Gopher Problems Near Sherman Oaks and the Santa Monica Mountains

Sherman Oaks sits in the San Fernando Valley directly below the Santa Monica Mountains — one of the largest urban mountain ranges in the world — and that geography defines its gopher situation. The mountains form the entire southern boundary of Sherman Oaks and the surrounding Valley neighborhoods, providing natural terrain that sustains large gopher populations pushing northward into residential streets year-round. Combined with Balboa Park's extensive athletic facilities and the LA River greenbelt corridor, Sherman Oaks has gopher pressure from multiple directions.

The Main Gopher Sources in Sherman Oaks

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is the dominant gopher pressure source for Sherman Oaks and the entire southern San Fernando Valley. The mountains cover over 150,000 acres of chaparral, oak woodland, and grassland habitat, and they border the Valley's residential communities along their entire northern face. Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Encino, and Tarzana all sit at the base of this mountain range, and the foothills that transition from natural terrain to residential streets are the highest-pressure gopher zones in the Valley. Properties on streets climbing toward Mulholland Drive or backing up to the hillside open space experience the most direct pressure from mountain populations.

Balboa Park is one of the largest parks in the San Fernando Valley, covering over 80 acres of recreational facilities including athletic fields, a golf course, and maintained turf areas. Balboa Park Golf Course in particular sustains a significant gopher population, and the surrounding residential neighborhoods in the Encino and Balboa Park areas see consistent activity from the course's established populations. The park's irrigated athletic fields add additional pressure to surrounding residential blocks.

The LA River greenbelt corridor runs through the San Fernando Valley parallel to Sherman Oaks, and the maintained green spaces along the river provide habitat connectivity between different neighborhood gopher populations. The river corridor is increasingly being restored with native vegetation, which adds natural gopher habitat along the corridor's length.

Mulholland Drive corridor along the ridge of the Santa Monica Mountains connects natural habitats from the Hollywood Hills to the western reaches of the Valley, and the residential communities along this corridor — including the hillside neighborhoods above Sherman Oaks — are in direct contact with natural mountain gopher terrain. Properties along Mulholland and the hillside streets below it see some of the most persistent gopher activity in the area.

School campuses throughout Sherman Oaks and the surrounding Valley neighborhoods — including Van Nuys High School, Birmingham Community Charter High School, and the many elementary campuses in the LA Unified district serving this area — all maintain irrigated athletic fields that contribute neighborhood-level gopher pressure.

The Valley Floor vs. Foothill Difference

Sherman Oaks homeowners on the Valley floor near Ventura Boulevard experience gopher pressure primarily from Balboa Park, school campuses, and neighborhood parks. Homeowners on the hillside streets south of Ventura Boulevard climbing toward Mulholland experience the additional and more intense pressure of mountain terrain directly upslope. The foothill properties benefit most from ongoing maintenance given the permanent nature of the mountain population source.

Service Areas Near Sherman Oaks

• Gopher Control in Los Angeles — Griffith Park, UCLA, and city parks
• Gopher Control in Beverly Hills — estate properties and Coldwater Canyon
• Mole Control in the San Fernando Valley
• Ground Squirrel Control in Los Angeles

Also Read

• Gopher Problems Near Los Angeles Parks and Golf Courses
• Gopher Problems Near Beverly Hills Estates and Coldwater Canyon
• Why Pet-Safe Gopher Control Matters

Call 909-599-4711 to schedule gopher control in Sherman Oaks. We serve all Valley neighborhoods including hillside properties near the Santa Monica Mountains.