The Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve is a large open space

nature preserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...

owned and operated by the

Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy is an agency of the state of California in the United States founded in 1980 and dedicated to the acquisition of land for preservation as open space, for wildlife and California native plants habitat Natu ...

spanning nearly in the Simi Hills of western

Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, with 9,861,224 residents estimated as of 2022. It is the ...

and eastern Ventura County. Originally part of Ahmanson Ranch, this area was sold by

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

-based Washington Mutual to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy in late 2003LAMountains.com ULVCOSP webpage
/ref> after lengthy issues concerning development in the chaparral shrub forest and oak savanna understory and

overstory In biology, the canopy is the aboveground portion of a plant cropping or crop, formed by the collection of individual plant crowns. In forest ecology, canopy also refers to the upper layer or habitat zone, formed by mature tree crowns an ...

Plant communities. It was previously called Ahmanson Ranch Park.

History

Rolling Hills at Upper Las Virgenes Canyon

Pre-1963

For thousands of years the Chumash Native American tribe lived in the current Preserve's area. The Chumash had, prior to European involvement, at least one village on the land, Huwam, a multi-cultural village where Chumash,

Tongva The Tongva ( ) are an Indigenous people of California from the Los Angeles Basin and the Southern Channel Islands, an area covering approximately . Some descendants of the people prefer Kizh as an endonym that, they argue, is more historically ...

, and

Tataviam The Tataviam (Kitanemuk: ''people on the south slope'') are a Native American group in Southern California. The ancestral land of the Tataviam people includes northwest present-day Los Angeles County and southern Ventura County, primarily in th ...

peoples lived. On Bell Creek beside Escorpión Peak (Castle Peak) a large rocky mountain on the property of

El Escorpion Park EL, El or el may refer to: Religion * El (deity), a Semitic word for "God" People * EL (rapper) (born 1983), stage name of Elorm Adablah, a Ghanaian rapper and sound engineer * El DeBarge, music artist * El Franco Lee (1949–2016), American po ...

, is the reported site of this village. The peak is one of nine alignment points in Chumash territory and is essential to maintaining the balance of the natural world. A cave known as ''The Cave of Munits'' exists just inside the property. This is the believed cave of a mythical Chumash shaman who was killed after murdering the son of a Chumash chief. This cave also appeared in the films '' The Canyon of Missing Men'' (1930) and ''

Tarzan and the Golden Lion ''Tarzan and the Golden Lion'' is an adventure novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the ninth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. It was first published as a seven part serial in ''Argosy All-Story Week ...

'' (1927). The 1769

Juan Bautista de Anza Juan Bautista de Anza Bezerra Nieto (July 6 or 7, 1736 – December 19, 1788) was an expeditionary leader, military officer, and politician primarily in California and New Mexico under the Spanish Empire. He is credited as one of the founding fa ...

expedition, the first European exploration by land of

Las Californias The Californias (Spanish: ''Las Californias''), occasionally known as The Three Californias or Two Californias, are a region of North America spanning the United States and Mexico, consisting of the U.S. state of California and the Mexican stat ...

, passed by the area. The U.S. National Park service's Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail goes through the Preserve, entering in Moore Canyon from

and Vanowen Street. The

Rancho El Escorpión Rancho El Escorpión was a Mexican land grant in present day Los Angeles County, California given in 1845 by Governor Pío Pico to three Chumash Native Americans - Odón Chijulla, Urbano, and Mañuel.

was an 1845 Mexican land grant named after the Peak, and was adjacent on the northeast side of the Preserve. From the 1920s to the 1950s many Westerns and other types of motion pictures were filmed here at the Lasky Mesa

movie ranch A movie ranch is a ranch that is at least partially dedicated for use as a set in the creation and production of motion pictures and television shows. These were developed in the United States in southern California, because of the climate. The fir ...

area.

1963-2003

In 1963,

Home Savings of America H.F. Ahmanson & Co. was a California holding company named after millionaire Howard F. Ahmanson Sr. It was best known as the parent of Home Savings of America, once one of the largest savings and loan associations in the United States. Early his ...

obtained the property that was then called Ahmanson Ranch. It sat unused, with no plans for development, until 1989 when Home Savings of America announced their plans for the property. The plans included over 3,000 homes, two golf courses, and of commercial and residential space.Ahmanson Ranch Development
Akiko Allison Gotoh, March 5, 1997 However, in 1998, Home Savings of America was bought by Washington Mutual for $6.4 billion.
/ref> In 2003 the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy purchased the land from WAMU for an

open space preserve An open space reserve (also called open space preserve, open space reservation, and green space) is an area of protected or conserved land or water on which development is indefinitely set aside. The purpose of an open space reserve may include ...

and

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

Park.

2003-Present

On September 28, 2005, the Topanga Canyon Fire broke out between the west-bound

State Route 118 Route 118 or Highway 118 can refer to multiple roads: Argentina * National Route 118 Canada * British Columbia Highway 118 * New Brunswick Route 118 * Nova Scotia Highway 118 * Ontario Highway 118 * Prince Edward Island Route 118 Costa ...

and Topanga Canyon Boulevard. By September 29, the fire had reached the Preserve, and burned a large portion of the park near, and including,

. By October 3, 2005, the fire had been contained. A total of were burned, and it cost over $8 million to contain and extinguish the fire.FireRescue1 Topanga Canyon Fire report
/ref> The effects of the fire were visible in the park, as much of the

chaparral Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant community and geographical feature found primarily in the U.S. state of California, in southern Oregon, and in the northern portion of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. It is shaped by a Mediterranean c ...

and grasslands were burned away, and

Oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

tree canopies burned off. Since the

California native plants California native plants are plants that existed in California prior to the arrival of European explorers and colonists in the late 18th century. California includes parts of at least three phytochoria. The largest is the California Floristic ...

have evolved with wildfires, from their basel roots, seeds, and branches they re-sprouted the following fall and winter exhibiting new growth by the next spring. It sustained severe damage during the Woolsey Fire of 2018.

Access

Trailheads

There are two preserve trailheads at which people can access the park.

Victory Trailhead

Located at the western end of Victory Blvd. in West Hills, the Victory Trailhead is the main trailhead for the Preserve. It features a large gravel parking lot with a

Portable Toilet A portable or mobile toilet (colloquial terms: thunderbox, portaloo, porta-john or porta-potty) is any type of toilet that can be moved around, some by one person, some by mechanical equipment such as a truck and crane. Most types do not require ...

that is cleaned at least weekly. The parking lot has room for buses and equestrian trailers. Parking is $3 for the day. Parking passes are available throug
The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy website
Multi-park 5- and 7-day and single park 7-day passes are available. Parking is also available ''outside'' the park gates on Victory Blvd., Gilmore St., and Country Oak Rd. A bulletin board featuring information on the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and recent park and system information is located in the parking lot. There are two picnic tables just inside the park and a large informational display featuring the history, geography, and wildlife of the Preserve.

Las Virgenes Canyon Road Trailhead

This trailhead is located west of Calabasas and north of the Ventura Freeway (

U.S. Route 101 U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101 (US 101), is a north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, on the West Coast of the United States. It is also known as (The Royal Roa ...

) on Las Virgenes Canyon Road, at the end of the road. Parking is provided, with a large informational display featuring the history, geography, and wildlife of the Preserve. Upper-las-virgenes-canyon-open-space-preserve-victory-trailhead

Upper-las-virgenes-canyon-open-space-preserve-victory-trailhead

Trails

There are several primary trails through which people can access the park. *1. The Victory Trailhead has a junction with two main trails. The first goes due west through the Preserve directly to Upper Las Virgenes Canyon and the trails of Cheeseboro/Palo Comado Canyon Park in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The second goes south through the Preserve to the Laskey Mesa area, and then on to Upper Las Virgenes Canyon. *2. The Las Virgenes Road Trailhead's main trail heads into Upper Las Virgenes Canyon, with junctions for trails to Laskey Mesa and to Cheeseboro/Palo Comado Canyon Park, or continuing on north to the

Bell Canyon Bell Canyon is a major drainage of the Santa Ana Mountains in Orange County, California in the United States. Bell Creek (also known as Bell Canyon Creek or Arroyo de las Campanas) flows about in a southerly direction to its confluence with San ...

area. *3. The ''El Escorpión Trail'', runs from L.A. City's

El Escorpión Park El Escorpión Park is a three-acre (12,000 m²) park located in the Simi Hills of the western San Fernando Valley, in the West Hills district of Los Angeles, California. The park contains the geographic landmark known as Escorpión Peak or Castl ...

at the west end of Vanowen Street near Valley Circle Boulevard in West Hills through the preserve to the Victory Trailhead. The trail runs through Moore's Canyon past the Cave of Munits, has a gentle slope, and can be taken in either direction. L.A. City's

Bell Canyon Park Bell Canyon Park is a large open-space regional park located in the Simi Hills at the western end of the San Fernando Valley in West Hills, Los Angeles and Bell Canyon, California. Bell Creek, a primary tributary to the Los Angeles River, flows ...

is directly adjacent to the north of these two parks, with one trail along Bell Creek and others connecting southward. These trails are available for walking,

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

mountain biking Mountain biking is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and pe ...

, and

equestrian The word equestrian is a reference to equestrianism, or horseback riding, derived from Latin ' and ', "horse". Horseback riding (or Riding in British English) Examples of this are: *Equestrian sports *Equestrian order, one of the upper classes in ...

use during the hours of daylight (sunrise to sunset), 7 days a week. Evening access is permitted for park scheduled event participants only. Unauthorized motor vehicles and motorbikes are not permitted.

Preparations

Visitors should bring basic supplies when exploring the Preserve. For example: two hikers needed to be rescued by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department in 2007 after becoming lost while on the trails and paths. Although experienced hikers, and being well-equipped for the hike, the two veered off a path that had been obscured by recent fires and were unable to find their way back to a trail. One was suffering from

hypothermia Hypothermia is defined as a body core temperature below in humans. Symptoms depend on the temperature. In mild hypothermia, there is shivering and mental confusion. In moderate hypothermia, shivering stops and confusion increases. In severe h ...

so the other used a cell phone to call 911, and they were rescued later that day. Guided walks, hikes, and evening programs are offered in the park by the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Dogs on 6-foot leashes under the immediate control of the owner are allowed on the designated trails.

See more

* Flora of the Santa Monica Mountains * Wildlife corridor *

Rock art of the Chumash people Chumash rock art is a genre of paintings on caves, mountains, cliffs, or other living rock surfaces, created by the Chumash people of Southern California. Pictographs and petroglyphs are common through interior California, the rock painting tradit ...

References

External links

L.A.Mountains: official Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve website
— ''information + images + park map''
Directions and trail access in short video on Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve
— ''info + trails map''.
L.A.Mountains: Park Geology information for Upper Las Virgenes Canyon
* ttp://www.ahmanson.org Ahmanson.org - History of the 'Save the Ahmanson Ranch' preservation effort— ''info—images from Save Open Space''.
Save Open Space - local open space preservation group
— ''lead group in saving Ahmanson Ranch''.

— ''information + images + map''
L.A.Mountains: Cheeseboro Canyon Park
— ''information + images + map''
National Park Service: Anza Historic Trail - homepage
— ''official Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail website''. {{authority control Parks in Ventura County, California Simi Hills Nature reserves in California Parks in the San Fernando Valley Regional parks in California Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area History of the San Fernando Valley Movie ranches Parks in Los Angeles County, California Calabasas, California Hidden Hills, California West Hills, Los Angeles Woodland Hills, Los Angeles Protected areas established in 2003 2003 establishments in California