Wildwood Park

I was visiting the in-laws for Christmas and they happen to live in Thousand Oaks, CA which is also where I spent 10 years before moving to San Diego. This trail is right on the edge of Thousand Oaks and it was the trail where I first started mountain biking many years ago. This is a great trail because when I ride it now, I can recall all the spots that I found difficult when I first started and I can remember clearing certain obstacles for the first time. It is reasonably rocky, so it was also a great place to learn some technical skills as well.

The route I take is a bit unorthodox. I park at the trailhead on Avenida de los Arboles but I immediately head back down Arboles towards Lynn Road. after about half a mile or so, you'll come to a big multi-use park on your left. At the park, I hang a left at the first entrance and follow the flood control channel until I hook up with Wildwood Avenue. At Wildwood Ave., I hang a left and look for a single-track heading straight up the hill on the right hand side in about half a mile or so. This is one end of the Butte Trail and it pretty much just gets you up and over the hill. Once you descend the backside of this trail you have two options. One is to just hang a right and head on up to the Santa Rosa Trail (this is probably the only option soon since the impending construction is taking away the other option), or you can make your way past the day care to the trail that heads up to the CLU sign. If you go all the way up to the sign, just make your way back across the bluff to the Santa Rosa Trail. You can't really get lost here.

I like to ascend up above the CLU sign and then simply descend back to the Santa Rosa Trail junction but either way is fine. I take the Santa Rosa trail all the way back to Wildwood Park and descend down the switchbacks. at the junction of the Santa Rosa Trail and the main fireroad in Wildwood Park, I turn right and head out towards Lizard Rock. When you get to the junction of the trail with Box Canyon, turn right but don't descend into Box Canyon. Stay straight and ascend the short little hill. Turn to the left and you'll see a little single-track carved into the hill. This ST simply cuts the corner a bit and it's more fun than a wide open fireroad. The ST spits you out at the Stagecoach Bluff Trail head.
Take Stagecoach Bluff back to the fireroad and turn left back to the trailhead. No, you aren't done but there's better ways down into the bottom of the park than simply straight down the main road. Head back to Arboles and turn right towards Lynn Road. You have three options from here. One is to take the first right you come to which spits you down into the valley without offering much fun so just skip this one. The second option is to turn right at Wildwood Elementary and go to "Fort Wildwood" (this is nothing more than a children's playground, but the trail is just after the fort). Look for the trail and take it. You can't really go wrong so stay on the ST until it turns into Fireroad. Turn right on FR and then you'll eventually be at the bottom. I follow the the stream to the falls when I go this way because it's the best option. The final choice you have is to simply stay on Arboles to Lynn, and turn right on Lynn. Just past Avenida de las Flores is a trail on the right. Take this. It's the Lynnmere Trail. This is a pretty fun ST that winds around the canyon for a few miles. You'll eventually come to a small bridge and a fireroad. Turn right (if you turn left you'll end up in a gated housing community off Lynn road) and head down the hill. take the trail until it ends at the stream. Cross the stream and turn left. This will take you to the falls.

At the falls, just keep going on the fireroad and cross the stream two more times. Turn right at the first spot to start heading up to the Teepee. Turn left at the Teepee and you'll be near the car at the trailhead. All in all, it's a pretty fun local loop that comes to around 17 miles or so. I think this route hits all of the fun ST in the park too.

I will point out that on the day I shot the video I didn't do the Lynnmere option because the trail was sort of muddy and I was afraid of how the ground near the stream would be and my bottom bracket was making some horrendous sounds so I figured I'd call it a day before I really messed something up.