Dos Vientos Open Space facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dos Vientos Open Space |
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Twin Ponds by the Dos Vientos Ranch neighborhood
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| Type | Open-space park |
| Location | Newbury Park, CA |
| Area | 1,216 acres (492 ha) |
| Operated by | Conejo Open Space Foundation (COSF) |
| Status | Open |
Dos Vientos Open Space is a huge natural area in Newbury Park, California. It covers about 1,216 acres, which is like 920 football fields! This amazing place has over 41 miles of trails. People love to visit for cycling, hiking, and horseback riding.
Long ago, this land was part of a big Spanish land grant called Rancho Guadalasca in 1836. Today, it's super important for animals. It acts as a wildlife movement corridor, helping animals travel safely into the Santa Monica Mountains and through Point Mugu State Park.
You can find many different animals here, like bobcats, mule deer, coyotes, eagles, hawks, and even mountain lions! The area is also home to special plants, including the Conejo buckwheat, Verity's liveforever, and Conejo dudleya.
The landscape is mostly wild and natural. You'll see coastal sage scrub, grassy hills, oak trees, and chaparral plants. Many trails offer amazing views of the Conejo Valley, the Oxnard Plain, the Topatopa Mountains, the Channel Islands, and the Pacific Ocean.
Right next to Dos Vientos Open Space is the Dos Vientos Ranch neighborhood. This community was planned in the 1980s and built in the late 1990s. It's a nice place with many homes, but the open space itself remains wild and undeveloped.
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Exploring the Trails at Dos Vientos
If you love to explore, Dos Vientos Open Space has many ways to start your adventure. You can find trail entrances from the Dos Vientos Ranch neighborhood. The main starting point is at the Dos Vientos Community Park.
Starting Your Adventure
From the community park, you can follow the Park View Trail. This trail leads you to Via Ricardo. From there, you have a couple of choices:
- You can cross Via Ricardo to find the Powerline Trail. This trail, also known as Edison Road Trail, goes towards Conejo Mountain.
- Or, you can walk left on Via Ricardo for a short distance. This will lead you to the Vista Del Mar Trailhead.
Views from Vista Del Mar Trail
The Vista Del Mar Trail climbs up the Conejo Hills. As you go higher, you'll find amazing spots to stop and enjoy the view. You can see the Santa Monica Mountains, Boney Peak, Camarillo, the Topatopa Mountains, the Pacific Ocean, and the Channel Islands. It's a perfect spot for taking photos!
Discovering Twin Ponds
The Vista Del Mar Trail eventually leads to a special place called Twin Ponds. These are two quiet ponds that are important for nature. They are a protected area for many kinds of waterfowl (birds that live near water), like mallards and ducks. You might also see freshwater fish, western pond turtles, and two-striped garter snakes here. The ponds were built a long time ago in the 1920s. They were used to help water the farms and ranches in the area.
Neighboring Natural Areas
Dos Vientos Open Space is part of a much larger network of natural lands. To the south, it connects with Rancho Sierra Vista (Satwiwa), Rancho Potrero, Point Mugu State Park, and the Boney Wilderness. To the east, it joins up with areas like Alta Vista Open Space, Potrero Ridge Open Space, and Los Vientos Open Space. All these connected open spaces together cover more than 16,000 acres!
The weather at Dos Vientos Open Space is often cooler than in other parts of the Conejo Valley. This is because it's closer to the coast. You can feel the refreshing ocean breezes coming in from the Pacific.
