Guide to Finding Family Friendly Bike Paths In and Around Ventura County

As a casual cyclist with young kids I usually steer clear of riding on busy streets, particularly those that don't have any type of bike lane on them. Thankfully there are nearly 80 miles of bikeways in Thousand Oaks, including 3 miles of bike paths, 20 miles of bike lanes and 54 miles of marked bike routes.  

Bike routes are shared with vehicles

Class I Bike Paths are separate from auto traffic and thus are great for family friendly cycling. Class II Bike Lanes are striped, painted and shared lanes adjacent to automobile lanes. Class III Bike Routes are marked by green signs that signify sharing with autos.

We also love taking our bikes to other places in and around Ventura County to enjoy other sights and surroundings. So how about if we highlight Class I Bike Paths throughout Ventura County, stretching from Thousand Oaks to Ventura.

Conejo Valley

The Conejo Creek Bike Path is a 1.2 mile path in the heart of Thousand Oaks that connects Gainsborough Road on the south to Conejo Creek Park and the Thousand Oaks Library. This is a nice, flat path, good for kids.

Another access point to the Conejo Creek Bike Path on La Granada Drive.

There is another Thousand Oaks bike path, the .5 mile Greenmeadow Drive connector bike path accessible on the west at Greenmeadow and Yellowstone, on the south side of Los Robles Greens. This is not a particularly interesting path but it does enable cyclists and walkers a path around the golf course to the Los Robles trailhead and Moorpark Road from Newbury Park. A bit hilly, too.

Entrance to Greenmeadow Avenue connector bike path in Thousand Oaks

There is also the .8 mile bike path on the north side of The Oaks mall as well as the .5 mile Read Road Connector path accessible off of Olsen Road just east of the 23 freeway.

Sign at the Read Road connector path on Olsen Road east of 23 Freeway.

Medea Creek Natural Park has hiking, biking and fitness trails that stretch from Calle Rio Vista and Oaks Hills Drive in Oak Park on the north, then south past Medea Creek Lane and Conifer Street to a cul de sac entrance to the park at the west terminus of Tamarind Street. About a mile to mile and a half of paths, including paved and dirt paths.

Nicely paved path at Medea Creek Natural Park in Oak Park

Ventura

My personal favorite bike path in Ventura County is the Omer Rains Trail that runs the entire length of San Buenaventura State Beach.

Senator Omer Rains Ventura Oceanfront Bikeway Sign on Main Street next to Ventura Beach RV Resort

We park the car at Marina Park in Ventura and ride a short distance north on Pierpont Blvd to the bike path entrance. This oceanfront path takes you past the Ventura Pier, through the Promenade area, adjacent to the Ventura County Fairgrounds, Emma Wood State Beach and beyond. Or you can get to the path from anywhere along the Ventura Promenade area.

Bike path along San Buenaventura State Beach.

Omer Rains Bike Path near Ventura Beach RV Resort on Main St.

Nice, newer paved section of Ventura beachfront bike path near Surfers Point.

The Ventura River Trail is a 6.3 mile asphalt pedestrian and bike path that follows the old Southern Pacific Railroad right-of-way from Main Street in Ventura to Foster Park inland towards Ojai. You can easily connect from the Omer Rains Trail to the Ventura River Trail up to the Ojai Valley Trail for quite a long, nearly automobile-free ride.

The Ventura Harbor Bike Path takes you 1.2 miles from Market St and Arundell Ave in midtown Ventura southwest through farmland to E. Harbor Boulevard and Schooner Drive, near Four Points by Sheraton.

Bike path from midtown Ventura to the Harbor is not the most exciting path but it is a convenient way to ride to Ventura Harbor, Marina Park and adjacent areas.

The La Conchita Bike Path between Rincon Point at the Ventura/Santa Barbara County Line adjacent to Highway 101 past La Conchita to Mobil Pier Road in Ventura was completed in September 2014. This path has leapfrogged into my own personal favorite in Ventura County because of its spectacular beach views. This is about 4 miles of bike path in the Oil Piers Beach to Mussel Shoals to La Conchita Beach to Rincon Point beach areas.

Bike paths rarely get better than this stretch along the southbound 101 and the Pacific Ocean in Ventura.

There's another short stretch of bike path at the east end of Navigator Drive that goes west, then south, around the Ventura West Marina.

Entrance to short bike path adjacent to Ventura West Marina.

There is a two mile biking and hiking on the east side of the lake at the Lake Casitas Recreation Area, 11311 Santa Ana Road, Ventura. The path starts at picnic area #1 and follows the east shoreline of the lake for a four mile round trip ride. The path is paved in the recreational area and becomes a dirt road outside of that. More information at www.casitaswater.org/hiking-and-biking-trail.

Ojai

The Ojai Valley Trail is a 9 to 10 mile trail that parallels Highway 33 from Foster Park on the outskirts of west Ventura, to Soule Park in Ojai. It connects to the Ventura River Trail.

The Ojai Trail runs parallel to Ventura Ave/Ojai Ave.

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 Tapo Street on the east. Over seven miles.

Arroyo Simi Bike Path/Trail in Simi Valley.

Camarillo

We enjoy the newer, flat roughly 2 mile Calleguas Creek bike path from Pleasant Valley Fields up to the corner of Flynn and Upland Roads in Camarillo. Quick access from the Conejo Valley and a nice, relatively easy path good for all ages.

Look at how nice and flat this bike path adjacent to Calleguas Creek is!

Other Areas

There's an online bike map available on the Ventura County Transportation Commission website at www.goventura.org where you can find other Class I, II and II bike paths around the county. Here are some of them.

The Santa Paula Bike Trail takes you roughly 3 miles on the east near W. Main St and Peck Rd to (roughly) Dike Road on the west. 

The Fillmore Bike Path runs from south of Highway 126 (Telegraph Road) up past Shiell Park.

In Moorpark there's a .5 mile path at Country Trail Park, around the neighborhood to the west, back to Mountain Trail Street.

There's a bike path that starts at the ocean side of'olołkoy Beach Park and takes you south all the way to Hollywood Beach and Channel Islands Harbor. Cross Harbor Boulevard and make your way into Channel Islands Harbor, where you can ride all the way to the south end of the harbor.

Bike path near Oxnard Beach Park and Channel Islands Harbor.

In Port Hueneme there's a bike path that starts off of Bard Rd, west of South J St, through Richard Bard Running Springs Park and takes you southwest all the way to Hueneme Beach.

If you're willing to venture a bit further away from Ventura County, the Marvin Braude Coastal Bike Path stretches over 20 miles, from Will Rogers State Park in Pacific Palisades to Torrance. Flat, adjacent to the ocean, and so many things to do along the way!

Marvin Braude Coastal Bike Path in Pacific Palisades

That should be enough to get you started! Looking for local cycling clubs? Find some of them at this link.

Fireworks Hill in Thousand Oaks Has Hosted the City's Fireworks Show for Decades

So called "Fireworks Hill" is located in the center of Thousand Oaks, enveloped by McCloud Avenue on the northwest, St. Charles Drive on the northeast, Wilbur Road on the east, Marin Street on the south and Hillcrest Drive on the southeast.

The hill is passed by tens of thousands of commuters each day as it can clearly be seen from the 101. 

For decades, the annual City of Thousand Oaks 4th of July Fireworks have been launched from this hill, a 27 acre parcel that was acquired by the City of Thousand Oaks in 1994. According to an April 7, 1994 Los Angeles Times article, the top of the hill was graded three decades prior.

According to minutes from the April 5, 1994 City Council meeting, city council voted by a 3 to 2 vote to acquire the property from the Robert A. Franklyn Estate for $540,000, plus $5,000 in estimated escrow closing costs.

The fireworks launched from this site can be seen from quite a large radius in the surrounding area. Here's to a great Independence Day!

Independence Day events and activities throughout Ventura County

Fireworks Hill shown here in early January 2016, when three were snow capped peaks in the background.

Bowling Alleys in Ventura County and Nearby Areas

Archaeologists found ancient bowling balls and bowling pins in an Egyptian gravesite in the 1930s that date back to 3200 B.C., thus making bowling the world's oldest documented sport.  The first indoor bowling alley was Knickerbockers of New York City in 1840.

Bowling’s peak in popularity was in the 1960s, when there were over 12,000 bowling establishments in the United States. In 2024, there were approximately 2,600 bowling alleys in the U.S. But bowling seems to be growing in popularity, with companies like Bowlero expanding the market.

Here’s a compilation of local bowling alleys in Ventura County and adjacent areas.

• Buena Lanes in Ventura

• Harley's Bowling Centers in Camarillo and Simi Valley

• Harley's Valley Bowl in Simi Valley

• Bowlero in Woodland Hills

• Bowlero in Oxnard at The Collection at RiverPark

• Lucky Strike Moorpark

• Four-Lane Sunset Lanes at Sunset Terrace Thousand Oaks

Bowling in the Conejo Valley!? The four-lane Sunset Lanes opened in mid-January 2024 at the Sunset Terrace Restaurant & Lounge in Thousand Oaks. Prior to this, the last time we had bowling in Thousand Oaks was 1995, when the 40 lane Conejo Village Bowl closed. It was located where Borders was until January 2010 and various county medical services now reside. Conejo Village Bowl opened in July 1960, as did the short-lived Acorn Bowl, which was located at 3089 Ventura Boulevard (subsequently renamed Thousand Oaks Boulevard).

Acorn Bowl Thousand Oaks in the early 1960s (Photo Credit: City of Thousand Oaks Library, Pat Allen Slide Collection - Thousand Oaks Boulevard Survey)

Bowled Over:

• Wagon Wheel Bowl in Oxnard closed in May 2015.

• Ventura Bowling Center closed in November 2012

• Discovery Ventura closed in 2020

Kids Bowl Free at local area bowling alleys

Many years ago existed the Ojai Bowling Lanes at 345 East Ojai Avenue in Ojai. This was a four lane establishment that operated in the 1940s-1950s. The Topa Topa Brewing Co. now operates at that address.

Memorial Day Weekend Events and Activities Around Ventura County

Memorial Day is a holiday to remember those who died while serving in the armed forces. Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by an act of Congress in 1971, but its beginnings go back to after the Civil War in 1868.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, cities in the North and South claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day in 1866. But in 1966, Congress and President Lyndon B. Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y. as the birthplace of Memorial Day.

Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day.

Traditionally, Memorial Day was May 30th each year. That was changed to the last Monday in May when the Uniform Monday Holiday Act was signed into law in June 1968 and put into effect in 1971.

In 2000, the National Moment of Remembrance Act was enacted by Congress to ask Americans to pause in an act of national unity at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day.

Here is a compilation of activities and events this 2025 Memorial Day weekend around Ventura County and adjacent areas.

• Fri 5/23: Camarillo Old Town Cruise Night (4-7PM)

• 5/23 to 5/27: Mobile Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Simi Valley

• Fri-Mon: Simi Summer Days Carnival at the Simi Valley Town Center

• Sat-Sun 5/24-5/25: Gold Coast Gem Show at Ventura County Fairgrounds

• Sat-Mon 5/24-5/26: I Madonnari Italian Street Painting Festival in Santa Barbara

• Sat-Mon 5/24-5/26: Live Music at Ventura Harbor Village (1-4PM)

• Sat-Mon 5/24-5/26: Deck Tours on the Tall Ship Mystic Whaler at Ventura Harbor Village (1-6PM)

• Sat/Sun 5/24-5/25: 48th Annual Ojai Art in the Park

• Sat 5/24: Happy Face Hill Music Festival in Simi Valley

• Sat 5/24: Westlake Village Pancreatic Cancer Research Run/Walk 5K/10K

• Sat 5/24 Mizel Estate Wines - Wine Tasting in the Vineyard (1PM, 2:30PM)

• Mon 5/26: Memorial Day Service at the Port Hueneme Pier (8:30AM)

• Mon 5/26: Memorial Day Service at Pierce Brothers Westlake Village (10:30AM music, 11AM program)

• Mon 5/26: Memorial Day Service at Conejo Mountain Memorial Park in Camarillo (11AM)

• Mon 5/26: Memorial Day Ceremony at Plaza Park in Oxnard (11AM)

• Mon 5/26: Moorpark Field of Valor Event (10AM-4PM Flag Viewing, 1PM Ceremony)

• Mon 5/26: Memorial Day Free Admission at the Ventura County Botanical Gardens (9AM-5PM)

• Mon 5/26: CPRD Concert in the Park - Journey Tribute (5PM)

• The annual Butterflies Alive! summer exhibit at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History opens on Sat, 5/24

Free Admission Days at Museums in Ventura County and Adjacent Areas

The "Do Something" section of Conejo Valley Guide highlights over 250 things to do throughout Ventura County and surrounding areas, including over four dozen museums. Let's take a closer look at the museums on the list that offer free admission days.

The information below of course is subject to change, so be sure to contact the museums first to confirm.

Conejo Valley, Simi Valley, Moorpark

There is no admission at the Skateboarding Hall of Fame and Museum that opened at the Simi Valley Town Center in December 2018, though donations are accepted. Stop by to see a tremendous collection of vintage skateboards and skating artifacts. Open Wed-Fri 2-8pm, Sat 11am-8pm, Sun noon-5pm (as of May 2025).

The Santa Susana Depot and Museum in Simi Valley is open to the public on weekends from 1-4pm, free of charge.

Ventura, Camarillo, Oxnard, Port Hueneme

Historic Dudley House Museum in Ventura is open the 1st Sunday of the month most of the year and admission is free (donations encouraged).

Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitor Center at Channel Islands National Park located at the Ventura Harbor is open year-round free of admission.

Channel Islands Maritime Museum offers free admission on the 3rd Thursday of each month.

U.S. Navy Seabee Museum in Port Hueneme offers year-round free admission.

Free admission at the Museum of Ventura County in Downtown Ventura the 1st Sunday of the month.

Free first Saturdays from 11am to 4pm at Studio Channel Islands Art Center in Old Town Camarillo.

There is no admission charge at the Pleasant Valley Historical Museum and Botanical Garden in Camarillo. Open weekends. (NOTE AS OF MAY 2025 THE MUSEUM IS STILL CLOSED AS IT IS BEING EXPANDED)

Ojai, Santa Paula, Fillmore

Ojai Valley Museum currently offers free admission the 3rd Friday of each month from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Museum of Ventura County’s Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula offers free admission on the 1st Sunday of the month.

Santa Paula Art Museum offers free admission year-round (as of May 2025).

Aviation Museum of Santa Paula is open the 1st Sunday of each month with no admission charge.

California Oil Museum in Fillmore is free admission year-round, though there is a suggested donation of $4.(CURRENTLY CLOSED AS OF MAY 2025 BUT IS CURRENTLY “RE-ENERGIZING”)

Santa Barbara

Admission is free year-round at the Reagan Ranch Center Exhibit Galleries in Santa Barbara on State Street in front of the Amtrak Station.

Santa Barbara Historical Museum offers free admission year-round; donations are welcomed.

Other Areas

Nethercutt Museum in Sylmar offers free admission year-round to its showcase of vintage cars.

Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles offers free year-round admission.

Kidspace Kids Museum in Pasadena offers Free Family Night from 4pm to 8pm the 1st Tuesday of each month, except September.

The Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades is free of charge year-round.

California ScienCenter in Exposition Park is free admission year-round.

Bank of America offers free admission to over 150 museums around the country the first full weekend of each month.

1956 Rolls Royce Phantom Saloon at Nethercutt Automotive Museum.

You like FREE!? Click here for hundreds of other free activities and things in and around Ventura County!

Seven Flat, Stroller and Family Friendly Hikes in the Conejo Valley

There is a ring of about 15,000 acres of open space with 140 miles of trails for public use surrounding the Conejo Valley. All too often on the Conejo Valley Guide Facebook Page we hear requests for which trails are "stroller friendly" and/or suitable for young children. Here is a sampling of some of the more popular ones in the area.

Wildwood Park to many is the single greatest spot for family hikes and stroller-friendly trails. With 14 trails covering 17 miles, including the popular hike to Paradise Falls and the teepee as well as some wide, relatively flat sections along the Mesa Trail towards Lizard Rock.

It takes a bit of driving via the Norwegian Grade and Santa Rosa Road to get there, but the Conejo Canyons Open Space in the Western Plateau section of the Conejo Open Space leads to several miles of nice, flat, well-maintained family-friendly trails leading to tree-canopied picnic areas. The Hill Canyon Trail and Hawk Canyon Trail are very easy to navigate.

Shaded picnic area off the Hawk Canyon Trail from the Conejo Canyons Bridge.

The one mile Spring Canyon Trail is a mostly flat trail that runs from Lynn Oaks Park, 359 Capitan Street, Newbury Park to the Los Robles Trail.  There are some moderate hills but with the park nearby, this makes for a fun little excursion with the little ones. (No restrooms, however.)

The main access point to the Los Robles Trail at the southern endpoint of Moorpark Road at Greenmeadow Ave starts out with a reasonably flat section that is a nice, easy family stroll.

Speaking of the Los Robles Trail, another great little hike to take with the kids is the Oak Creek Canyon Loop Trail. The first 4/10th of a mile of the trail, accessible off of Greenmeadow Avenue in Thousand Oaks, is the Oak Creek Canyon Whole Access Interpretive Trail. This is a nice, shady, flat trail with benches and picnic benches along the path. The remainder of the loop is not quite as stroller friendly, with a couple moderately steep sections that can be navigated on foot.

Picnic trails and shade abound at the Oak Creek Canyon Interpretative Trail.

The Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa area managed by the National Park Service in Newbury Park has several miles of trails to explore, most of which are flat and stroller-friendly. The Satwiwa Loop Trail takes you around the area and the Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center makes for a fun stop with the family when open on weekends.

The Chumash home, or “‘Ap,” in the background. The one pictured has since been replaced.

Cheeseboro/Palo Comado Canyons offer great family hiking opportunities. While there's definitely hills surrounding these canyons, try the Cheeseboro Canyon Trail, the 4 to 5 mile main artery into the park. Flat and kid/stroller friendly it is. Also try the Doubletree Trailhead connector to the Palo Comado Trail. Flat, fun and scenic.

The Los Padres Trail in Thousand Oaks is a short trail, half of which is pretty flat and tree lined, if you’re looking for a short excursion with a toddler. A seasonal creek makes it even more interesting as you may hear froggies in the spring.

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Although the trails in the Lang Ranch/Woodridge Open Space in Thousand Oaks are NOT FLAT and indeed quite HILLY, they are worth checking out with the kids because they wide and have some interesting sandstone rock formations. If you are really strong, strollers are possible here, but do know that you will encounter some hills like the hill shown in the image below.

This hill in the Lang Ranch/Woodridge Open Space at the Autumn Ridge Trail is a bit daunting but worth the climb.

We're going to throw a bonus trail into the mix. The several miles of hiking trails in the Oakbrook Regional Park Archaeological Area in Thousand Oaks is an outstanding place for a flat, picturesque and oak-tree canopied place for a short hike with the kids.

For a more comprehensive compilation of trails in the Conejo Valley and throughout Ventura County, visit THIS LINK.

Hike to the Teepee, Paradise Falls and Little Cave at Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks

One hiking experience that everyone in the Conejo Valley and neighboring areas has to experience is Wildwood Park. With 14 trails covering 17 miles in the nearly 1,800 acre park managed by the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency, there is plenty to see and do in Wildwood Park.

One particularly fun and fairly easy family hike at Wildwood takes you from the main parking lot at the west end of Avenida de los Arboles to the Teepee, Paradise Falls and Little Cave (formerly Indian Cave**). Take the Mesa Trail about a 3rd of a mile until you see the sign below, then take a left.

Another third of a mile and you're at the teepee, where you'll find another clearly marked sign pointing you in the direction of Paradise Falls.

Hike down some switchbacks and stairs and you'll see be at the beautiful Paradise Falls. Always a fun place to take the kids, though we're warned not to go into the water, which is largely urban runoff.

But it is sure popular and enjoyable to sit back and enjoy this year-round waterfall that is so nicely hidden yet so close to hustle and bustle of suburban Thousand Oaks.

The Little Cave is roughly half a mile east of Paradise Falls and can be accessed from the trail directly above the falls or by hiking back up to the teepee and going the other direction.

Trail adjacent to Paradise Falls that takes you towards little Cave.

A quarter of a mile or so and you'll see the sign below.

Little Cave (Formerly Indian Cave) sign

Formerly called indian cave

Another 100 yards or so and you've reached the staircase that will take you up to the Cave.

Large enough to actually hang out in, though the last time we walked in there were signs of rodents.

You can literally climb through the cave to an exit at the top and hike your way up to a connector trail that will lead you back towards the parking lot. My kids love this and so do I!

** 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.