Five of My Favorite Hikes with Great Views and Scenery in the Conejo Valley

Roughly one third of the land in Thousand Oaks is designated as permanent public open space. This includes a ring of 15,000 acres of open space with over 150 miles of trails for public use surrounding the Conejo Valley. What a spectacular feature we have here in our backyards!

Lizard Rock in Wildwood Park

Three key organizations involved with the Conejo open space:

Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency (COSCA) holds and manages most of the Conejo open space to preserve its natural characteristics while providing opportunities for passive recreational enjoyment of the natural resources. Visit www.conejo-openspace.org to learn more.

Conejo Open Space Trails Advisory Committee (COSTAC) is composed of hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians appointed by the COSCA Board and advises the Board by reviewing issues and making recommendations regarding open space and trails. COSTAC also coordinates activities such as Trail Watch, Trail Patrol, Trail Work, Adopt-a-Trail, Non-Native Plant Removal/Resource Management, Trails Education Days, and Public Outreach.

Conejo Open Space Foundation (COSF) is a non-profit that promotes and maintains multi-use trail and open space and helps educate the public about our open space and the environment. COSF provides funding to support COSTAC programs and to create and publish open space trail maps. Visit www.cosf.org to learn more.

Now here are five of my favorite place to hike for views in the Conejo Open Space and other local areas:

Angel Vista Peak in Newbury Park has arguably the most expansive views of the Conejo Valley, ranging from the Conejo Grade to Agoura Hills, as well as portions of Hidden Valley.

A bench with a view at Angel Peak.

Boney Mountain in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is NOT part of the Conejo Open Space but is managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Additionally, there is no "official" maintained trail to Boney Peak. That said, if you are courageous, energetic and have 4 to 6 hours to spare for a day hike, you will be rewarded with panoramic views of the Conejo Valley, Camarillo Grade and Channel Islands.

Views from near Boney Peak

Tarantula Hill (also known as Dawn's Peak) in the heart of Thousand Oaks is easy to get to compared to more substantial hikes around town. A short walk up a fairly steep paved path off of Gainsborough Road gets you to a 1,056 foot peak with panoramic views of the Conejo Valley and beyond. Great place to catch a sunset.

Bench at the top of Tarantula Hill provides a nice spot for viewing the sunset.

Another great spot for views in the heart of the Conejo Valley is the Conejo Valley Botanic Garden, a 33 acre retreat managed by a non-profit group. The only thing I don't like about this true retreat is that it closes at 5 p.m. and thus is not available for sunset views like at the adjacent Tarantula Hill. But there is so much to see in here that you must stop by.

One of dozens of benches atop the Conejo Valley Botanic Garden

Last but not least (and I've ignored some other incredible views like Wildwood Park and others) is the Lang Ranch/Woodridge Open Space area in Thousand Oaks. You will find stunning views of the Conejo Valley to the Simi Hills from these 1,025 acres in northern Thousand Oaks.

Very picturesque views from the Lang Ranch/Woodridge Open Space.

For a sampling of other trails and hikes in the Conejo Valley and throughout Ventura County and surrounding areas, click THIS LINK!

Ventura Botanical Gardens Demonstration Trail is Quite Colorful in Spring 2017

The Ventura Botanical Gardens Demonstration Trail is a nearly 1 mile trail between Ventura City Hall and Grant Park. The trail offers awesome views of Downtown Ventura and the coastline. And this time of year is a great time to go as there are still plenty of beautiful colors on the trail. More on the Gardens at www.venturabotanicalgardens.com.

Conejo Valley Guide Facebook Fans Chime In On Favorite Staycation Options

In a recent drawing on the Conejo Valley Guide Facebook Page, folks were asked to comment on some of their favorite local area "staycation" alternatives this summer.  Here's a compilation of their responses.

LOCAL AREA HIKING AND TRAILS

LOCAL AREA CAMPING

LOCAL AREA BEACHES

Beach Options

• Surfrider Beach in Malibu
• Kanan to Malibu, lunch at Malibu Seafood, then El Matador Beach
• Avila Beach
• Leo Carrillo Beach
• Silverstrand Beach
• Pismo Beach

Hiking

• Carpinteria Bluffs - watch for sea lions
• Hiking down Sycamore Canyon to the beach and back
• Wildwood Park hike
• Hiking in Ojai and a visit to Lake Casitas
• Hike to the waterfall in the Boney Mountain Wilderness

Day Trips and Short Overnight Trips

• Emerald Iguana Inn in Ojai
• Solvang and Chumash Casino
• Visit Malibu, Ventura or Santa Barbara, take a walk and eat seafood by the shore
• Disneyland
• Santa Monica Pier / Pacific Park
• Las Vegas
• San Diego
• Laguna Woods
• Bike riding at Venice boardwalk
• Universal Studios
• Palm Springs / Rancho Mirage
• Santa Barbara Pier - Stearns Wharf
• Wine tasting in Los Olivos
• Catalina Island

LOCAL AREA BIKE PATHS

COMMUNITY SWIMMING POOLS

Other Outdoor Activities

• Lunch at Ventura Harbor along with boat cruise, kayaking and a walk on the beach
• Santa Barbara Zoo
• Take a drive on PCH, grab dinner and watch the sunset
• Picnics at local parks
• Bike along the coastline in Ventura
• Paddleboarding in Oxnard
• Picnicing at Oxnard Beach Park
• Local area camping
• Libbey Park in Ojai
• Channel Islands whale watching trip
• Camping at Leo Carrillo
• Camping at Faria Beach
• Camping at Thornhill Broome Beach

Other

• Stay home but eat dinner out with friends
• Local area beer and wine tasting
• Catch a concert at the Canyon Club
• Drive through Hidden Valley and lunch in Westlake Village
• The spa at Four Seasons Westlake Village
• Movie marathon at home
• Dodger game
• Westlake Village Inn
• Stagecoach Inn Museum in Newbury Park
• Reagan Library
• Los Angeles Zoo with the kids

Tadpoles on Display at Seasonal Pond at Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa in Newbury Park

The seasonal pond next to the parking lot at Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa in Newbury Park is still looking good after several months of solid rainstorms this winter. We discovered there are tadpoles galore in the pond and the kids were just mesmerized by them. In the latter part of this footage, the kids decided to "save the tadpoles" that were stuck in mud pit cut off from the main pond. We also discovered tiny frogs, the same size as the tadpoles. 

GREAT TRAILS AND HIKING IN AND AROUND VENTURA COUNTY

Turtles Enjoying a Fine Spring Day at The Commons at Calabasas

There must be hundreds of turtles hanging out at the pond area of The Commons at Calabasas, enjoying the spring weather, swimming, sunning and bantering with their koi friends. Quite amusing!

The only other place that comes to mind with this many turtles is Alice Keck Park Memorial Gardens in Santa Barbara.

Let us hope the teenage turtles in this bunch do not become mutant and ninja-like in nature.

All this talk about turtles makes me think about tortoises too, including the 90+ year old Galapagos Tortoise, "Clarence," at America's Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College.

Wildflowers in Full Bloom at the Ray Miller Trail in La Jolla Canyon, Point Mugu State Park

Note: This was posted in March 2017. We stopped by in 2018 and 2019 and there was not an abundance of flowers on the trail these years.

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We knew this was coming. A sea of orange and purple wildflowers in La Jolla Canyon at Pt. Mugu State Park in northwest of Malibu. It may take you about a half an hour to get there from Thousand Oaks, but it is well worth stopping by the Ray Miller Trail in La Jolla Canyon to catch a glimpse of these colors. More on the Ray Miller Trail at THIS LINK. Directions from Thousand Oaks at THIS LINK.