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.

Sycamore Canyon Nature Center at Point Mugu State Park

The Sycamore Canyon Nature Center is a small center located near the entrance to Sycamore Canyon Campground in Point Mugu State Park at 9000 Pacific Coast Highway. The center is open on Saturdays from noon to 3pm. Displays cover local wildlife, including specimens of a cougar, bobcat, birds of prey, and more. A volunteer is on hand to provide additional information.

Color Me Mine Ceramics Studio in Calabasas

Paint ceramics with your friends and family at Color Me Mine at 23641 Calabasas Road, Calabasas. Pick from hundreds of ceramic pieces for kids, the kitchen, bath, pets and more. Design and paint them any way you like.

More information at www.calabasas.colormemine.com or call 818.222.4922.

The Village at Dos Vientos Ranch

The Village at Dos Vientos Ranch (originally known as Paraiso at Dos Vientos Ranch), located at 350 Via Las Brisas, Thousand Oaks ("Dos Vientos" community of Newbury Park) is a 50,000 square foot community retail shopping center.

Tenants currently include The Local Table, Sushi2 Vientos, Honeycup Coffeehouse and Creamery, Fitness Together, Bubbles Dry Cleaners, Paraiso Family Dental, ETF Portfolio Management, Nati Boutique, Calvary Church and Village Trader Market and Deli.

No functional website as of December 2021.

www.facebook.com/thevillagedosvientos

Moby's on Main in Downtown Ventura

Moby’s on Main opened in late May 2024 at 369 E. Main Street in Ventura, between North Palm Street and North Oak Street. Moby’s is Ventura’s first family-friendly arcade and bar, offering a collection of vintage arcade games, pinball machines, classic Thrifty ice cream, snacks and more. www.mobysonmain.com

Dave & Buster's in Thousand Oaks

Dave & Buster’s opened in the Janss Marketplace at 145 W. Hillcrest Drive in Thousand Oaks on March 4, 2019. This 40,000 square foot location offers a full lunch and dinner menu, large bar area with dozens of TVs, arcade games, virtual reality games, billiards, and more. Visit www.daveandbusters.com/us/en/about/locations/thousand-oaks for more information or call 805-857-7800.

Sycamore Cove Beach in Point Mugu

Sycamore Cove Beach is located at 9000 Pacific Coast Highway in Point Mugu. This beach is one of the closest and easiest to get to from the Conejo Valley and Camarillo via Las Posas and PCH.

Sycamore Cove Beach in the background. Sycamore Canyon Campground entrance on left.

The beach is popular with families looking to barbecue and enjoy quick and easy access to the beach. There are also porta-johns and restrooms available. Very limited parking on PCH (read the signs carefully as you don't want to get ticketed) but plenty of paid parking available (generally $12 to $14 for the day).

Dogs on a leash are allowed in day use areas, campgrounds and beaches within Point Mugu State Park. Dogs are not allowed on backcountry trails or dirt roads.

A view of Sycamore Cove Beach from the south.

On the northwest end of the beach you can walk underneath PCH to the other side of PCH, where Sycamore Canyon Campground is located. From there, you can take Sycamore Canyon up to Newbury Park (about eight miles).

PCH is above. You can safely get from Sycamore Cove to Sycamore Canyon under this bridge (though at high tide can be a challenge). Beats risking your life crossing PCH!

Due north of Sycamore Cove Beach is Thornhill Broome Beach/Campground, which along with Sycamore Cove and Sycamore Canyon is part of Point Mugu State Park. Across from Thornhill Broome is the large sand dune that makes for some fun climbing.

The humongous sand dune walking distance from Sycamore Cove.

Visit www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=630 for more information.

The Oaks Mall in Thousand Oaks

The Oaks in Thousand Oaks is located between the 101 Freeway and Lynn Road at 350 West Hillcrest Avenue, running east to Wilbur Road. Originally constructed in 1978, the 1.3 million square foot shopping mall was renovated in 1993 and again in 2008. In total, there are over 170 stores and services at The Oaks.

Well known brands at The Oaks include Nordstrom, Macy’s, JCPenney, The Apple Store, Anthropologie, Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma and J.Crew.

Restaurants include The Cheesecake Factory, The Lazy Dog Café, Olive Garden, Urban Plates, Chipotle, Pedals & Pints Brewing Co., Bazille (inside Nordstroms), Wood Ranch BBQ, and coming soon, Plata Taqueria, as well as numerous options in the food court area.

The 2008 remodel brought a multi-level parking structure with over 1,300 parking spaces and digital signs that tell you how many spaces are available. There's a beautiful outdoor shops area on the east side of the mall that leads to AMC Thousand Oaks 14 and adjacent restaurants.

For more information, visit www.shoptheoaksmall.com or call 805.495.2032.

EV charging at The Oaks: Available on the south side behind AMC Theaters and the outdoor shops area from EVgo. Additional EV charging available free of charge on north side near Macy’s Men’s & Home Store and on the west side near Macy’s Women’s Store. There are Tesla Urban Superchargers on the south side of the parking structure.

Bell Arts Factory in Ventura

Bell Arts Factory at 432 N. Ventura Avenue, Studio 101, Ventura was created in October 2004 with the decision to transform a historic 20,000 square foot mattress factory on Ventura Avenue into a vibrant, mixed-use community arts center.

Artists, poets, crafters, dance and arts instructors, as well as city and community groups, are all making creative and active use of the 2,000 square foot Janet Addison Community Room for programs, meetings, performances and exhibitions.

More information at bellartsfactory.org.

Arroyo Simi Bike Path in Simi Valley

The Arroyo Simi Bike Path is a two lane bike path in Simi Valley that runs from Madera Road, just south of Easy Street on the west, ending at Cochran Avenue between Fig Street and Ralston Street on the east (more recently, the path has been extended east to Tapo Street).

Over seven miles in total. It is also referred to as the Arroyo Simi Greenway.

The Arroyo Simi is a waterway that begins at Corriganville Park in east Simi Valley and extends west all the way through Simi Valley until into merges into Arroyo Las Posas and Conejo Creek into Calleguas Creek. It is managed by the County of Ventura but the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District has access to the pathway for recreational use.

While this path is nowhere near as visually appealing as bike paths along Ventura Beach and such, the Arroyo Simi Bike Path is almost entirely flat and allows passageway along much of Simi Valley from east to west. You can really do a lot of exploration from this artery. We like to park at the East Street entry point and bike to Rancho Simi Community Park (2.2 miles one way), Rancho Santa Susana Park (6 miles one way) and various other areas.

Because this path is so long and flat (and not crowded), it is a nice destination for learning to ride. However, do be aware that there are a number of street crossings where you are asked to walk your bike across. They are protected by lights and signs, however.

Arroyo Simi bike path entry point at Easy Street and Madera.

Arroyo Simi Bike path may not be the most picturesque path but is nicely flat and goes a long way!

There are numerous entry points to the path, which largely parallels Los Angeles Avenue; this one is just east of Ralston off of Los Angeles Avenue.

More information at www.rsrpd.org/business_detail_T9_R7.php

Santa Susana Depot Museum and Model Railroad in Simi Valley

Visit a fully restored Southern Pacific Railroad depot that was built in 1903 with both freight and passenger trains rushing by at the Santa Susana Depot Museum and Model Railroad. The depot served passengers and farmers in Simi Valley for over 60 years, with a classic passenger waiting room featuring a pot-belly stove, the depot was also headquarters for local freight shipments.

The depot is a museum filled with hundreds of items having both railroad and local historical significance. The depot is owned and managed by the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District, which took it over from the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1973. The depot was moved to its current location and after 10 years of neglect was restored to its current state by 1996. The depot was restored to what it looked like in 1938.

Also at the depot is the Santa Susana Model Railroad Club’s large operating HO scale model railroad. Located inside the depot's freight room, the layout of the railroad portrays Simi Valley during the mid 1950s. Trains run each weekend, with Sundays being the best day to see several trains operating simultaneously.

The depot is located on the grounds of Simi Valley’s beautiful Oak Knolls Park. For you rail fans, the depot is adjacent to the Union Pacific Railroad’s busy “Coast Line,” which is also utilized by both Amtrak and Metrolink passenger trains. You will standing in close proximity to passing trains, so get ready to wave!

The depot is located at 6503 Katherine Road in Simi Valley. For more information and a map to the depot/parking, visit www.santasusanapacific.org or call 805.581.3462.  The depot is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 pm to 4 pm.

Sunset Hills Trail in Thousand Oaks

The Sunset Hills Trail is easily accessible off of Erbes Road in Thousand Oaks, just 7/10ths of a mile north of Sunset Hills Boulevard, just past Fernleaf Court.

There's a triangular dirt parking lot on the east.

This is a pretty easy mile or so trail that takes you past the Bard Lake Reservoir. The reservoir is of course is fenced in but you'll be treated to its beauty as you make your way up. Lake Bard is owned by the Calleguas Water District for storage of up to 10,000 acre-feet (3.3 billion gallons) of water used to meet peak summer demand and emergency requirements.

In fact, most all the way up this fairly gentle, hilly slope, you'll get some great panoramic views of the entire area, including the Conejo Valley, Simi Hills and looking west towards Camarillo/Oxnard. Continue east and you will reach the Woodridge Open Space in Thousand Oaks.

The Sunset Hills Trail is maintained by the Conejo Open Space Foundation. More information at cosf.org/trails/other-trails/easy-hike-sunset-hills-trail.

An additional, and perhaps more popular hike provides even better view of the Bard Reservoir. Take the additional loop in the shape of Maine (kind of) either clockwise or from the first juncture or counterclockwise after cresting the hill. If you go to the top of the hill take the trail on the left and continue onwards. You will see some steps and a bench to take in the views along the way.

(Map courtesy of the conejo Open Space Foundation) Green highlighted section is a nice loop to hike - good family hike.

After cresting the first hill from Erbes Road, find the loop trail on the left.

A short walk to this bench that overlooks Bard Reservoir.

Continue on the trail until it loops around and goes south., parallel to Highway 23

Soon you will be back at the main trail, passing through this tree-tunneled section.

DOZENS OF TRAILS IN AND AROUND VENTURA COUNTY

Libbey Bowl and Libbey Park in Ojai

Libbey Bowl and Libbey Park are located in the heart of Ojai near the corner of Ojai Avenue and Signal Street. Libbey Bowl was originally built in 1957 and has been used for the annual Ojai Music Festival, Storytelling Festival, Ojai Day event, holiday celebrations and many other community events through the years. Beginning in 2008, the bowl was renovated and in 2011 was reopened with a new look and design. It accommodates 1,300 people. Learn more about Libbey Bowl at www.libbeybowl.org.

Both Libbey Bowl and Libbey Park are named after Ojai's greatest benefactor, Edward Libbey, a glass manufacturer from Toledo, Ohio. Libbey donated the park to the city in 1917. In front of the park is a shaded pergola along the main "arcade" section of Downtown Ojai.

The park contains a community playground that was designed and built with the help of over 500 volunteers in 2015.

This is a photo of the OLD play structure that was replaced in October 2015.

The new playground!

There are also plenty of benches and seating areas, restrooms, shade trees and tennis courts at Libbey Park. Learn more on the City of Ojai website at www.ojairec.com/460/Libbey-Park.