Bell Canyon, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bell Canyon, California
Unincorporated community Census-designated place
Location of Bell Canyon in Ventura County, California.
Bell Canyon, California Location in California
Country	United States
State	California
County	Ventura
Government
• Type	Homeowner Association
Area
• Total	3.62 sq mi (9.38 km2)
• Land	3.62 sq mi (9.38 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)  0%
Elevation	1,368 ft (417 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,946
• Density	537.6/sq mi (207.46/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP Code	91307
Area codes	747 and 818
GNIS feature ID	2585403
Website	http://www.bellcanyon.com/

Bell Canyon is a special community in eastern Ventura County, California. It's known as a "gated community," which means it has controlled entrances, often for privacy and safety. Bell Canyon is located in the Simi Hills, a range of hills, and you can usually get there through West Hills in the San Fernando Valley. In 2020, about 1,946 people lived here. It's also known as one of the wealthiest communities in California.

History of Bell Canyon

Ancient Times in Bell Canyon

For about 8,000 years, Native American tribes lived in Bell Canyon. These included the Chumash, Tongva, and Tataviam peoples. They had a village called Hu'wam right here in the canyon, near Bell Creek. It was a place where different tribes lived and traded together. Close by, you can find the Burro Flats Painted Cave, which has ancient rock art. A nearby mountain, Escorpión Peak (also called Castle Peak), was very important to the Chumash. They believed it helped keep the natural world balanced.

Early Land Ownership

In 1845, during Mexican rule, a large piece of land called Rancho El Escorpión was given out. It was named after Escorpión Peak and was located next to Bell Canyon. The land was given to Chumash Chief Odón Eusebia and his family. This land used to belong to Mission San Fernando Rey de España. After California became part of the U.S., the ownership was confirmed in 1876. Later, in 1871, a man named Miguel Leonis bought some of this land. He used it for raising cattle and sheep. This continued until 1959 for the Rancho and 1967 for Bell Canyon itself.

Developing the Community

In 1967, two companies, Spruce Land Corporation and Boise Cascade, bought the Bell Canyon area. They planned to build a new community there. In 1968, the Bell Canyon Equestrian Center was built. It was designed by a famous architect named Cliff May. In 1969, a new neighborhood called "Woodland Hills Country Estates" opened for sales. It was very popular, and almost all 800 home lots were sold in just ten days! Later that year, the new homeowners took charge of the community association. They decided to rename the area "Bell Canyon." It was named after Charles A. Bell, who was an early settler here. He was also a newspaper publisher and a lawyer in Los Angeles.

Geography and Nature

Bell Creek and Wildlife

Bell Creek flows through the Bell Canyon community. This creek is one of the streams that feed into the Los Angeles River. Bell Canyon is also a very important part of a Wildlife corridor in the Simi Hills. This means it's a natural path that animals use to travel safely between the Santa Monica Mountains and Santa Susana Mountains.

Trails and Parks

There are many trails for hiking and horseback riding around Bell Canyon. Some of these trails are next to the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve Park, which connects to areas south and west of the community. The Bell Canyon Trail itself goes for about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) north from Bell Canyon Park.

Who Lives in Bell Canyon?

According to the 2010 United States census, Bell Canyon had a population of 2,049 people. This means about 566 people lived in every square mile. In 2020, the population was 1,946.

Most people in Bell Canyon live in family homes. In 2010, there were 661 households. About 43% of these households had children under 18 living there. The average household had about 3.10 people. Most homes (95.2%) were owned by the people living in them, while a smaller number (4.8%) were rented.

The population includes people of all ages. In 2010, about 25% of the people were under 18 years old. About 41% were between 45 and 64 years old. The average age in Bell Canyon was about 46.5 years.

Education

Students in Bell Canyon attend schools in the Las Virgenes Unified School District. School buses take students to Round Meadow Elementary School, Alice C. Stelle Middle School, and Calabasas High School.

Notable People

Many interesting people have lived in Bell Canyon, including:

See also

In Spanish: Bell Canyon para niños