Great local hiking trail in West Simi, a little hard to find at first, but worth it if you enjoy rolling hills.
Take a right onto Legacy from Erringer, drive about a half mile; you'll see a white split rail fence and a trail on the hill behind it. Follow that a little ways, and the "No Parking" signs will stop.
I parked on the street, in front of someone's house, and spotted the trail head there. There's access here to two directions of trail, and obviously you'd want to be a good neighbor and minimize noise, pick up trash, etc since you're essentially trekking through someone's neighborhood on this hike.
I headed off on the trail head to the east of the road, and while there are some trees initially, there's very little cover once you're a half mile or so in. It'll be bright, sunny and hot up here much of the year. I started at about 9:30 am on a weekday in July and found minimal hiking traffic, and it was about 85 up there, a little hotter than it was down in the valley.
While there are posted signs saying "no equestrian use", I did see small hoof prints, perhaps someone has brought a pony up here recently. I also spotted coyote scat and owl pellets, so beyond leashing small dogs, personally I wouldn't hike here with my small dog or my small child. While the trail rings around the neighborhood, it's a wild space and I wouldn't be terribly surprised to meet a pack of coyotes or even a mountain lion.
If I were to bring a small dog, I'd carry something like a baseball bat or at least an air horn, and stay quiet vigilant. I've seen coyotes trail and catch small dogs in much busier places!
Additionally, I didn't spot any snakes, but I did see dozens of very small lizards, so it was probably too hot for them at the time. If you're hiking in the morning or a dusk, be on the lookout for rattlesnakes!
Last note: the trail is wide enough for two, but I wouldn't endeavor to lug a jogging stroller up here. It's not really wide enough, and there are places where erosion has carved gullies into the trail; it would be annoying to maneuver a jogger around.
That's all I've got for now, but happy hiking! I'll see you up there! read more