the lawful trail.
Transfer: Return by the same authorized route with enough daylight and water.
Current check: Do not rely on archival photos to promise that every marker or vehicle remnant remains present.
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Studio context only
Order: Use the Fox soundstage only to explain how interiors differed from the outdoor camp.
Transfer: No visitor transfer or studio tour is proposed.
Current check: Do not infer surviving sets or public studio access.
Best single stop: The outdoor set clearing is the title-specific destination, but the safe trip begins with the park's current conditions and signed approach.
Time reality: Allow several hours for the roughly five-mile round trip, plus parking, breaks, and a conservative turnaround buffer.
Route reality: Do not combine this exposed hike with an ambitious Los Angeles screen-location circuit. Make the park the day's primary objective and turn back if access conditions deteriorate.
Traveler task
Recheck the rule that controls each stop
A title-specific source establishes why a place appears here. The current owner, operator, or public authority determines whether the visit can happen now.
- Water alert, September 19, 2026: State Parks reports a park-wide water outage following a September 14 main break. Carry all drinking water and check for a repair update before leaving.
- Check California State Parks alerts and the seasonal bridge status
- Start at the main trailhead with enough daylight, water, and heat protection
- Follow the current park map along Crags Road toward the MASH site
- Visit the clearing and verify any displayed artifacts before describing them
- Return by the same lawful route and leave protected features untouched
Do this now: Open the cited operator pages on the travel day and remove any stop whose hours, route, safety status, or permission cannot be confirmed.
Scene to place guide
Plan your visit
Identify the correct version
The 1972 to 1983 MASH television series used the outdoor encampment area also associated with the 1970 film. California State Parks identifies both productions at Malibu Creek, so this route distinguishes the series from the film.
Separate Korea from California
The story depicts a medical unit during the Korean War, but the outdoor hills, roads, and encampment were filmed on the former Twentieth Century Fox ranch in California. The screen setting is not evidence that production occurred in Korea.
Separate exteriors from interiors
MASH writer Ken Levine recalls interior filming on Fox's Stage 9 and exterior work at the Malibu ranch during his tenure. The hike visits the outdoor landscape, not those studio interiors. The ranch also supplied some exterior scenes that could not be recreated on the soundstage.
Plan for a real hike
The Malibu Creek State Park support organization describes the MASH site as a roughly five mile round trip from the main parking trailhead with one significant hill. Carry enough water and allow a hiking block rather than treating the location as a quick roadside photograph.
Use the current route authority
Start from the main trailhead and follow the current park map and posted signs toward Crags Road and the MASH site. Century Lake and the approach are route context, not extra filming locations. A fan track should never override a park closure or ranger direction.
Treat the bridge as seasonal
The current State Parks page says the bridge to the MASH site has been reinstalled, but bridge and creek conditions can change. Check State Parks and the park support page immediately before the hike. If the official route is closed or the crossing is unsafe, hold the visit rather than attempting an unsanctioned creek crossing.
Set expectations at the clearing
The complete hospital camp is gone. The park support organization describes a recreated signpost and informational panels at the former outdoor set. Look for those interpretive features rather than expecting every prop seen in old photographs; leave artifacts undisturbed.
Respect trail and wildlife rules
Dogs are not allowed on the dirt trails to the MASH site. State Parks posted on September 14, 2026, that the park currently has no water because of a water-main break on Las Virgenes Road, so carry all drinking water and do not rely on park facilities. Heat, fire danger, poison oak, ticks, rattlesnakes, mud, and limited shade can affect the route, and the park's live conditions should determine whether the day is suitable.
Connect the local trip
Deep Arrival's things to do in Malibu guide and Santa Monica Mountains park guide can help with the wider stay, while the La La Land filming locations page offers a separate Los Angeles screen trip. Keep the MASH hike as its own outdoor commitment.
Recheck before departure
Verify opening hours, parking, fees, trail alerts, bridge status, fire restrictions, weather, the current water-main repair, water carried by every hiker, and artifact condition. Turn around if official signage or conditions conflict with an older route description. The no-dog rule on dirt trails also needs to be visible before travel.
Evidence in context
Why these locations belong in the plan
Current park authority for hours, restrictions, dogs, alerts, and seasonal access. California State Parks: Malibu Creek State Park.
Official production history identifying the 1970 film and 1972 to 1983 television encampment at Malibu Creek. California State Parks: selected productions.
Official park history, former Fox ranch context, protected features, wildlife, and trail safety. California State Parks: Malibu Creek visitor guide.
Park support organization route and history, including the roughly five mile round trip and one significant hill. Malibu Creek State Park: MASH.
Current trailhead, bridge, parking, hours, dog, and visitor planning readback. Malibu Creek State Park: plan your visit.
Writer Ken Levine describes the studio interiors and exterior work at the Malibu ranch during his time on the show. Ken Levine on MASH production.
On location
What the public stops look like
Continue planning
Use these next before booking or driving
Sources checked
Official and supporting references
Production evidence establishes why a place belongs here. Operator and public-authority sources control what a traveler can safely do now.
Planning questions
Common questions before you go
Where was the MASH TV series filmed?
Outdoor scenes were filmed at the former Fox ranch in today's Malibu Creek State Park, while interiors were filmed on Stage 9 at 20th Century Fox.
Can you visit the MASH filming location?
Yes, when the park route is open. It is a hike to an outdoor clearing, not a studio tour.
How long is the hike to the MASH site?
The park support organization describes it as roughly five miles round trip from the main parking trailhead, with one significant hill.
Is the MASH set still standing?
The complete camp is not standing. The site retains production geography and interpretive remains whose current condition should be verified.
Can dogs hike to the MASH site?
No. Current park rules do not allow dogs on the dirt trails leading to the site.