Room to Maneuver

One in a series of Jaunts columns profiling a park in the county

Perched high above Ventura off Foothill Road and Day Drive is Arroyo Verde Park, one of the city’s hubs for nature-based activities and a popular spot for walkers, runners and flower lovers.

The 132-acre park, which features 14 acres of tree-lined open grass areas, celebrates its 36th birthday this month. It was dedicated in April 1963.

“It’s a wonderful park to come to because it has beautiful facilities and is well maintained,” said Barbara Orr, program coordinator for the city’s Community Services Interpretive Outreach Program.

The park has large open grass areas, an abundance of mature trees and several barbecue and picnic facilities. It also includes a children’s play area, horseshoe pits and baseball fields. Parking and restrooms are ample.

“We like it because there are a lot of wide open areas for playing and also places to get shade,” said Don Martindale, 42, of Ventura, while throwing a Frisbee with his daughter.

The park also has a nature center and plenty of hiking trails.

Ventura resident Ray C. Gonzales, 28, said he jogs at the park several times a week because the trails are long and well groomed. Ventura College cross-country runners also frequently train at the park, Orr said.

“I come up about once a week to walk and look for what types of wildflowers are blooming,” said Jackie Nino, 33, of Ventura.

The season’s shortage of rainfall has limited flower growth at the park, but some varieties are out and more may bloom in May, said city interpretive specialist Susan Williams.

On the canyon trail at the far end of the park, coastal sagebrush is showing green sprouts but not yet bloomed. Visitors may also find purple sage, sunflowers, lupine and poppies, Williams said.

It’s time for tree tobacco to show its yellow trumpet-shaped flowers, and visitors may also see wild hyacinth and California fuchsia.

“It’s not just flowers, either,” Williams said. “There is lots of bird-nesting activity.”

In the park’s palm trees, bright yellow-and-black orioles sometimes can be spotted.

Orr’s office has offered guided wildflower hikes in the past and currently has family nature walks and programs for children and adults. Most start at the Arroyo Verde Center.

On April 21 the park will offer a nature program for children ages 3 to 6 that will include using finger puppets to learn about flying insects, creeping bugs and spinning spiders.

The program runs from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. and will include making paper insects to take home, singing songs and storytelling. The cost is $5 per child. Each child must be accompanied by an adult, at no extra cost.

Also at Arroyo Verde Park, kids can make a flower craft for their moms for Mother’s Day at a $5 workshop May 5.

A Father’s Day craft activity will be held in June, as well as classes on minerals and exploring rain forests.

City officials say the park was created with community effort.

The first 25 acres of the park was purchased from the California Institute of Technology in May 1959 for about $138,000. In December 1965, most of the remaining acreage was acquired for about $290,000.

The welding shop at Ventura College built some of the early play equipment with material donated by the Chamber of Commerce, and the Downtown Lions Club provided material for the barbecues.

The I-Da-Ka Club donated funds for a tot lot, and the San Buenaventura Juniors and the East Ventura Kiwanis Club helped finance and complete the landscaping.

The entrance, gate and the Fort Keller memorial were also donated, and American Legion Post No. 339 donated the flagpole.

To reserve a park site for a picnic or party, call the city’s parks division at 652-4550. Call Orr at 650-8137 for program and class information. Preregistration is required for nature classes.

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Holly J. Wolcott can be reached by e-mail at holly.wolcott@latimes.com or by telephone at 653-7581.