Angel Vista Peak in Newbury Park

The 1,530' elevation Angel Vista Peak in Newbury Park may well have the most spectacular views of the Conejo Valley. You can see the entire Conejo Valley, stretching from the Conejo Grade to central Thousand Oaks, Agoura Hills, Hidden Valley, Boney Mountain and beyond!

Angel Vista can most easily be accessed via the Rosewood Trail at the southern terminus of Regal Oak Ct, off of Lynn Road). The trail is approximately 3 miles round trip to the top and back. There is a picnic table and nearby bench at the peak.

Or for a much longer hike, take the Los Robles Trail (either the Thousand Oaks side accessible at South Moorpark Road and Greenmeadow Ave or Newbury Park side off of Potrero Road).

The Conejo Open Space Foundation provides a useful map at cosf.org/trails/los-robles.

You'll eventually see this sign if you make the trek up the Rosewood Trail.

The bench is in sight!

Fun to see at least a portion of Hidden Valley from up here.

Rocky Peak Park in Simi Valley

The 4,800 acre Rocky Peak Park is located in the Santa Susana Mountains, adjacent to the 118 freeway between Yosemite Avenue and Rocky Peak Road in Simi Valley. It is visually stunning to see as you drive up the 118 grade east towards the San Fernando Valley.

View of Rocky Peak Park from Highway 118 driving eastbound

There are large sandstone structures, unusually balanced rocks, caves and other interesting formations throughout Rocky Peak Park. Plenty to explore and views abound!

The main entrance to the park is the Rocky Peak Trail, which runs north/south over about five miles of fire roads. It is moderately strenuous, with lots of hard, rocky surfaces, so make sure to wear solid shoes for this trail. Be prepared for panoramic views of Simi Valley and the San Fernando Valley as the trail is nearly on the Ventura/Los Angeles County line.

To get there from the west, take the 118 east to Rocky Peak Road. The trailhead is across (north of) the freeway, but parking is very limited, so plan to park on Santa Susana Pass Road, where plenty of street parking is available - just turn right at the end of the offramp and you’re there.

Lots of rocky surfaces on the Rocky Peak Trail as you can see

Trails that intersect the Rocky Peak Trail going east/west include the Hummingbird Creek Trail, Chumash Trail and Las Llajas Canyon Trail. Not far into Rocky Peak Trail you'll see a sign that indicates the Hummingbird Creek Trail.

No doubt about it...you'll have some really nice views of Simi Valley from up here!

After reaching the 2,715 foot Rocky Peak and taking in the views, if you're up to it you can continue north where you will pass by the Chumash Trail and Las Llajas Canyon Trail.

The Rocky Peak Trail terminates north of Blind Canyon in Las Llajas Canyon. You must then double back to return to the trailhead, or take the three mile Chumash Trail down to the westernmost boundary of the property at the end of Flanagan Drive in Simi Valley.

Chumash Trail is about 3 miles of steady climb from Flanagan Drive. To get to the Chumash Trail trailhead, take the 118 to Yosemite, go north, turn right on Flanagan to the end. Park on the street.

The Hummingbird Trail was built by the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District, starting near Kuehner Drive and the 118 Freeway. The trail leads up to the main Rocky Peak Trail. During and just after the rainy season, the trail passes cascades flowing down the sandstone boulders and cliffs. It is about 2 miles or so each way. Take the 118 to Kuehner, go north to the parking area about a quarter of a mile away.

Clearly marked sign on Rocky Peak Trail showing the Hummingbird Trail turnoff

Rocky Peak Park is maintained by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. Learn more at mrca.ca.gov/parks/park-listing/rocky-peak-park. Dogs are allowed on these trails on leash.

Peering down upon the northwest San Fernando Valley from Rocky Peak.

Click here for 50 or so hikes and trails throughout Ventura County.

Lake Eleanor Open Space Hike in Westlake Village

For a nice, fairly moderate hike in Westlake Village, take Triunfo Canyon Road south to Highgate Road and head up to the southeast endpoint of Highgate, past Hillsbury Road, to the end of the road, where you'll see a trailhead sign. Park on the street.

It doesn't actually say "Lake Eleanor Open Space Hike" but this is indeed the way to get to this trail maintained by the Conejo Open Space Foundation (COSF).  Walk past the fence on the pavement, and in about 60 steps, the trailhead is on the right. There's no sign. In fact, I've never seen any signs indicating which way to go on this trail. But once you reach this path, for the most part the trail is pretty obvious.

COSF has some helpful images and a trail map at cosf.org/trails/other-trails/easy-lake-eleanor-open-space-hike.

There are some brief, slightly challenging hilly sections on this hike, along with some rocky sections, but for the most part, this trail is perfectly fine for all ages. I generally wouldn't recommend strollers on this trail though because of these sections, but if you have a solid off-road stroller, it is possible.

After record rainfalls in January/February 2017, this place is looking quite green.

On the left you'll see the beautiful Las Virgenes Reservoir for most of the 1 1/2 mile hike.

You can't go swimming in the Las Virgenes Reservoir but it sure makes for gorgeous views.

Towards the endpoint (Denver Springs Drive), on the right you can look down towards Westlake Boulevard/Decker Canyon and see the eight acre Lake Eleanor. Pretty cool to see from above as it is not accessible to the public.

There is also a trailhead and some parking on Hillsbury Road.

The main trail is on the left; veer right however for best views of Lake Eleanor.

Lake Eleanor along with the Lake Eleanor Dam (also called Banning Dam) and surrounding 529 acres of open space has been named City of Thousand Oaks Historical Landmark #9. 

Lake Eleanor, which is fenced off to protect the wildlife, is clearly visible from the trail.

I love this little hike. It is quiet and peaceful and the views are just wonderful up here. And you are just minutes from civilization.

CLICK HERE FOR DOZENS OF OTHER GREAT HIKING TRAILS AROUND VENTURA COUNTY

Chumash Trail in Simi Valley

The Chumash Trail in Simi Valley is a roughly 2.7 mile trail that takes you from near Chumash Park to the trailhead at the north end of Flanagan Drive to the Rocky Peak Trail. It is a moderate, uphill trail with plenty of views of Simi Valley. No trees and thus no shade. Dogs allowed on leash.

To get to the Chumash Trail trailhead, take the 118 to Yosemite, go north, turn right on Flanagan to the end. Park on the street. More information at www.rsrpd.org/business_detail_T9_R11.php.

Sandstone formations appear on the upper portion of the trail.

Ojai Valley Trail

The Ojai Valley Trail is a 9 mile trail that parallels Highway 33 from Foster Park on the outskirts of west Ventura, to Soule Park in Ojai. One side of the trail is paved for bicyclists, walkers, joggers and people exercising their pets. Post-and-rail wood fence separates the paved path from a dirt bridle path for horseback riders. Sections wind through wooded areas and past riverbeds. While most of the path is offset from Highway 33 (the main thoroughfare in Ojai), it does have a number of street crossings. If staying in Ojai and you run or bike, you will no doubt cross paths with this path!

At Foster Park, the Ojai Valley Trail connects with the 6.3 mile Ventura River Trail, which in turn extends to the Omer Rains Trail along the Ventura beachfront.

More information at parks.venturacounty.gov/county-parks/ojai-valley-trail.

Ojai Valley Trail near Foster Park

Prickly Pear Trail in Newbury Park

The Prickly Pear Trail is located in the Dos Vientos section of Newbury Park. The entry point is at Del Prado Playfields, 402 Calle Del Prado, Newbury Park.

This is a short, roughly one mile in total, family-friendly hike at the east end of the Dos Vientos community. 

The entry point is on the south side of the parking lot in front of the park. It is quite clearly marked, as shown below. The first straightaway is about 1/4 mile, at which point you have the decision of which direction you'd like to take the loop. If you go left (clockwise loop), at the first fork in the trail, continue the remainder of the loop veering right until you're back at the straightway you came from.

This is a convenient little family hike as there is plenty of parking, restrooms, a newer playground for the kids, pickleball and tennis courts at the park.

About 1/4 mile into the hike, looking back towards Del Prado Playfields.

Views toward the protected pond behind Cypress Elementary, along Via Rio.

Agoura Hills Recreation and Event Center

The Agoura Hills Recreation and Event Center is a 21,000 sq. ft. multi-purpose facility located at 29900 Ladyface Court. It opened its doors in January 2015.

The center includes a rentable 3,500 sq ft event center, kitchen, beautiful patio area with outstanding views and more.

The Center hosts a wide variety of activities throughout the year and can be rented for private functions like weddings and meetings. The facility has dedicated space for senior programs as well as a teen center, "The Garage."

Lastly, there is an interpretative play area next to the facility with a Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area theme, including a Rattlesnake Seating Wall, Mountain Lion Climber, Bobcat Climber and Hawk Track Ride.

More information at agourahillscity.gov/rec or call 818.597.7361.

Commemorative Air Force Aviation Museum at Camarillo Airport

Located at the Camarillo Airport at 455 Aviation Drive, the Southern California Wing of the Commemorative Air Force has hangars devoted to preserving, maintaining, displaying, and flying World War II aircraft.

The Commemorative Air Force Southern California Wing Aviation Museum is open Thursday through Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm and Sunday noon to 4pm.

Donations requested of $15 for adults, $10 for ages 10 to 18, $5 for ages 6 to 10 and active military. Kids under 6 are free (as of November 2025). Visit www.cafsocal.com or call 805.482.0064 for more information.

Also, take a vintage WWII airplane ride on the only remaining U.S. Navy/Marine Mitchell B-25 PBJ Bomber, the open cockpit Primary Trainer PT-19, the SNJ Texan and the Aircoupe. Details at www.cafsocal.com/warbird-ride-program.

Docents are enjoyable to speak with as they have a lot of history to share at this museum. Two 15,000 sq ft hangars and a 32,800 sq. ft. hangar complex serve as a Museum Hangar and a Maintenance and Restoration Hangar.

The Museum Hangar contains some of the many artifacts that are currently on display as well as a gift shop. It also houses any of the aircraft that are not away on a mission or undergoing maintenance.  For safety reasons the maintenance hangar is not available for a walk-through, however visitors can observe any work in progress from behind a safety perimeter.

There are a number of aircraft on display, including several you can physically inspect, which is always fun to do with the kids. There are some interesting WWII exhibits on hand too. 

The only authentic Marine BPJ-1J variant of the famed Mitchell B-25 Bomber. It flew into Camarillo from Midland, TX in 1993 for a 20 year restoration project. It is now flight-ready!

The Kakovlev Yak-3 is widely considered the lightest fighter aircraft between 1939 and 1945.

Santa Rosa Trail and Lower Butte Trail in Thousand Oaks

The Santa Rosa Trail connects Wildwood Park to the hills above Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, about a 3 mile hike one way along the Mount Clef Ridge. Enjoy beautiful views of the Conejo Valley and Santa Rosa Valley, then loop around the hills behind CLU.

From Wildwood Park, you can take the Mesa Trail west and turn right onto the Santa Rosa Trail. Or start from the other direction...park at CLU near the Samuelson Community Pool and hike towards Wildwood.

Juncture of Santa Rosa Trail and Lower Butte Trail.

Or take an alternate route with the Lower Butte Trail. The Conejo Open Space Foundation website has a map of the Santa Rosa/Lower Butte Trail loop hike that is about 6 miles in length from Wildwood Park at cosf.org/trails/wildwood/wildwood-park-moderate-hike-santa-rosa-lower-butte-loop.

Two benches and a cross abpve CLU, east of the CLU sign, with panoramic views of the Conejo and Santa Rosa Valleys.

Harmon Canyon Preserve in Ventura

Look for this address sign on Foothill Road to access the trailhead.

Established in 2020, the Harmon Canyon Preserve is owned and managed by the Ventura Land Trust. The 2,100 acre preserve located at 7511 Foothill Road, Ventura (just west of Kimball Road) contains about 6 1/2 miles of well-maintained trails in the canyons and hills. It is the largest permanently protected open space in the Ventura area with public access.

Open to hikers, bikers and runners. Dogs on leash allowed, but only to the 1.8 mile marker. Open daily, sunrise to sunset.

Free parking is available at the preserve trailhead off of McVittie Place. You can park on the west side of Kimball, or park a few blocks down Kimball and Loma Vista Road at Juanamaria Park, and walk a few blocks to the trailhead.

More details and trail map at www.venturalandtrust.org/harmoncanyon.

Trailhead

Old Jeep on the trail

The Calabasas Stairs

The Calabasas Stairs is a set of 375 stairs located in the Santa Monica Mountains, leading up to a residential area above a locked gate.

To get there, take Calabasas Road west to its endpoint, then turn around and park near the Anza Loop Trail trailhead, which is a paved area. (There’s a different trailhead at the very end of Calabasas Road that will take you elsewhere.)

Take the Anza Loop Trail about half a mile until you can see the stairs. Veer right to the New Millenium Loop Trail when you see that sign. At some point you’ll reach another fork in the trail which is unmarked. Veer left to hike into canyon, where you’ll eventually reach the path to the bottom of the staircase.

This is the unmarkeded split where you veer left down into the ravine to get to the stairs

Chumash Indian Museum / Oakbrook Regional Park

Located in Lang Ranch at the top of Westlake Boulevard near Avenida de los Arboles at 3290 Lang Ranch Parkway, Thousand Oaks, the Chumash Interpretative Center / Chumash Indian Museum contains Chumash artifacts and historical items, nature walks and tours of the beautiful local Oakbrook Regional Park area.  The museum is open Saturdays 10 am to 4 pm and Sundays from noon to 4 pm. Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for seniors 65+ and $5 for children under 12 (as of October 2025).

There is no charge to walk the trails in the park, which is open from sunrise to sunset daily.

The Chumash Indian Museum is located on a historical Chumash village site and contains a large collection of Chumash artifacts.

Stroll around the 436 acre Oakbrook Regional Park, a Ventura County historical landmark #90 (designated in 1983). More on Oakbrook Regional Park at www.crpd.org/oakbrook-regional-park

Contact the Center for more information about these and other events, field trips, weddings and birthday parties at www.chumashmuseum.org or 805.492.8076.

Examples of the Chumash Home - called an ‘ap (not to be confused with app). more on ‘aps at THIS LINK.

Beautiful canopied oak tree configuration at Oakbrook Regional Park, behind the Chumash Indian Museum.