When I moved to the Conejo Valley in the 1990’s, I discovered that just a few blocks from my home in Thousand Oaks, there were trail heads that led to some of the best hiking in Southern California. I enjoyed getting up in the morning, heading out to enjoy the hills, the open space and nature that this amazing community is known for. We all felt the shrinking of our social life with the changes brought on by Covid, so I hiked. If you are new to hiking, or an experienced trail blazer, the Conejo Valley – Ventura County in general, has so many gorgeous options. One of my favorites is Hill Canyon, because it offers options if you have kids in stollers, to serious mountain bikers and equestrians.

HILL CANYON TRAIL TO HAWK CANYON is a 3.7 mile out and back trail near Santa Rosa Velley. It is an easy route with little elevation change and the trail is well maintained and wide enough in most places to accommodate hikers and horseback riders, or mountain bikes. The scenery is spectacular, the typical chaparral, wildflowers with dramatic hills on both sides. There is minimal shade for much of this hike, so a good hat and sunscreen is essential. The stream runs along one side and there are side paths where you can get a closer view – sometimes spotting bass and catfish in the eddy’s and still waters. Oaks, walnut trees and wildflowers dot the landscape and you will regularly see hawks gliding overhead. This trail leads to many others that have a variety of options, including one that takes you over the hills to another one of my favorites, Wildwood Regional Park.

HILL CANYON is part of the Conejo Open Space Foundation – you can find more information on this and other trails managed by COSF at https://cosf.org/trails/trail-guides. Another great resource is the AllTrails app, or on the web at https://www.alltrails.com. If you hike regularly, All Trails is a great resource.

So put your hiking shoes on and TAKE A HIKE! Photos are my latest Hill Canyon outing!