One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
2011 Conejo Open Space Challenge
Photo by David Lockeretz of Nobody Hikes in L.A.
By David Lockeretz of Nobody Hikes in L.A. / Special to LAist
If you’ve ever hiked in the Thousand Oaks/Westlake Village/Agoura Hills area, chances are it was on a trail managed by the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency. While these trails are most accessible to the residents of the Thousand Oaks area, they are also fairly close to the San Fernando Valley and Ventura, and are well worth the drive.
The Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency, in partnership with the Conejo Open Space Foundation and other governing bodies, operates dozens of miles of multi-use trails in this area, including popular Wildwood Park, with its year-round waterfall. These trails travel through oak-lined canyons, open fields and up mountains. Depending on the route, hikers can expect great views of the Santa Monica Mountains, the Simi Hills, the western San Gabriels, the ocean and the Channel Islands. Trips of almost any length or difficulty level are possible.
To help promote interest in their work, the COSCA is presenting the 2011 Conejo Open Space Challenge, an event in which the public is encouraged to complete 14 of the area’s trails. Additionally, participants (hikers, bikers, equestrians or trail runners) are encouraged to use GPS devices to measure their times, track their progress and share it with others. Prizes will be offered for the first five participants who complete all trails.
The event lasts through the end of January, 2012. For more information, follow @COSChallenge on Twitter, visit the event's website or email COSCA manager Kristin Foord.
Having this wealth of hiking trails and open space so close to the urban edge is something that no one should take for granted. While many SoCal outdoor enthusiasts may assume they have to drive high into the mountains to experience nature, the trails of the Conejo Open Space prove that many great recreational opportunities are hiding in plain sight.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
