The bonanza of trails




 

 

By the time I moved to rural Agoura I reckoned that during my years as a Thousand Oaks resident I’d managed to hike all that city’s trails.

I’m thrilled to report I was wrong.

Somehow I’d never got around to exploring the White Horse Canyon Trail that had once caught my eye off Potrero Road near the Bridgehaven tract in the Westlake Village section of Thousand Oaks.

On a recent Sunday my intrepid canine co-adventurer and I, along with an Australian guest, set out for “terra incognita.”

We were fine following the trail cut directly above the subdivision, then once clear of this we found ourselves overwhelmingly, joyfully confronted with a mother lode of trails that extended in every direction. These ranged from graded fire-utility roads to narrow rocky single tracks.

So many intriguing choices! Should we follow the airy ridgeline route or plunge into a cloistered canyon? And where would we end up?

It was going to be a coin toss until a fellow hiker kindly gave us a trail guide.

White Horse turned out to be just one of many “neighborhood feeder” trails united under the umbrella title of “Los Robles Trail System,” managed by the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency.

With about 25 miles of paths spanning Westlake Village to Newbury Park, this trail network represents an outdoor enthusiast’s dream: It is not only nearby, it offers much variety, no crowds, great scenery and moderate to strenuous exercise opportunities.

Ambitious hikers may wish to arrange a car shuttle so they can trek far without needing to backtrack—it’s nearly 10 miles to connect via this trail system with Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa, part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area on Potrero Road in Newbury Park.

Hiking a four-mile loop, we followed an undulating course that led past lush green slopes checkered with colonies of shooting stars, a delicate-looking but hardy native plant that resembles the florist’s cylamen.

Here and there the showy shrub known as fuchsia-flowered gooseberry enlivened the scenery with its glossy foliage and scarlet flowers.

Purple nightshade was plentiful, adding its faint rose-like scent to the trail.

One could not have asked for more exciting panoramic views: Lake Sherwood, the Las Virgenes Reservoir and Westlake Lake; a glimpse of Hidden Valley’s horse ranches; the Thousand Oaks cityscape; craggy monoliths, distinctive peaks and distant ranges.

Area residents can access this system of trails from select neighborhood streets or community parks in Westlake Village, Thousand Oaks and Newbury Park. Those coming from points beyond would do well to start at Triunfo Community Park, on Triunfo Canyon Road between S. Westlake Boulevard and Hampshire Road. Follow the sandy path above the playground to the trailhead, where maps are available.

The trail network is open to hikers, bicyclists and equestrians. Leashed dogs are permitted. Bring ample water and sun protection, as shade can be difficult to find.

For information, visit www.conejo-openspace.org.

Triunfo Community Park is the site of the eastern trailhead for the Los Robles Trail system and is in the Westlake Village portion of Thousand Oaks.


LONE OAK—A solitary hiker walks the local trails.

LONE OAK—A solitary hiker walks the local trails.

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