Touring * Historic * Slalom *

From U.S. 101 in Agoura Hills, take the Kanan Road exit north and proceed 2.5 miles. Turn right at Hollytree Drive and then take a left into the Oak Park entrance. Look to the right as you turn in and you'll see the nature trail entrance; parking is up the road on the left. Map: Bikeways Map, A Guide to Biking in Ventura County, published by the Ventura County Transportation Commission; (805) 642-1591.

Come and soak up the sights and sounds of nature in beautiful Oak Park on a weekday afternoon or evening when nobody's around. Oak Canyon is nestled among the rolling hills that were once home to the Chumash Indians. Note the word hills: skiers, bring your rubber-tipped poles for some excellent cross-training opportunities when there's no traffic. Even the parking lots are great for practicing tricks and artistic skating while enjoying the beautiful natural setting. The park has a 1.5-mile paved nature trail marked with numbered stakes for those interested in a guided historical tour of the Medea Creek area (you'll need a park brochure for the interpretations, though, which won't be available if it's during off-hours). The northern asphalt portion of the nature trail leaves the developed park and passes for half a mile through a cleft next to sandstone cliffs where winter rains are likely to leave a slippery deposit. Watch out for the little mounds of raised asphalt on the last climb to where the trail meets Bromely Drive; these will surely catch the inattentive on the way back down. A few strokes up and around the corner from the Bromely intersection, the trail ends at a wooden bridge. Advanced hill skaters will want to tackle the hills of Napoleon Avenue and Bromely, both leading up to the homes with the best views. Within the park itself, the nature trail is paved in concrete and winds through the manicured grassy knolls among the picnic areas, play lot, and amphitheater. This section is also hilly, but the slopes are by no means as severe as the upper portion of the trail. Beginning skaters will find the grass-bordered knolls a safe spot for learning how to use the heel brake so that someday they might be up to the trail's steeper asphalt grades. Besides the nature trail, the park's entrance road forms a smooth, three-quarter-mile slope that's perfect for linked slalom turns all the way from the circle at its northern end to the entrance at Hollytree. What a luxury it is to skate downhill on a full-width street when you're used to contending with eight- and 10-foot-wide bike paths. Ski poles make the climb back up a cinch. On a slow day at Oak Park, you can cross-train to your heart's content.