Big Rock Preserve
An unexpected bevy of oases are hidden under tree canopies and behind hedges in the small but wondrous Big Rock Preserve. While the paths are pristine and carefully delineated, you…
Emma Wood River Trail & Seaside Wilderness
The shrubby, duney, jungled wild space between Emma Wood State Park, Ventura River’s estuary, the freeway, and the ocean is etched with footpaths. There are two jumping off points from…
Sea God Cemetery Beach Path
See those things sticking up over there on the beach between the cobblestones and the mini jungle to the south of the pier? You should definitely take a closer look!…
Channel Islands Visitor Center Hidden Garden Path
Just across from the Children’s Beach, this sweet little garden tucks neatly into the little triangle beside the Visitor Center entrance. Signage and boxes at the start describe the flora…
Harmon Canyon Trail
A fire road forges the main path through Harmon Canyon, alongside and across the creek to a lookout, ostensibly 3.5 miles in – and up. But we got happily distracted…
Ventura Botanical Gardens Trail
Draped with endless strands of loops and switchbacks connected by steep, sculptural stone stairways, the hillside garden reveals exquisite plant life and a breathtaking view at every bend. From the…
Ventura Marina Jetty to Soter’s Point Beach Path
If Ventura’s Marina Park were an amusement park, this would be its adventure ride. Past the big lawn, beach, sand dunes, playground and marooned “pirate ship,” the first part of…
Ventura Harbor Ecological Reserve Trail
Don’t let the chain link fence keep you from exploring this wonderland; the gate off of Angler Court is unlocked daily between 9am and 5pm. Sandy pathways loop around the…
The Cross Path
A cross has stood in the spot on the hill overlooking Ventura since the late 1700s, roughly since Junipero Serro founded the San Buenaventura Mission. Surrounded by a beautifully maintained…
Arroyo Verde Park Trail
Wedged amidst Ventura’s foothills, Arroyo Verde Park is the launch pad for trails of various lengths and climbs, though a lovely view with fragrant, pretty flora is guaranteed. Trails start…
Surfer’s Point Dunes Beach Boardwalk
This mini adventure along the boardwalk through the dunes at Surfer’s Point feels like an elongated viewing platform. Of course, the ocean looks beautiful from the bike path, too –…
Art City Studios & Stone Garden
Stone sculpture studios meld one into the next along this otherworldly mini footpath, open to the public Wednesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Classical alabaster nudes, rustic Buddhas, monolithic towers, exquisite pebbly jellyfish and…