Touring *

From U.S. 101, exit at State Highway 33 and proceed north (it may seem like you're going east as you head away from the ocean, but it's really north). Exit at the Casitas Vista off-ramp and loop under the freeway. Turn right before the bridge at the entrance to Foster County Park and follow the park road about a quarter-mile to the trail staging area near the north end of the park. Trail access is behind the restroom. You can also park for free under the freeway and access the trail near the park entrance.

The Ojai Valley Trail is so great that even if you have the stamina to continue up the north half and skate the entire 17.6-mile round-trip, you'll still hate to see it end. (This tour covers the scenic southern half of the trail.) It's a cruise with views in both directions, and the incline going north is so gentle you hardly notice you're climbing, though you get ample proof of the climb when you average an effortless 10 miles per hour on the way back down. Eucalyptus trees, oaks, and willows provide enough shade to keep the inland route cool. And even though it would be impossible to lose your way on the well-marked trail, excellent wooden maps with the current mileage are posted at intersections every few miles. You'll share your bucolic tour with half-tame cottontails, friendly corralled horses, and lazily circling red-tailed hawks. And you'll meet very few if any skaters.

Starting out from Foster County Park, skate the first quarter-mile next to a stand of eucalyptus near Highway 33. (Warning: during the wet season, stroking across the blanket of leaves and silt here will be very slippery.) The route continues behind a ridge that separates it from the sights and sounds of the highway, and that's where the best part starts. Beyond the ridge you're rewarded with a wide-open country view of the valley formed by the Ventura River, with oak-covered hills backed by higher ridges on the horizon--a classic California vista in grand scale. The river itself is not a dominant presence in the dog days of summer; except for the bordering levees, you can hardly tell it's there.

As you proceed north, signs of development are limited to a few modest homes with paddocks in back. You might recognize the odor of a penned-up billy goat or fresh horse droppings. If you hadn't noticed it before, along the left side of the trail is a post fence separating an equestrian path from the pavement. The homes get more numerous on the gradual ascent to the tiny village of Oak View, and by the time you reach the spectacular valley view at the intersection with Santa Ana Boulevard, you wonder why the homes aren't million-dollar models. And then you smile for these residents, because the scenery here is light-years better than is often found in much pricier communities.

After the Santa Ana intersection, the trail gradually returns to the west shoulder of Highway 33, and by the time you reach Barbara Street it has entered the south end of Mira Monte, a quiet little town at the junction of Highways 150 and 33. Although the tour ends here, you might want to skate two blocks farther up the trail to pick up a free color trail map at the little box posted on Willey Street by an Eagle Scout. (See the link to Ojai Valley Trail North below for more trail details.)

For the absolute best experience of the Ojai Valley Trail, get your body in good enough shape to skate the entire round-trip starting from Foster County Park. Go on a weekday and get started by 9 a.m. to avoid the crowds and intense heat, and bring your ski poles and some food and drinks.

• City of Ojai Website -

• Ojai Valley Trail North
• Ventura River Trail