A Passion for Pastoral Things in Conejo Valley

Conejo Valley, which crowns the eastern edge of Ventura County, is a bit of pastoral Southern California, still inspiring even after much suburban development.

The valley beckons the hiker with rolling grasslands that are bright green in spring and golden in autumn. Live oak and valley oak dot the landscape, and willows and sycamores line the banks of seasonal creeks.

Conejo Recreation and Park District, the Conejo Open Space Conservation Authority and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy have undertaken an ambitious trail-building program. Trails wind among two dozen or so regional parks, neighborhood parks, nature preserves and designated open-space areas.

If there’s such a thing as a typical Conejo valley trek, the loop through Triunfo Canyon might be it. Triunfo offers the hiker a trio of trail attractions: 1) a hidden, saved-from-development canyon; 2) the opportunity to sample a segment of Los Robles Trail; 3) Conejo Valley views from Westlake to the Boney Mountain Wilderness.

Triunfo Canyon is the wild side of Triunfo Community Park, a pleasant and well-tended pleasuring ground on the outskirts of Westlake Village. A tip of the hiker’s cap to the park designers who built a playground, picnic area and baseball diamond and then stopped--leaving the surrounding canyons and meadows in their natural state.

Those hikers looking for more than an easy introduction to the Conejo Valley can wander almost as far as their legs will take them on Los Robles Trail. My favorite ramble in these parts is the nine-mile (one-way) hike from Triunfo Community Park to trail’s end at West Potrero Road on the northern boundary of Point Mugu State Park.

Directions to trail head: From the Ventura Freeway (U.S. 101) in Westlake, exit on Hampshire Road. Drive south half a mile to Triunfo Canyon Road and turn right. Proceed another half a mile to Tamarack Road, turn right, and park in the lot at the north end of Triunfo Community Park.

The hike: Note the obvious, well-signed Los Robles Trail, then walk to the right, step over an iron cable vehicle barrier and join Triunfo Canyon Trail.

The path begins a mellow contour through an oak-dotted meadow before reaching the seasonal creek at the bottom of Triunfo Canyon. The trail climbs more steeply on the chaparral cloaked canyon wall. A couple of switchbacks lead to a fine overlook and the junction with Los Robles Trail. Head uphill, left, and very soon come to another junction signed “Triunfo Park.” Head left again with the Los Robles Trail, which at first stays high on the southwest canyon wall, and offers grand views of Lake Sherwood, Westlake Village and the prominent Santa Monica Mountains peak known as Ladyface, then descends back to Triunfo Park.

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Triunfo Canyon, Los Robles Trails

WHERE: Conejo Valley

DISTANCE: 2.5 miles round trip with 300-foot elevation gain; longer options possible.

TERRAIN: Oak-studded, mountain-surrounded valley.

HIGHLIGHTS: Pretty, pastoral side of Conejo Valley

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY: Easy to moderate.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Conejo Recreation and Park District, tel. (805) 495-6471