Secret Getaway

Steckel Park is the cheapskate’s choice among Ventura County parks, offering camping for a mere $8 a night. Located on Highway 150 five miles north of Santa Paula, the park presents a rustic setting under lots of trees on a 142-acre site that lies astride Santa Paula Creek, a waterway that’s quite lively at present.

One thing that separates Steckel Park from other parks is the large aviary near the entrance. It houses snow doves, guinea fowl, golden pheasants, lovebirds, parakeets and numerous colorful parrots, including one talkative fellow that flirts with visitors.

There are also cockatiels and a pond with busy ducks and a goose that honks at anything that moves. A group of peacocks inhabits the largest cage.

The aviary has been there so long that nothing in the park’s records indicates when it first opened. The county decided to close it a few years ago because of budgetary shortfalls, but so many people complained that the idea was shelved and an on-site caretaker was hired to rule the roost and its feathered inmates.

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The River View Campground that surrounds the aviary features numerous shady picnic and barbecue areas on the road that snakes through the park. The shade is no doubt welcome in summer, when the temperature often tops 100 degrees. Also, nature trails wind through the oak- and sycamore-covered site. Fishing is good in the creek, regularly stocked with rainbow trout from the nearby Fillmore Fish Hatchery.

The park’s somewhat remote location is both a blessing and a curse. It’s out of the way, so the site is relatively uncrowded and underutilized, but it’s also out of mind for a large number of people. About the only travelers who pass by on Highway 150 are those commuting between Ojai and Santa Paula.

“We get a lot of local people here at the park, but I’ve met people from Santa Paula who didn’t even know about this place,” said Bob Harper, who oversees park activities with his wife, Ilene. “It’s a great location. It’s close to L.A. and the San Fernando Valley. It has this potential for camping, and we’re always trying to get the word out. We’ve got a swimming hole down in the creek. We had 93 people in it one weekend last year.”

The numerous barbecue areas are always popular. Several have kid-proof stone tables fashioned by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Depression from the nearby river rocks.

A new, lighted camping and barbecue area has just opened, also for $8 a night. And there’s an amphitheater that can hold about 100 people; it’s suitable for meetings or parties.

Another unique feature of Steckel Park is its stone cabin, a large meeting hall with lots of long tables and a fireplace. It’s all made out of river rock, so it’s virtually indestructible. The cabin can be rented for $80 a day.

The park is named for M.L. (Methuselam Louis) Steckel, a sawmill operator, rancher and former mayor of Santa Paula who donated the land to the county in 1926. In 1939, his widow donated another parcel, enlarging the site to its present 142.5 acres. Day use prices are $1 during the week and $3 on the weekends.

DETAILS

Steckel Park, 8080 Mistletoe Road, Santa Paula, open daily; 654-3951.

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Bill Locey can be reached by e-mail at blocey@pacbell.net.