In 1998, Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek donated 74 acres in Hollywood Hills worth $2 million and the land is now a protected open space beside Runyon Canyon

In 1998, Alex Trebek, longtime host of Jeopardy!, donated 74 acres of undeveloped land in the Hollywood Hills to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. The property was valued at around $2 million at the time.

The donation was significant because it preserved a large stretch of undeveloped hillside in an area where development was putting increasing pressure on open land. The gift also nearly doubled the amount of public parkland in the immediate area.

But the property was valuable for more than recreation. Conservation officials wanted to protect it as a wildlife corridor, giving animals a route between larger areas of natural habitat.


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Land next to Runyon Canyon

The property is located north of Hollywood Boulevard and east of Nichols Canyon Road, next to Wattles Park and Runyon Canyon Park.

When Trebek donated the land, hikers and cyclists were already using trails across the property. John Diaz, then the acquisitions director for the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, said the agency planned to improve those trails after taking control of the land.

The property also had another important role. Officials hoped it would provide a continuous route for wildlife, including deer and coyotes, moving between areas near the Hollywood and San Diego freeways.

That made the land an important piece of the surrounding conservation network.

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The property is now Trebek Open Space

Today, the land is known as Trebek Open Space and is managed by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority.

The MRCA currently describes Trebek Open Space as a 62-acre open space in the Hollywood Hills adjoining Los Angeles' Runyon Canyon Park. Its existing fire roads serve as trails for hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians.

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The current 62-acre figure differs from the 74 acres reported when Trebek made his donation in 1998.

The difference comes from how the property is described today. The original report referred to the entire parcel donated to the conservancy, while the MRCA's present-day park listing identifies the Trebek Open Space itself as 62 acres.

Part of a larger conservation network

Trebek Open Space is not an isolated patch of greenery. It connects with protected land around Runyon Canyon and Nichols Canyon, creating a larger network of hillsides, canyons and wildlife habitat within Los Angeles.

For people, the area provides trails and access to undeveloped hills close to some of the city's busiest neighborhoods. For wildlife, the connected open spaces provide cover and movement routes through the Santa Monica Mountains.

The fact that such a large undeveloped area remains close to Hollywood makes the property particularly notable.

A break from development

Trebek's decision came at a time when undeveloped land in the Hollywood Hills was under pressure from development. By donating the property rather than retaining it, he helped ensure that the land could remain open space.

The MRCA has continued maintaining the property, with agency records showing work over the years that has included hillside stabilization and vegetation management.

The open space continues to be maintained

The property has not simply been left untouched.

MRCA records show work at Trebek Open Space over the years, including efforts involving hillside stabilization and vegetation management.

The result is a piece of protected land that serves several purposes at once. Hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians can use its fire-road trails, while the surrounding vegetation provides habitat and movement space for wildlife.

Its location makes the donation particularly notable. The open space is close to some of Los Angeles' busiest neighborhoods, yet it remains largely free of buildings.

Alex Trebek's lasting legacy beyond television

Alex Trebek died in 2020 after decades as the familiar face of Jeopardy!, but his name lives on in a very different setting in the Hollywood Hills.

What began as a 74-acre, $2 million land donation in 1998 ultimately became part of Los Angeles' wider network of protected open spaces.

Today, Trebek Open Space stands as a reminder that Trebek's impact was not limited to television. His decision to donate the property helped preserve undeveloped land for public recreation and wildlife in a part of Los Angeles where open space is especially valuable.