SIMI VALLEY : Overnight Campsites to Open Saturday

Sage Ranch Park, Simi Valley’s first overnight campground, will open its rustic campsites for the first time Saturday, just in time for the three-day Memorial Day weekend.

“We do have campers for each night,” said Rorie Skei, an official with the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, which is operating the new park. “It’s a primitive campground, but it’s a lovely setting.”

The 625-acre park is on the eastern edge of the Ventura County line, near Woolsey and Black Canyon roads. It offers 10 campsites with picnic tables and no-flush toilets, as well as a four-mile trail open to hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians.

The park was officially opened last Saturday, but campsite reservations were not available until this weekend, Skei said.

“There are some magnificent views of the Simi Valley area,” said Don E. Hunt, assistant general manager of the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District.

On a clear day, hikers and campers can see the Channel Islands and the San Fernando Valley from the park’s hill-top venue. “You’ve got almost a 360-degree view up there,” Hunt said.

The park, once a cattle and citrus ranch, offers a variety of animal and plant life, as well as unique geological features that make if different from other parks in Ventura County, Hunt said.

Overnight camping costs $10 per vehicle and reservations must be made in advance. For information, call 818-999-3753.