Corriganville Trails May Get U.S. Funds

A proposal to refurbish two miles of trails within Corriganville Park has been chosen as one of 10 projects in California that will be considered by the state to receive federal funding.

A representative from the state’s Department of Recreation and Parks will visit Corriganville April 4 to determine whether the park’s $21,745 proposal should be approved for funding as part of the National Recreation Trails Act.

Corriganville Park is the only recreation area in Ventura County being considered for such funding.

If the grant is approved, the city of Simi Valley and the Rancho Simi Open Space Conservation Agency would be required to match the federal funds, bringing the project’s total to $43,490.

Park officials said the project would restore trails that crisscross the 200-acre park on the city’s east end and provide access to other trail networks, such as Rocky Peak and Chumash trails.

The park’s trails have fallen into disrepair over the years for lack of maintenance and this year’s heavy rains.

Although the park’s request is small compared with other proposals, approval will hinge on a number of factors, including community support, environmental effects and the historic significance of the site.

Corriganville was opened as a theme park by Ray “Crash” Corrigan in 1937 and went on to serve as a set for innumerable western films.

The state will make its decision in late April. Corriganville is scheduled to reopen as a regional historic attraction in early May.