New Trail Series: 2. Conejo Canyons, and Crawly Things too!
Details
(This is a rescheduling of a hike that was cancelled due to rain and muddy trails.)
Most of the trails in the Santa Monica Mountains have existed for decades, but there are some trails that have been built more recently. This series of hikes will explore some of our newer trails.
This hike will cover three new trails in the Conejo Canyons Open Space area in Thousand Oaks (AKA the Western Plateau). The most recent was built in October 2013, another was built in 2012, and the third just appeared in recent years.
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About the Crawly Things...
The Santa Monica Mountains has a wide diversity of habitat that provides a home to many animals including the plentiful yet sometimes elusive reptiles and amphibians. The interesting thing about these animals locally is that some species can be found almost everywhere, while others have a very isolated geographic range. Some species prefer sandy hillsides where they can feast on ants, like the Coast Horned Lizard, while others are isolated to only riparian woodlands or buried in the soil, like the California Newt. Others are so secretive you will rarely see them in daylight, like the nocturnal rear fanged Night Snake. Overall there are 23 species of reptiles and 10 species of amphibians that can been found in the Santa Monica Mountains.
On our hike, a local herpetologist will share his experiences over the last 40 years searching out reptiles and amphibians throughout the Santa Monica Mountains. He will show you where certain species are known to be found as we hike through different ecosystems along the trail and we will identify any reptiles or amphibians we may encounter. You can learn more about the reptiles and amphibians in our local mountains by visiting this page on the web: http://www.nps.gov/samo/naturescience/reptiles.htm
If you like, bring a copy of this reptile checklist noted in the link below and you can take notes and begin your quest to see all of these animals on your own adventures:
http://www.nps.gov/samo/naturescience/upload/SAMO_ReptileAmphibian_Checklist.pdf
Hike Stats: The hike will be 6.3 miles with lots of hills so we'll get some spectacular views of the surroundings! We'll hike at a moderate pace and encourage short stops to take photos.
Pace: We'll hike at a moderate pace so that novice hikers can join in. We'll need to hike together as a group so that nobody gets lost by taking a wrong turn at one of the several forks we'll pass.
Driving Directions: From the 101 Freeway in Newbury Park, exit at Rancho Conejo Blvd heading north. Drive 1.8 miles, almost to the end, then turn left onto Conejo Center Drive. Continue 0.3 miles then park at the side of the road. The trailhead is on the right.
Map: Use this Google Map to help you find your way
Dogs: Please leave your pets at home for this hike. Dogs should only accompany their human companions on hikes that are billed as “Dog Friendly.”
New Trail Series: 2. Conejo Canyons, and Crawly Things too!