Overview

This is a beautiful area with very diverse environments that include the bottom of the dry Ventura River, an oak forest, ridgeline chaparal, a great view of the Ojai Valley and Lake Casitas, meadows and an old orange grove.

This area is seasonably accessible because you get to it by crossing the Ventura River, something you don't want to attempt in the winter months when it contains water. Also, this being Ojai, it can get very hot in the summer so late spring and fall are the best times to visit.

Aerial View

View from the north-east, looking up the canyons.

Trailheads

T1 - Riverview Trailhead and parking on Rice Rd. Take the 33 north from the 101 towards Ojai.  At the intersection with Hwy 150 (Baldwin Rd), about 11 miles from the 101, turn left, then turn right after three blocks onto Rice Road. Watch carefully for Hwy 150 - it's not well marked. Once on Rice Road, drive north about 1.5 miles to the Riverview trailhead on the left, across the street from a large horse coral.  It takes about 45 minutes to drive there from Thousand Oaks.
T2 - Rice Canyon Trailhead and parking. From the Riverview Traihead, continue north on Rice Rd about 3/4 miles, then turn left onto Meyer Rd. The trailhead is at the end of the street.

Trails

[1] Riverview Loop Trails

Description There are a number of trails on the east bank of the Ventura River that connect the two trailheads and the three river crossings. They are generally pretty level, smooth and firm, but there are occassional short rocky sections. Not all of these trails are shown on the map above.

Download the GPS tracks for the North Riverview and South Riverview (to the Wills Canyon Trail) Trails to help you find your way.

Technical Rating T2.5

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[2,3,4] River Trails

Description To get to the Preserve trails you need to take one of these trails to get to the west side of the river. They go through the bottom of the dry riverbed, and they're rocky, sandy and, in the better sections, gravelly! If you're riding, most people will push or carry their bikes for most of these trails. Special note: The West River Trail goes through the middle of the riverbed, not along the side of it, so it is an especially long challenge. They are all, however, mostly flat.

Technical Rating T4.5

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[5] Oso Ridge Trail

Description This is a mostly ridgeline trail with some great views, particularly to the south. Being ridgeline, it has some steep sections that can get loose if it hasn't rained for some weeks. A very strong rider will be able to ride up most of the way, but this trail typically involves some pushing on the way up. Near the top, the trail turns away from the ridgeline and follows a very loose singletrack with a few switchbacks. At the top of the switchbacks is the Preserve Highpoint where there is a  really great view of the valley to the south and Lake Casitas. From there it's a short way to the Chaparral Crest Trail. On the way down, this is a super fun trail to ride once you're past the loose singletrack at the top.

Download the GPS track to help you find your way.

Technical Rating Ridgeline section,  T2 . Singletrack switchback, T2.5

Trail Profile      Back to the Top

[6] Chaparral Crest Trail

Description The Chaparrel Crest trail starts at the end of Wills Canyon with a fairly steep climb for a half mile. This section can be climbed on a bike, but it's a real challenge. After about 3/4 miles of mostly climbing, the trail makes a switchback left turn onto another road that comes in from the left (the first road continues straight, but that way is closed to the public). Near the top, the Oso Ridge Trail comes in from the south and from there this trail is essentially a ridgeline trail with a few short but steeper climbs and a very steep descent of a couple hundred yards. About 1.8 miles from the top of Wills Canyon, the Fern Grotto Trail drops back down into Wills Canyon. The Chaparral Crest trail continues down and joins the Oso Ridge Trail near the bottom. From the elevation profile below, it doesn't look like the lower section of the trail would be very difficult to climb on a bike, but the reality is completely different under the Ojai sun.

If you think this trail is steep, see how it compares to other steep trails.

Download the GPS track to help you find your way.

Technical Rating Possibly rutted and a little loose, but not very rocky. T2.5

Trail Profile      Back to the Top

[7] Fern Grotto Trail

Description This is a really fun and fast downhill trail that gets you back into Wills Canyon from the Chaparral Crest Trail. The profile is shown as part of the Chaparral Crest Trail profile, above.

Download the GPS track to help you find your way.

Technical Rating T3

Trail Profile is above, with the Chaparral Crest Trail profile.     Back to the Top

[8] Wills Canyon Trail

Description This is a beautiful old dirt road that has degraded to a wide and very easy singletrack. It goes through an old oak forest, but stay on the trail because there is a lot of poison oak under those trees! The trail starts at the end of the mid river crossing. Cross the paved canal road to start on a singletrack that parallels the road, drops into a creek and then climbs steeply out. At the top of the creek bank, the Wills Canyon Trail is to the left (uphill) and the Orange Grove Trail is to the right. A lovely and easy loop to do is to go west up Wills Canyon, continuing up the ridge and over into Rice Canyon, down the fireroad and onto the singletrack, turning south on the River Bluff Trail, finally bearing right through the orange grove to get back to the start of Wills Canyon. The profile below shows this whole loop. This is a great loop because of the gentle climb up Wills Canyon, the fun downhill in Rice Canyon which ends on singletrack, and then the River Bluff Trail runs along next to an abondoned orange orchard before running through the trees. The variety of surroundings on this loop is amazing!

Download the GPS track to help you find your way.

Technical Rating T2

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[9] Rice Canyon Trail

Description The exact starting point of the Rice Canyon Trail is a little uncertain, so for simplicity I have it starting when the trail starts to climb out of Wills Canyon at the Chaparral Crest Trail. The trail also becomes a proper fireroad, with a gentle climb at first and that gets a little steeper towards the top. At the peak there's a great view back down into the top of Wills Canyon. The road forward and down is a decent fireroad, perhaps a little loose and rocky in spots. About 1.6 miles from the start of the climb out of Wills Canyon, the trail takes a sharp right turn off the fireroad and continues downhill on a singletrack, through trees and meadows before coming out at the canal. A small wooden bridge to the right leads to the River Bluff Trail.

Download the GPS track to help you find your way.

Technical Rating Fireroad, T1.5 . Singletrack, T2

Trail Profile is above with the Wills Canyon Trail      Back to the Top

[10,11] River Bluff Trail and Orange Grove Trail

Description This is a gravel and dirt road that descends gently from Rice Canyon, then bears right through the orange grove to get to the bottom of Wills Canyon. This is a very easy trail and a pleasant end to the Wills Canyon / Rice Canyon loop.

Download the GPS track to help you find your way.

Technical Rating T1

Trail Profile is above with the Wills Canyon Trail      Back to the Top

[12] El Nido Trail

Description This singletrack is a beautiful trail that connects the Wills Canyon Trail just south of the Chaparral Crest Trail with the Rice Canyon Trail just about where it starts to climb out of Wills Canyon. The trail starts at the little bridge bypass trail and has a bit of a rocky start with a very short climb, but then it becomes a smooth, leaf-littered trail. The forest here has very little undergrowth so everything seems very open. The trail soon emerges into a small meadow and meanders across before it joins up with the Rice Canyon Trail. This is one section you should not miss!

Download the GPS track to help you find your way.

Technical Rating T2

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This page last updated on April 24, 2008

Thanks for looking at Steve's guide to trails in Ventura County, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) and other locations.