Peaceful, Easy Camping

Giant live oaks, seven types of eucalyptus, towering pines and a variety of cactuses and colorful flowers surround a gem of a camping spot just off California 126 on the outskirts of Fillmore.

Unlike most parks in Ventura County, Kenney Grove Park is privately leased and charges fees.

Although picnickers are welcome at a cost of $5 a car--and it’s definitely a beautiful spot for a meal--park owner Rona Ledoux caters primarily to overnight campers and large groups that use the place for weekend retreats.

“It used to be the spot for all the locals, but we lost a lot of our business when the city of Fillmore opened a brand-new free park about five years ago,” says Ledoux. “Now we do mostly groups.”

Down the road toward the heart of Fillmore sits Shiells Park at Old Telegraph Road and C Street.

There, people looking for lighted baseball fields and lots of new playground equipment will find what they need.

At Kenney Grove, at 823 North Oak Ave., the draw is peace, quiet and spectacular views.

It’s the ideal spot for scout and church groups, travelers in the midst of a long haul who are looking for a break, and families that are first-time campers and want to teach the little ones how to build a fire, study the stars and learn about plant life.

Some of the oaks are several thousand years old.

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The park, once a rendezvous site for horse thieves and stagecoach robbers, is bordered to the north and east by several points in Los Padres National Forest, including Topatopa and Santa Paula peaks and the Sespe Condor Sanctuary.

Towering over the park is San Cayetano Mountain, which stands more than 4,000 feet.

For both day and overnight users, the park is generally open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and reservations are strongly recommended. Other weekdays may be available with reservations too.

Enter the park on a road covered by arched oaks and stop at a small gray booth to pay the fees, which start at $13 a night for a campsite for four people.

A group of 75 who need a spot for a company party, dance, family reunion or other activity can rent a site for a day-use fee of $60.

Covering the first few acres of the 15-acre park are scads of red picnic tables, self-standing barbecues, a wide-open grassy area, a small baseball diamond and some playground equipment, including climbing apparatuses, swings for toddlers and bigger kids, a merry-go-round, slides and rocking animals to ride that are firmly planted in the ground.

Yellow and green garbage cans dot the front portion of the day-use area, and the bathrooms are kept extremely clean.

There is a soda machine, water fountains and a couple of small bridges crossing a creek that flows only during a good rain.

Driving toward the back portion of the park, visitors cross over a small lane labeled the “Lizard Crossing” to reach the main portion of the overnight camping area.

There are 33 level spots for recreational vehicles, with 30-amp electric and water hookups. Some sites are up to 40 feet long.

There are 18 additional spots for tent campers as well as showers and several commons.

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One of the few remaining underground barbecue pits at any park in the county is at Kenney Grove and ready any time for people interested in having a pig roast.

A Quonset hut in the middle of the park is available for dances and other indoor activities, and there is a large amphitheater where, Ledoux said, scout troops often stage small plays and other clubs have hosted Easter sunrise services.

Marjorie Hawley, a member of the Rambling Squares, a dancing and camping club from Castaic, said the group has been going to Kenney Grove for more than 15 years.

“It’s nice and quiet and there’s not a lot to do up there, but we always dance one night of our camp-out. We have a different caller each month and we do it right there in the amphitheater,” she said.

For reservations and information, call Ledoux at 524-0750.

Ideas for Jaunts can be forwarded to Holly.Wolcott@latimes.com.