JAUNTS : New Palo Comado Park Isn’t Too Easy to Get To : You can hike, bicycle or ride horseback to the fire road that winds up to China Flat. And, be warned, no signs have been installed yet.

No doubt you’ve read about the Jordan Ranch, that spectacular swath of land in eastern Ventura County that entertainer Bob Hope sold to the National Park Service in June.

Well, the National Park Service officially opened the 2,329-acre property--it is known as Palo Comado Canyon--to the public last month. It’s next to the Park Service’s Cheeseboro Canyon area, and together the sites make up 4,416 acres of continuous parkland.

But if you’re eager to see the Jordan Ranch and find out what all the fuss was about to get the property, be aware that it won’t be that easy--right now, that is.

The only public access to Palo Comado Canyon is through Cheeseboro Canyon. That means that you’ll have to hike, bicycle or ride horseback about two miles before you get to the fire road that winds through the ranch and up to the meadow known as China Flat.

And you should also be aware that the Park Service hasn’t installed any signs yet to help you find your way over to Palo Comado Canyon. But if you still want to give it a try, here’s what to do:

Park in the parking lot for Cheeseboro Canyon. Take the Modello Trail and follow it up along the ridgeline. You’ll come to a trail marker for the Modello Trail and the Modello Connector, which leads down to Cheeseboro Canyon. Stay on the Modello Trail and continue up the ridgeline and over the hills to the north. You’ll come to the second marker for the Modello Trail opposite an unmarked road to the west, or left. Take the unmarked road for about a mile over some rolling grassy hills. It comes out near a pony club, and this is where you can get onto the fire road that goes into Palo Comado Canyon.

From here, the road climbs nearly six miles to the end of the public property, marked by a gate. Along the way, the scenery is awesome--not at all like the dry, barren feel of the hills in Cheeseboro Canyon.

Starting at the bottom of Palo Comado Canyon, you’ll pass lots of oak trees that line the dirt road. All the cattle from the ranch have been removed, but a trailer used by ranch personnel has yet to be hauled away from a spot about two miles in.

The road climbs steadily, and the view below becomes more astounding. Tiers of mountain peaks give it an Alps-like feel. Rock outcroppings dot the hillsides. Deer rush through the trees. Simi Peak is nearby, along with views of Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks.

About five miles up the road, you’ll come to China Flat, a huge meadow with a pond that is likely to be fuller this spring. Paths and roads crisscross the area, but none are marked. It was here that a scene from “Back to the Future III” was shot.

The Jordan Ranch has some remnants from the past too. Chumash artifacts have been found on the property.

Jean Bray, spokeswoman for the Park Service, said public seminars will be held in 1994 to determine what amenities and trails are to be provided on the property. Since it just opened, there are no restrooms and water. Eventually, other ways into the property will open, connecting the canyon with neighboring parklands.

For now, Cheeseboro Canyon is the only way into Palo Comado Canyon. In addition to the Modello Trail, there is another unmarked dirt road linking the two canyons, but it is farther in. From the Palo Comado Canyon side, it begins near the soon-to-be removed trailer.

Details

* WHAT: Jordan Ranch, known as Palo Comado Canyon, a 2,329-acre spread of park that recently opened in eastern Ventura County.

* WHERE: Access to the Jordan Ranch is via the adjacent Cheeseboro Canyon. Take the Chesebro Road exit off the Ventura Freeway. Go north on Palo Comado Canyon Road and turn right on Chesebro Road at the stop sign. Park in the Cheeseboro Canyon parking lot.

* FYI: Open to hikers, bicyclists and horseback riders. The dirt road in Palo Comado Canyon climbs steadily, but is smooth and well-maintained. Stay on the road and bring water. To get information on Palo Comado Canyon and access to it, call the Park Service at (818) 597-9192.