JAUNTS : It’s All Downhill From the Canyon to the Sea : The easy eight-mile walk that starts in Newbury Park is being staged to raise funds for the Outdoor Advisory Council.

Hikers, picture this: an eight-mile hike entirely downhill , with a tri-tip spread waiting at the beach where the jaunt ends.

If this is your kind of exercise, get out your hiking shoes and your checkbook. The Outdoor Advisory Council, the volunteer arm of the Conejo Recreation and Park District, is sponsoring a group trek Saturday down Sycamore Canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

This is no freebie. It’s a fund-raiser for the council, so it will cost you $15. That pays for lunch--including a vegetarian offering--and a bus ride back to the start of the hike at Rancho Sierra Vista Park in Newbury Park.

It all begins at 9 a.m. in the parking lot at Rancho Sierra Vista, also the site of the Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center. Prepare for a lot of company on this outing; organizers expect about 140 people. They’ve also lined up 12 naturalists to accompany hikers, providing information about plants, animals, geology and the Chumash Indian culture.

The hike starts at an elevation of about 800 feet, with wide-open mountain vistas in view. Walkers will quickly drop to the canyon floor in a series of steep switchbacks. Within 1 1/2 miles, the elevation is about 400 feet.

The route is over a paved road that takes hikers through groves of sycamore and oak trees and alongside grassy green meadows. The pavement ends after three miles near the old Danielson Ranch, now a group campsite. Restrooms are available here, but no water.

From here, the route continues gradually downhill over a well-maintained dirt road. You’ll cross several creek beds--dry as of last week, except for one wet, muddy spot. The vegetation is lush, growing tall on either side of the trail in spots.

The trail ends at the Sycamore Canyon Campground, south of Point Mugu on Pacific Coast Highway. Across the highway is the beach, where lunch will be available.

The first bus back to Rancho Sierra Vista will leave Sycamore Cove about 2 p.m., followed by the second about 4 p.m. A van with seating for small children will also shuttle families.

Although a large group is expected to sign up for the trek, they won’t hike in one mega-group, according to Kathy Myers, recreation leader. Smaller groups will form, with some people hiking faster than others. The trek is expected to take three to four hours.

Hikers need to take some precautions, Myers said. They should wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts, bring sunscreen, a hat and at least a quart of water. No-no’s are radios, pets and bicycles. Except for this group, bicycles are permitted on the Sycamore Canyon trail. In fact, it’s a popular biking route, so keep an eye out for cyclists.

Details

* WHAT: “Sycamore to the Sea” hike through Sycamore Canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

* WHEN: Saturday, from 9 a.m. to about 4 p.m.

* WHERE: Hike starts at Rancho Sierra Vista Park on Potrero Road, Newbury Park. (Take the Wendy Drive exit off the Ventura Freeway and stay on Wendy until it ends. Go right on Potrero Road and left into the park on Pinehill Road.) Hike ends at Sycamore Cove on Pacific Coast Highway, south of Point Mugu.

* HOW MUCH: $15 per person. Fee benefits the Outdoor Advisory Council, which will use the proceeds to buy educational supplies.

* CALL: Preregistration is required. For information or to sign up, call 494-8301.

* FYI: Organizers are encouraging car-pooling to the start of the hike. This is an outing for all ages.