Triunfo Creek Park in Westlake Village

Owned and maintained by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the 600-acre Triunfo Creek Park in Westlake Village/Agoura contains deep oak woodland, native grasslands and blankets of wildflowers in the springtime. The main feature of the park, the Pentachaeta Trail, is named after the Pentachaeta lyonii, a federally-listed endangered flower found in the park. The yellow, daisy-like flower is found only in Southern California, and blooms between April and June.

An informational kiosk at the trailhead interprets the Pentachaeta lyonii, as well as other unusual wildflowers found on the site such as the Chocolate Lily, and the White Globe Lily. The site also provides access to hiking trails on the Westlake Vista parcel, also owned and managed by the Conservancy.

Pentachaeta Trail to the east. Westlake Vista Trail towards the Las Virgenes Reservoir on the west.

Pretty flowers off the Pentachaeta Trail in March 2016.

Views from Westlake Vista Trail towards, well, but of course, Westlake Village

Las Virgenes Reservoir in close proximity to Westlake Vista Trail.

The Westlake Vista Trail takes you to a fence that encloses the Las Virgenes Reservoir, where you may be treated to sounds of birds and other wildlife. Find the trail that parallels the fence up the mountain and you will be treated to gorgeous views of the area down to Westlake Lake and beyond and the Santa Monica Mountains to the south.

Views towards Westlake Lake from the Westlake Vista Trail.

Directions: The main trailhead with kiosk is on Triunfo Canyon Road east of the southern terminus of Lindero Canyon Road. There are a small number of off-pavement parking spots there. The other end of the trail is at the west end of Triunfo Canyon Road about 1.5 miles west of Kanan Road.

Directions: From the 101 Freeway in Westlake Village exit Lindero Canyon Road. Take Lindero south to Triunfo Canyon Road. Turn left. The trailhead is located opposite Oak Forest Mobile Homes.

Visit mrca.ca.gov/parks/park-listing/triunfo-creek-park for more information.

Map courtesy of Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy at THIS LINK. (Note that Truinfo is a typo on map; actual spelling is Triunfo. But at least is was consistently misspelled not once, not twice, but seven times lol.)

Demolished car sitting near Westlake Vista Trail.

DOZENS OF LOCAL HIKES AND TRAILS AROUND VENTURA COUNTY

Hillcrest Open Space Preserve in Thousand Oaks

The Hillcrest Open Space Preserve is an area bound on the south by Hillcrest Drive, on the east by Westlake Boulevard and on the west by La Granada Drive. I don't know the exact boundary on the north side. The kids and I usually enter the Hillcrest Open Space at the White Sage Trail trailhead off of Hillcrest Drive, just west of Blue Mesa Street, about half a mile west of Westlake Boulevard.

There is no parking to be found on that stretch of Hillcrest Drive and the nearest crosswalks from the other side of Hillcrest Drive, where you can find parking on residential streets, is at Westlake Boulevard (1/2 mile east) and Duesenberg Drive (1/3 mile west). I've parked on Blue Mesa Street and run across Hillcrest but would not recommend that as the cars speed along on that busy boulevard.

In any case, this is a fun little excursion, particularly if you enjoy a steep hill to climb and beautiful panoramic views of the area.

Another access point to the Hillcrest Open Space is the southeast endpoint of La Granada Drive (at Crown View Ct), east of Erbes Road in Thousand Oaks.  This 4 1/2 mile, hilly loop is a great way to view the local scenery, from the Conejo Grade to the Civic Arts Plaza and most everything else.

More detailed information on the Hillcrest Open Space Loop trail can be found on the Conejo Open Space Foundation website at cosf.org/trails/other-trails/moderate-hike-hillcrest-open-space-loop.

Trailhead access point at the end of La Granada Drive.

Spring Canyon Trail Hike in Thousand Oaks

The Spring Canyon Trail is a short, fairly easy hike in the Newbury Park/Thousand Oaks section of the Los Robles Trail system that is great family fun.

Although a good portion of the Spring Canyon Trail is flat like this, there definitely are some moderately hilly sections.

This one mile trail runs east from the vicinity of Lynn Oaks Park, 359 Capitan Street, Newbury Park as well from the eastern terminus of Hemlock Lane, at Heavenly Valley Road in Newbury Park (in the Ventu Park community) to a juncture where you can either continue straight ahead for about a half a mile towards the Los Robles Trail access point at South Moorpark Road and Greenmeadow Avenue in Thousand Oaks or veer up "Space Mountain" on the right. (The views at the top of Space Mountain are awesome but this is a bit of a climb and is very popular with mountain bikers...probably not the best direction with little ones).

The path that takes you from Lynn Oaks Park to the Spring Canyon Trail.

Sign above Lynn Oaks Park that tells you that to the left is Los Robles Trail and to the right is the Hemlock Lane gate in Ventu Park.

Out and back you can make this a 2 to 3 mile moderate hike or more if you add in the Oak Creek Canyon Loop or Los Robles Nature Walk.

Sign at the east terminus of Spring Canyon Trail indicating Moorpark Road is half a mile away. Behind me is the trail toward "Space Mountain" and Los Robles Trail going east towards Newbury Park.

You can also park your car at the Moorpark Road/Greenmeadow trailhead and make your way west towards the Spring Canyon Trail and perhaps eat lunch or snack at Lynn Oaks Park (which by the way also has a nice playground area, basketball court and more...but no restroom however).

Cheeseboro/Palo Comado Canyons in Agoura Hills

Cheeseboro and Palo Comado Canyons cover 4,000 acres in the northernmost section of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, in the Simi Hills. Stroll to Sulphur Springs or hike to the top of Simi Peak for panoramic views of Oak Park, Agoura Hills and Simi Valley. The Chumash lived in these canyons for thousands of years. Many trails within the canyons may have originated with the Chumash and then were expanded by the ranchers who followed.

Cheeseboro Canyon has some of the best cycling and running trails in the area. The lower trailhead is accessed from Chesebro Road and there is plenty of parking.

On a side note, why is Chesebro Road spelled differently than Cheeseboro Canyon? CLICK HERE

Cheeseboro Canyon Trail (CCT) is a 4.6 mile, fairly easygoing main artery into the park, whereas the 4.4 mile Palo Comado Canyon Trail, which largely parallels the CCT, is much more challenging. The Cheeseboro Ridge Trail also parallels the CCT and seems to be favored by cyclists with its long, rolling hills, though distance runners also will enjoy this trail.  Take CCT up through Sulphur Springs and you'll be running through a small (usually) stream bed and a brief rotten egg smell. Then soon the trail becomes more desert-like as you make your way up to the Sheep Corral Trail and the Shepherds' Flat area. It is really beautiful up there though it can get pretty hot, so carry some water!

While there are plenty of steep hills in this area, this is also a great place for strollers, as many of the trails are quite wide and flat.

The only bathroom that I'm aware of in these trails is at the Chesebro Road trailhead.

Visit www.nps.gov/samo/planyourvisit/cheeseboropalocomado.htm to learn more. The trailhead is located at 5792 Chesebro Road. Contact the visitor center at 805.370.2301. Dogs are allowed but must be on a leash at all times.

Excerpt of Cheeseboro/Palo Comado Canyon Map (Courtesy National Park Service)

MORE ON THE PALO COMADO CANYON TRAIL AT THIS LINK

The Morrison Ranch House in Cheeseboro Canyon was destroyed in the Woolsey Fire of November 2018. Rancher John Morrison and his family occupied this house in 1904 and lived and worked in the home for nearly 60 years. This original ranch house, modified over the years, dated back to the late 1800s.

The sign survived the Woolsey Fire but the house did not, except for a lone bathtub (hidden by the sign).

Western Plateau Trail Loop Hike From Newbury Park

If you're looking for a trail a bit off the beaten path, check out the Western Plateau Loop from Conejo Center Drive in Newbury Park.

The trailhead for this hike is adjacent to the City of Thousand Oaks Household Hazardous Waste Facility at 2010 Conejo Center Drive, Newbury Park. You can park in the dirt lot next to the trailhead and head on your way.

The trailhead on Conejo Center Drive.

It is mostly downhill over the first half mile or so of this 5 mile round-trip hike until you get to the Hawk Canyon Trail turnoff.

You can either go straight from here and do a clockwise loop via the Western Plateau Trail or you can turn right on Hawk Canyon, which is a direct route to the Conejo Canyons Bridge.

Hawk Canyon Trail is a fairly narrow, mostly single-track trail.

The Hawk Canyon Trail is a fun, narrow trail surrounding by trees and other vegetation, like you're in the middle of nowhere. There's an old car in a crevice as you approach the Conejo Canyons towards Santa Rosa Valley.

Odd to see this old car out in the middle of nowhere. steep embankment makes it somewhat challenging reaching it.

Bring a snack and sit at a picnic table in the middle of what feels to be nowhere. Then either head back the way you came or find your way to the Western Plateau Trail and loop back counter-clockwise back towards where you parked.

See the Conejo Open Space Foundation's map of this trail at cosf.org/trails/conejo-canyons/conejo-canyons-moderate-hike-western-plateau-loop-from-conejo-center-dr

It can get a bit overgrown in the spring as seen here on the Hawk Canyon Trail but quite beautiful nonetheless!

Camarillo Grove Park

Camarillo Grove Park is located at the bottom of the Conejo Grade at 6968 E. Camarillo Springs Road (Camarillo Springs exit). This 24.5 acre park features the following an off-leash dog park, several miles of hiking trails, a newer playground area (installed in the Fall of 2019), and much more.

Also relatively new is the Outdoor Nature Center, which includes interpretive signage along a trail that provides information about local ecosystems, flora and fauna; an interactive water table; teaching deck for programs; nature-based play equipment such as boulders, logs, ant hill, and more; as well as native gardens with braille signs.

This park offers multiple options for hiking. The lower loop is an easier gently sloping trail with oak trees, sage, volcanic rock formations, and more. 

The dog park is open from 7 a.m. to dusk daily. The entire park is also an off-leash park Monday to Friday only.

The park opens from dawn to dusk daily. There are parking fees at this particular park to help pay for its upkeep. As of February 2025, these fees are $3 on weekdays, $5 on weekends and $10 for oversized vehicles (RVs, etc.) on weekends. Or buy an annual pass for $55.

Learn more at www.pvrpd.org/camarillo-grove-park.

Mt. McCoy Trail in Simi Valley

The Mt. McCoy Trail is located on the west side of Simi Valley with a trailhead at the corner of Washburn Street and Los Amigos Avenue (off the west end of Royal Avenue).

The trailhead at the corner of Washburn St and Los Amigos Avenue

The Mt. McCoy trail is distinctive as there is a large white cross at the top of the mountain, which is about a 600 or so foot climb. From the trailhead, go straight and then take the switchbacks up the mountain.

At this first juncture, keep going straight (south) to the switchbacks. Turn right and you'll be going straight up the steep hill, like we did the first time.

Actually, after just a few hundred feet from the Washburn/Los Amigos trailhead, you'll reach a juncture where you either go straight (which is correct) or take a trail to the right, which is much steeper, but a much more direct path to the top. We made the mistake of taking that path the first time and it got us right up to the cross, but it is pretty steep.

The trails here are all really nicely groomed, thanks to the Rancho Simi Trailblazers and RSRPD. There are dozens of "shortcuts" along the trail but try to stick to the main path. Taking the correct path, with its switchbacks and twists and turns, is a bit over a mile to the top of Mt. McCoy, where you will be treated to panoramic views of the entire Simi Valley and the other direction towards the Reagan Library.  In fact, there are paths from the top that take you in other directions, including  a fire road that intersects with Presidential Drive to the Reagan Library.

View of the cross from about halfway up

A couple benches at the top of the hill to take in the beautiful views

The Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District owns 200 acres surrounding Mt. McCoy and the Rancho Simi Trailblazers helped construct the nicely maintained trail. Learn more at www.rsrpd.org/business_detail_T9_R17.php/

Looking down from the cross to the south, where the benches and trailhead are.

Lizard Rock Hike in Wildwood Park, Thousand Oaks

Lizard Rock is just over a mile from the main entrance to Wildwood Park at the west end of Avenida de los Arboles. Walk/run/hike the Mesa Trail towards Lizard Rock and you will be treated to beautiful views of the surrounding spaces where shows like Gunsmoke and The Rifleman were filmed.

The entrance area and dirt parking lot at the Wildwood Park main trailhead.

Lizard Rock in the distance

View from on top of the lizard

Trail sign south of Lizard Rock indicating Lizard Rock Trail to Wildwood Canyon Trail

You can make this hike a 4 1/2 mile loop past Paradise Falls and the Indian Creek Trail by reviewing the map on the Conejo Open Space Foundation website at cosf.org/trails/wildwood/wildwood-park-easy-hike-indian-creek.

Sycamore Canyon Campground in Point Mugu State Park

Point Mugu State Park is located at 9000 W. Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, offering a variety of beach, hiking and camping opportunities.

The Sycamore Canyon Campground is north of PCH, offering 58 tent/RV spaces along with drinking water, restrooms, showers and fire rings. There are also 4 tent spaces available for "Hike and Bike" campers. Pets are allowed on leash in the campground. Fees as of October 2024 are $35/night plus a $7.99 reservation fee at www.reservecalifornia.com (type in Point Mugu SP to find Sycamore Campground).

This campground is across the street from Sycamore Cove Beach, also part of Point Mugu State Park and just around the corner from the Thornhill Broome Campground on the beach, the giant sand dune across from Thornhill Broome, and Mugu Rock.

Sycamore Canyon has trails galore to explore, going all the way up, eight miles, to Newbury Park, if you so choose. Located just steps from the Sycamore Canyon Fire Road trailhead is the "Scenic Trail," a moderate trail with some steps that gets you to stunning views of everything mentioned above - beaches, Mugu Rock, sand dune, etc.

The Scenic Trail connects with the Overlook Fire Road, which continues on and eventually connects with the top of the Ray Miller Trail, then on towards the La Jolla Valley. It is lush and stunning when green in late winter/early spring. It gets pretty brown and dry up here towards last spring, summer and fall months. But the great views towards the Pacific never change.

Potrero Ridge Trail in Newbury Park

The Potrero Ridge Trail in Newbury Park is an interesting ridgeline trail that runs west/east in three sections over approximately 2 1/2 miles one way. You can access the trail from a number of locations and neighborhood feeder trails, but the main sections are as follows (west to east):

Via Las Brisas in the Dos Vientos tract, just north of Paseo Santa Rosa to Reino Road, just north of Paseo de Leon and Lynn Road, is a little over a mile. This is one of my favorite trails in the area, providing panoramic views of the southern portion of Newbury Park, Boney Mountain and Dos Vientos. There are some switchbacks on the west end near Reino Road but they are not overly strenuous.

Potrero Ridge Trailhead on Via Las Brisas, just north of Paseo Santa Rosa.

Potrero Ridge Trail trailhead (and parking area) off of Reino Road

The middle section of the Potrero Ridge Trail runs from Woodland Oak Place off of Reino Road to Wendy Drive between Felton and Peppermint, where there's a convenient dirt parking lot.  Only about a half mile to the top of the trail, where you'll see a water tank. The primary trail is a wide fire road to the water tank from Wendy Drive. There's a secondary single track trail that mostly runs parallel (south) to the main fire road that is accessible from several points. This trail treats you to wonderful, panoramic views of the area.

Potrero Ridge Trail trailhead off of Wendy Drive.

Views towards the water tank at top of Potrero Ridge Trail (middle section)

The east section of the trail runs from across the parking lot on Wendy Drive to another peak, then down towards Silas Lane near Grace Bible Church, about half a mile in total. There is no parking available for this section of trail, though you can park in the Wendy lot and find a crosswalk to cross over to the trailhead.

View from east section of Potrero Ridge Trail.

So basically these 3 segments are split between Via las Brisas and Reino Road, Reino Road and Wendy Drive and Wendy Drive and Silas Lane.

If you'e like to extend your trail trekking on the west side, cross over Via las Brisas and take the Sierra Vista Trail west another mile to Rancho Dos Vientos.

This trail is maintained by the Conejo Open Space Foundation.

Here's a view of the initial section of the western section of the Potrero Ridge Trail from the Wendy Water Tank section of the trail across Reino Road.

Views into the Dos Vientos section of Newbury Park

Potrero Ridge Trail bench provide extensive views

Views from the same bench on a cloudy late October day in 2013

Malibu Creek State Park

Malibu Creek State Park is accessible in Calabasas, at 1925 Las Virgenes Road, south of Mulholland. The park contains over 8,000 acres of rugged, beautiful hills, trails and scenery. It stretches from Agoura Hills down to Malibu, down to Malibu Lagoon State Beach, covering much of the 25 mile Malibu Creek that flows from Boney Mountain down to the Lagoon. Malibu Creek is the only stream channel that crosses through the Santa Monica Mountain range.

There are three natural preserves in the park, Liberty Canyon, Udell Gorge and Kaslow, which protect Valley Oaks, rare plants and volcanic formations.

Things to do in Malibu Creek State Park include hiking, running, biking, camping, picnicking, fishing and checking out the wildlife. There are over 35 miles of trails and fire roads throughout the park. A fun added bonus is the old M*A*S*H series set, filmed from 1972 to 1983, that resides there.

Dogs are not allowed in Malibu Creek State Park trails.

Malibu Creek State Park contains roughly three dozen different trails, many easy, and some...extraordinarily challenging, such as the Bulldog trail, taking you to 2,500 foot peaks with panoramic views out to the ocean and surrounding peaks and valleys.

Parking for the day at Malibu Creek State Park is currently $12, or $3 per hour. You can also park at the corner of Mulholland and Las Virgenes and make your way into the park via the Grassland Trail.

The campground at Malibu Creek State Park has 62 campsites and 4 RV sites. Visit www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=614 for more information.

The old M*A*S*H site is 2.7 miles from the parking area.

M*A*S*H site with plenty of picnic tables

The Visitor Center is only a 10 minute walk from the parking lot and is generally open from noon to 4pm on weekends.

There's also an interesting visitor center about 1/2 mile from the main entrance to the park. It is open on Saturday/Sunday from noon to 4pm, subject to availability of docents. Worth a stop as there are some neat things to see in there, including wildlife and rocks/artifacts and other useful information. You can also purchase drinks in there as well as a small assortment of other items.

Hike to the Rock Pool at Malibu Creek State Park

Century Lake Hike at Malibu Creek State Park

Two Springs Trail and Wildwood Canyon Trails in Wildwood Park, Thousand Oaks

Sign on the west side of the Wildwood Park parking lot after walking down some steps. (Indian Creek Trail was renamed Two Springs Trail in May 2022.**)

If you enjoy the sound of running water, the Two Springs Trail (formerly Indian Creek Trail) and Wildwood Canyon Trail at Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks are for you.

The Two Springs Trail can be accessed from the main Wildwood Canyon trailhead area parking lot at the east end of Avenida de los Arboles as well as at a separate trailhead on Arboles, slightly west of the parking lot.

Two Springs Trail (formerly Indian Creek Trail) entry point from Avenida de los Arboles

There are shady sections hidden among the trees and sections in the sun. Most of the trail runs along a creek that flows into Paradise Falls. This is not a completely easy hike as there are some hilly sections, a number of steps, and a stream crossing. That said, there's enough variety to make this a fun and interesting hike with the kids.

Visit the Conejo Open Space Foundation website at cosf.org/trails/wildwood/wildwood-park-easy-hike-moonridge-trail/ for a handy map of these trails.

About half a mile or so into the hike, you'll come across a fairly significant waterfall down below, way below, in the creek. Not as large as Paradise Falls, but definitely prominent. Adjacent to that area is a bench. And from there you have some steps and a stream crossing to make it down to the flatter section of the trail.

The waterfall seen from the Two Springs Trail (formerly Indian Creek Trail). Be careful!

The bench on the Two Springs Trail (formerly Indian Creek Trail) in Wildwood Park

Eventually you get to a bridge. If instead of crossing the bridge, you veer left (southwest), you'll be on the Wildwood Canyon Trail along the creek. This is a wide path that can take you on another little sidetrack loop up the Castillo Trail to Castillo Circle (street). A bit of a steep, roughly 3/8ths of a mile trail to Castillo Circle, where you can walk back to a separate trailhead via Velarde Drive north to San Miguel Circle to the San Miguel Trail. You'll end up back at the bridge area.

The Wildwood Canyon Trail is pretty cool. Fairly flat, wide and runs along a creek. The water they say is mostly urban runoff but fun to check out up close with the kids.

The Meadows Center next to the bridge has restrooms and a drinking fountain. The Conejo Rec & Park District leads many hikes here for s'mores and fun activities.

The bridge that intersects the tWO sPRINGS (FORMERLY iNDIAN cREEK) Trail and Wildwood Canyon Trail. Lots of options!

Or, veer right (west) over the bridge, continuing on perhaps the Wildwood Canyon Trail southeast towards the top end entry into the Paradise Falls area (pretty cool to go this way). You can also sidetrack a bit by crossing the bridge and making a sharp right (north) to the short Little Cave Trail** and check out the Little Cave **.

The Little Cave (formerly Indian Cave**) is really easy to get to. Wear good hiking shoes though as it can get slippery. I slipped several times recently because the sole of my sneakers was so worn down.

You can return to the parking area by either backtracking up the Two Springs Trail or by taking the trail directly across from the bridge (basically go straight) up the steep, moderately winding path to a public access road (there is overflow parking available here) to the main Mesa Trail. From there, go right (east) back to the parking lot.

I could go on but there are so many different options in Wildwood Park that we'll stop here for now. Here are links to some other options:

THE TEEPEE, LITTLE CAVE AND PARADISE FALLS

LIZARD ROCK

SANTA ROSA LOOP

SANTA ROSA TRAIL AND LOWER BUTTE TRAIL FROM WILDWOOD PARK TO CLU

** The change in name was approved by the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency (COSCA) in May 2022. COSCA received a request to change the Indian Creek Trail name earlier that year. On its own, the work "Indian" refers to individuals from India, rather than Native Americans, and thus did not accurately reflect the origin of the people to whom it refers.

The Indian Cave and Indian Cave Trail were renamed Little Cave as it was unclear if the cave was naturally formed and/or historically used by Native Americans.

The Indian Creek Trail in Wildwood Park was renamed Two Springs Trail as two natural springs contribute to the stream flow in this portion of the channel.

El Encanto Trail in Dos Vientos Section of Newbury Park

If you're looking for quick access to gorgeous views in the Dos Vientos section of Newbury Park, from Thousand Oaks to Camarillo to the Santa Monica Mountains, stop by the roughly 1.2 mile El Encanto Trail. Access the trail either at the western endpoint of Kimber Drive, just past Greenway Avenue, or inside Dos Vientos at the eastern endpoint of Via Laguna, near the Calle Del Prado intersection.

After a fairly flat start off of Kimber, the trail gets a bit steep and narrow. My young kids were fine on it but it take a decent effort, with an elevation climb of about 300 feet.

This little trail seems quite popular with mountain cyclists as well as hikers. Here's an inviting bench that awaits you near the top of the trail, about halfway between the Kimber and Via Laguna trailheads.

The area was ravaged by the Springs Fire of 2013. The bench has an inscription dedicated to the efforts of the Ventura County Fire Department that did such a fantastic job protecting local neighborhoods.

If you start on the Kimber side all the way to the Via Laguna side, you can either retrace your steps back or take Calle Del Prado down to Via Rio, turning left (east) for a about a quarter mile walk back to the Kimber side.

For a detailed trail map of Dos Vientos area trails on the Conejo Open Space Foundation website, visit https://cosf.org/files/maps/dos_vientos_trail_map.pdf.