To Upper Ventura River Parkway Coyote Creek & Ojai Valley Trail

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Casitas Vista Rd Foster Park Trailhead rve Mile 6.5 se re p P H k O c T O

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0 0 Big Rock Preserve Mile 6 9

FIGURE ii The Lower Ventura River, looking south from its confl uence with the Canada Larga.

101 Lower PARKWAY LOWER Big Rock Preserve 33 guide to the lower N Ventura Ave

Avenue Water ventura river parkway Ojai Valley Treatment Sanitation Plant Plant Canada Larga Creek The Ventura River Parkway is a network of parks, open space, and trails that provide opportunities for recreation, education and stewardship of the Ventura River. the The Ventura River Trail (1999) and the Ojai Valley Trail (1983) provide a continuous v San Buenaventura Canada en multi-use paved path along the Ventura River corridor from the beach all the tu Mission Aqueduct Larga Rd r a Spring St way to the City of Ojai. The trail follows the route of the old Southern r iv Pacific Railroad that once transported Ojai Valley produce to Ventura. e r The 1969 floods washed out much of the tracks, which were later w Brooks Institute of Photography converted from ‘Rails to Trails’. Many side trips provide access to the a t river and creeks as well as scenic overviews of the watershed. e r s

h The Ventura River Trail runs from Main St. in Ventura’s historic e

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downtown to Foster Park 6.3 miles inland. The trail features the

area’s natural and industrial heritage, including an impressive wall Mile 5

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of sedimentary layers exposed by the Ventura River, active and

abandoned industrial sites, and operating oil derricks.

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Petrochem Refinery places to explore 33

if you have 30 - 45 minutes Los Cabos Ln

SURFER’S POINT EMMA WOOD STATE BEACH Bard Ln Just a short distance from Ventura’s historic downtown On the opposite bank of the estuary ventu lies the mouth of the Ventura River. The popular Omar from Surfer’s Point lies the Seaside ra Fraser Ln ri Rains bike path fronts the Ventura County Fairgrounds at Wilderness Park/Emma Wood State ve r Surfer’s Point. This path was re-routed in 2011 as part of Beach, providing opportunities for e s Holt St an innovative beach restoration project. Nearby parking camping, hiking and exploring t u provides convenient access to consistent surfing waves. the river delta’s coastal dune a r McKee St habitat. Remnants of a WWII- y

Crooked Palm Rd

era artillery gun turret can be

WILLOUGHBY PRESERVE

found near the rivermouth. Barnes Dr

A small network of trails on the Ventura Hillsides

Conservancy (VHC) property provides a unique look at the

For more information visit:

lower river where it enters the estuary. The rivermouth and Mile 4

www.parks.ca.gov

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if you have an hour or more

GRANT PARK OVERLOOK FOSTER PARK N Ventura Ave Grant Park lies on the ridge above historic downtown Foster Park is the gateway to the Ojai Valley, featuring a linear park Ventura. The landmark Serra Cross overlooks the San along the Ventura River. The park has restrooms, water fountains Buenaventura Mission (1782). Although Grant and parking and is a popular family spot on weekends. This is a Park is accessible by car, hikers may enjoy destination for cyclists from Ventura, or a good starting point rk overloo the easy switchbacks of the recently pa k for those wanting to ride the Ojai Valley Trail to Ojai. constructed Ventura Botanical Gardens t an Demonstration Trail that climbs the r Shell Rd g

steep grade behind City Hall to the MISSION AQUEDUCT

ridgeline above. Here, one gains an A visible section of the mission aqueduct still

expansive overview of the coastline P exists just east of Highway 33 on Canada

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and the Ventura River watershed a parts of a seven mile long system that t

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and the mountains of the Los Padres J delivered water from San Antonio Creek

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n Park behind the San Buenaventura For more information visit: Mission. The aqueduct was built of river www.serracrosspark.org cobblestones and cement by Chumash www.venturabotanicalgardens.com workers under the direction of mission priests.

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ELEMENTS Dakota Dr : I GUIDELINES

CHAPTER School Canyon Rd For the preservation of natural habitat, protection of wildlife and the safety of all visitors…

• Please stay on marked trails • Please keep dogs leashed at all times and do not allow them toCONCLUSION: swim in the IMPLICATIONS river FOR tura river ven ste • No fires,THIS fireworks, VISION PLAN or smoking, please e The relationship between people and the river has changed lh e • No firearmsover time, and of each any change kind has refl areected thepermitted course a Seneca St of Ventura County and Southern California. Once, the d Pacos St • No motorizedrelationship was vehicles an intimate one, or of recreationalpeople living at the toys , 1 river mouth, drawing their life and sustenance from the Cedar St • Please exercise courtesy for others at all 9 Shoshone St Arapaho St resources of the river and the sea, and celebrating their 4

times unity with the land as a religious tradition and an organic 6 fact of life. Later, the relationship was primarily exploitative • Carry your cell phone in case of emergency Cameron St

— using the river’s water as the basis for settlement and

Shoshone St

• No overnightagriculture — butcamping people still lived at the side of the river

or traveled to it, acknowledged it as an important feature

• Please carry out everything you bring in

of the land, and celebrated it. Later still, Venturans walled Barry Dr

themselves off from the river in order to protect their city (trash cans are located at the trailheads)

from its fl oods, and increasingly came to view it merely

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as an adjunct to (or an impediment to) industrial land A G

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uses in the river valley, a convenient but unseen water T

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tap, and a receiving body for wastes. Eventually, many a

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r o j e c Venturans practically forgot that the river was there. Today, t De Anza re-connection has become a priority, providing the context De Anza Dr Middle School for this Vision Plan. W Stanley Ave FIGURE 1.9 Ventura River steelhead trout, 1946. Photo: Tortilla Flats Project. Harry

James Dr E Stanley Ave Lyon Park PARKWAY LEGEND Mile 2 Ventura River Bike Trail Rocklite Rd Existing Multi-Use Trail California Coastal Trail / Anza National Historic Trail W McFarlane Dr

Comstock Dr Potential Multi-Use Trail (proposed) EP Foster Secondary / Ephemeral Trails Elementary School E McFarlane St Forbes Lane Existing Community Bikeway Leighton Dr

Ventura River Corridor Ventura River Levee Trail (proposed) Carr Dr

Cameron St Community Parks & Open Spaces W Vince St Conservancy Property (VHC) E Lewis St W Flint St

Bike Trail Access Point El Medio St W Warner St Cedar Street Trail (proposed) River Corridor Access Point Landmark / Point of Interest

Bell Ave

Gold Coast Transit Stop, Route 6 Riverside St Kellogg Gold Coast Transit Stop, Route 16 Park W Romona St Sheridan Way Kellogg St River Parkway Trailhead Elementary School Park Entrance Station W Simpson St Grant Park Parking Restrooms W Center St Ventura Botanical Gardens Demonstration Trail Picnic Area W Prospect St Camping Area

N Olive St West Park W Harrison Ave Viewshed / Vista Point Wildlife Viewing Area W Mission Ave

Mile 1 Father Serra Cross Park Row Ave

California Coastal Trail Summit Dr to Santa Barbara The Anza National Historic Trail follows the California Coastal Trail through Ventura and commemorates the 1775-1776 Spanish expedition to settle Alta California. Rex St Cedar St San Buenaventura 33 Buena Vista St Ferro Dr City Hall Brakey Rd Willoughby Ortega Trailhead Adobe Poli St N Ventura Ave Eastwood San Buenaventura Park Mission Willoughby E Main St Preserve Mission Emma W ood River Tra Park i Fir St

l Olive St Garden St Palm St Oak St E Santa Clara St Chestnut St

Emma Wood California St State Beach Plaza Park E Thompson Blvd Figueroa St Figueroa 101

Ventura Amtrak E Harbor Blvd Ventura County California Coastal Trail Fairgrounds to Ventura Harbor WWII Artillery Site Mile 0 Ventura the Shoreline Dr Promenade Pier Park Surfer’s Point ventura Park San Buenaventura river State Beach North parkway 0 0.125 0.25 0.5 mi

Ventura River Parkway Guide_english_cs6.indd 1 9/30/2013 8:18:22 AM To Matilija Canyon To Wheeler Gorge Campground and Trailhead Los Padres National Forest Matilija Rd am ja d 33 tili a m

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Reservoir a

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the upper Matilija Creek UPPER PARKWAY

Cozy Dell ventura river parkway Trailhead th Cozy Dell Trail The Ojai Valley Trail winds 9 miles through wooded areas near the river from e v en Foster Park to the City of Ojai. One side of the trail is paved for bicyclists, tu walkers, and runners. A fence separates the paved path from an adjacent ra r dirt bridle path for horseback riders. Some sections of the Ojai Valley iv e 101 r Trail parallel Hwy 33, while others wind through wooded areas and p along riverbeds. r e wn ojai s to e n r w The Ventura River Preserve includes three miles of the Ventura v do

e River and over 1500 acres of the surrounding ridges and canyons. St Signal N

Grand Ave

Hiking, horseback and bicycle riding, dog walking, birdwatching, Chaparral

High School

photography, and just enjoying wild open spaces are among the

Ojai

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many recreational activities the preserve has to offer. The preserve Valley School 150

Mile 15.5

is one of several areas owned and managed by the Ojai Valley Land Ojai

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Conservancy (OVLC). W Ojai Ave

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Preserve Bryant St

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For more information visit: www.ovlc.org High School

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Rice Canyon Trail

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El Ni o d r o N Arnaz St M G N La Luna Ave e e g a d Wills Canyon Trail n o ra w O T ra i l Fern Grotto Trail Fernando St

Upper River Loop Trails

l Crest Tra rra il W El Roblar Dr pa Riverview a h C Trailhead To Downtown Ventura River Mesa Dr Ojai Preserve Wills Crossover S Pueblo Ave

Meiners Oaks El Camino Dr Elementary School Los Padres National Forest Oso Ridge Trail W Lomita Ave

West River Trail South River Trail

l i Oak Grove a r T School r Robles Diversion Canal i S Rice Rd a Camille Dr h C n e Besant Rd e r

G Blue Heron Cir Ojai Meadows

Fierro Dr Preserve

Cooper Canyon Rd

Alviria Dr To

Tico Rd Mira Monte El Centro St Loma Dr Downtown Cooper Canyon Rd Elementary School Lower

S La Luna Ave Ojai River Loop Trails MacDonald Dr Mile 13 33 150

Cruzero St

Shokat Dr Baldwin Rd

Linda Flora Dr

La Plaza Ranch Rd 150 150 Old Baldwin Rd Mile 12 Oak Grove Ct W Villanova Rd

S Rice Rd Old Baldwin Rd Trailhead places Woodland Ave e trail erv es Forest Ave to explore r p r e Highland Dr

iv r Los Encinos Rd variable times a

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Wormwood St THE VENTURA RIVER PRESERVE

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Many miles of trails provide opportunity for exploration within the

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floodplain of the river. A loop may be made through the shady oak

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l Puesta Del Sol i n Barbara St Mile 11 OJAI BY BIKE

Encino Dr The pedestrian/bicycle path combining the 6.3-mile Ventura River Trail and

Catalina Dr Catalina the 9-mile Ojai Valley Trail has been named one of the best 15-mile bike rides in To Lake Casitas Southern California. The gradual elevation change makes it an enjoyable day trip. Recreation Area Devil’s Gulch One way trips are made possible by utilizing the bike racks provided by the local bus Burnham Rd Santa Ana Rd service. Many people park at Foster Park for a shorter ride to Ojai and back.

33 COZY DELL TRAIL Riverside Rd Cozy Dell Trailhead is located near Friends Packing House on Hwy 33. The trail offers scenic views of the Ventura River and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used Lake for hiking & mountain biking and is accessible year-round. It may be done as a 3 mile Rio Via Casitas out and back, or one may continue on to the Foothill/Pratt trail above Ojai. Mile 10 Oak View

Grapevine Rd Chaparral Rd Community Center Oak Dr Monte Via Santa Ana Blvd La Cross St SULPHUR MOUNTAIN ROAD Ojai Dr Sulphur Mountain Road is an 18 mile out and back fire-road trail that features beautiful Oak View Santa Ana Blvd Library views of the Ojai Valley and out to the Pacific Ocean. The trail is rated as moderate and Mahoney Ave primarily used for birding, hiking, mountain biking & walking.

W Oak View Ave

Old Grade Rd FOSTER PARK Prospect St This county park has shade, restrooms, picnic tables and access to the Ventura River. The large sycamores and flowing river make Foster Park Kunkle St a popular weekend destination for families and a primary trailhead for Park Ave hikers and cyclists using the Ventura River/Ojai Valley Trail. Larmier Ave

Arnaz Elementary School Portal St

Creek Rd San Antonio Creek Rio Vista

Preserve Mile 9 Grande Vista St

Spring St CONTACT INFO

City of Ojai: 805-646-5581 City of Ventura: 805-677-3999 County of Ventura, Parks Dept: 805-654-3951 E Old Creek Rd Emma Wood State Beach: 805-968-1033 San Antonio Creek Bridge Friends of the Ventura River: 805-620-7001 To Upper Gold Coast Transit: 805-487-2222 Ojai Valley Ojai Police Department: 805-646-1414 GUIDELINES Sulphur Confluence Mountain Ojai Trolley: 805-646-5581 x207 Trailhead Sulphur Mountain Road For the preservation of natural habitat, protection Preserve Ojai Valley Land Conservancy (OVLC): 805-649-6852 of wildlife and the safety of all visitors… Sulphur Mtn Rd US Forest Service: 805-646-4348 bridge Steelhead k Ventura Hillsides Conservancy (VHC): 805-643-8044 ee • Please stay on marked trails Preserve r Ventura County Sheriff: 805- 654 -9511 c o Ventura Police Department: 805-650-8010 • Please keep dogs leashed at all times and do i Mile 8 not allow them to swim in the river n

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• No overnight camping n • Please carry out everything you bring in 33 (trash cans are located at the trailheads) Casitas Springs Levee Trail (proposed) • Fishing is prohibited due to endangered steelhead trout PARKWAY LEGEND Ranch Rd Ojai Valley Bike Trail Ojai Trolley Stop Casitas Springs Community Center Existing Multi-Use Trail Gold Coast Transit Stop, Potential Multi-Use Trail (proposed) Route 16 Secondary / Ephemeral Trails Edison Dr River Parkway Trailhead Ventura River Corridor Parking

Santa Ana Rd Mile 7 Community Parks & Open Spaces Restrooms Coyote Creek Conservancy Property (OVLC) Picnic Area Camping Area Bike Trail Access Point River Corridor Access Point Viewshed / Vista Point Landmark / Point of Interest Wildlife Viewing Area

Foster Park Trailhead Casitas Vista Rd Mile 6.5 To Lower Ventura River Parkway North Foster Park & River Estuary 0 0.125 0.25 0.5 mi parkway ventura river the and Patagonia Patagonia and was prepared by: Herald Printing, Ltd Herald Printing, Printing courtesy of: The National Park Service Park The National Rivers, & Conservation Trails Assistance Program Friends of the River Ventura Friends of the Ventura River Ventura River Guide Version 1.2 (Sept 2013) Technical assistance provided by: Technical www.FriendsofVenturaRiver.org Funding for this project provided by: The Ventura River Parkway Trail Guide Trail Parkway River The Ventura

Ventura River Parkway Guide_english_cs6.indd 2 9/30/2013 8:18:28 AM