The ridgeline you see from the streets above downtown Ventura has been public land since March. Ventura Hills Nature Preserve covers 1,645 acres and reaches from the Ventura Botanical Gardens above downtown east to the hilltop landmark called Two Trees. From Hobson Heights, though, getting onto it usually starts with car keys.
That comes from a planning decision Ventura Land Trust made on purpose, and it shapes how the preserve works day to day. That includes where you park, which way you climb, and why the gate is sometimes closed on a sunny morning.
The Hill Behind Grant Park Became a Preserve
The land used to be called Mariano Rancho. Ventura Land Trust bought it in 2020 for $4 million. According to KCLU, half came from fundraising led by former executive director Derek Poultney and the other half from financing through Montecito Bank and Trust. After six years of planning, the trust celebrated on March 5, 2026, and opened officially on March 7.
The deal goes back further than 2020. As founding board president Brooke Ashworth told the VC Reporter, a 2002 ballot proposal called Measure A would have allowed more than 1,200 homes in these hills above Foothill Drive. Voters rejected it 72% to 28%. The Ventura Hillsides Conservancy formed in May 2003 out of that campaign and later became Ventura Land Trust. Executive Director Melissa Baffa told KCLU that this property "is the inspiration for the founding of our organization."
In other words, the group that formed to save the hillside above downtown now owns most of it. It just didn't put the front door on the downtown side.
Why the Front Door Is in Midtown
The official trailhead is at 2805 Hall Canyon Road, at the end of the road above Ventura High School. KCLU reported a parking area where the road dead-ends.
Many people above downtown would rather start from Grant Park. The land trust's preserve FAQ addresses that directly. The unofficial trail from Grant Park into the preserve runs next to a shooting range, and the trust says it won't consider formalizing that path. It also says it is working with the City of Ventura on other possible access points in that area.
The FAQ also explains why Hall Canyon won over Lincoln Drive, the other road that climbs toward the property. The numbers make the case:
| Lincoln Drive | Hall Canyon Road | |
|---|---|---|
| Narrowest width | Under 22 feet, in two places | About 35 feet |
| Homes passed from Poli Street to the gate | 26 | 6 |
| Sidewalks | Missing on multiple sections | At least one side, from Poli to the preserve |
The trust says Hall Canyon is "safer and less intrusive," and that's why cars go there. The FAQ also says the historical access point near 1877 Hillcrest has been formalized and will be developed into a pedestrian trailhead. Parking in that hillside neighborhood is very limited, so the trust sends visitors who arrive by car to Hall Canyon. It also says it is working with partners on more access points, including one from Ventura's west side. For now, Hall Canyon is the access point it can say is definitely legal and public.
The last stretch has its own rules. The access road is shared with pedestrians, cars must stay at 10 mph, and people on foot use the dirt path on the right, marked off by orange pylons. Drive northeast on Hall Canyon Road, go straight through the stop signs at Fairview Drive and Sunset Drive, and continue past the Ventura Water facility. The entrance is on the left, less than a quarter mile past Sunset.
What the First Mile Asks of You
The trailhead is down in Midtown, so you gain your elevation on foot. The land trust says Trail 101 climbs 600 feet in its first mile, and it calls the preserve "steep and rugged." The trust counts about 5 miles of multi-use trail at opening.
The named trails are Trail 101, Trail 102, Bruce's Loop and the Bushnell Family Trail. AllTrails lists two loops that use them:
- Trail 101, Trail 102 and Bruce's Loop: 2.5 miles with 583 feet of gain, by AllTrails' measure.
- Bruce's Trail, Bushnell Family Trail and Trail 101: 2.9 miles with 669 feet of gain.
Either loop works out to roughly 600 feet of total climbing, about what Trail 101 gains in its first mile, so expect a steep start.
The payoff is at the top. The VC Reporter describes switchbacks that open up views of Midtown and the Pacific, then a semi-secluded canyon looking toward Ojai, the Topatopa range and Reyes Peak. The land trust adds the Santa Barbara Channel, the Oxnard Plain and the Santa Monica Mountains.
Two Trees is within sight but not on the route. The FAQ says no trail from Hall Canyon reaches the landmark on trust property. The ground there is steep and erosive and crosses an active watercourse, and the trust has no current plans to build a trail.
The rules are short and enforced:
- Dogs stay on a leash no longer than 6 feet.
- Non-electric bikes are allowed on certain trails, and cyclists must use a bell.
- E-bikes aren't allowed.
- No camping, parties, fires or music, and stay on the dirt roads and trails.
- Pack out everything, dog waste included.
- Hours are dawn to dusk.
The Rain Rule That Runs the Winter Calendar
The land trust closes its preserves during and after rain, generally for one day per quarter inch, and reopening depends on trail conditions. An inch of rain can close the trailhead for about four days, even if the sky clears the next morning.
The first closure of the season has already happened. The trust's closure page said on November 2 that all its preserves, including Ventura Hills and Harmon Canyon, would reopen Tuesday, November 3, after rain. On these trails, steep climbs and fresh mud are the reason for the rule. The trust says wet trails get slippery and foot traffic damages them more easily. After any storm this winter, check that page before you drive to Hall Canyon.
The Road Itself Is in Court
Hall Canyon Road is the preserve's vehicle access, and it's also the subject of a lawsuit. In March 2026, Aera Energy and Chevron sued in Ventura County Superior Court. The case is 2026CUWM061857, and they asked the court to close Hall Canyon Road and the trailhead to the public. According to the land trust, the companies say public use of the road interferes with their asserted right to use it for oil operations.
In May 2026, the court denied their request for a preliminary injunction. The order found the companies hadn't shown a reasonable probability of success, or enough harm, to justify closing the parking lot or blocking public access while the case continues. Ventura Breeze reported at the time that the litigation was still ongoing. The land trust's preserve page lists the preserve as open, daily from sunrise to sundown.
The Walk That Starts From Your Street
The west end of the preserve touches the Ventura Botanical Gardens, the part of this hillside you can reach on foot from above downtown. The gardens' November and December calendar has these dates left after this week:
- Gnomevember runs all month, through November 30.
- Books in Bloom meets Friday, November 20, and again Friday, December 18.
- Thanksgiving Free Day is Thursday, November 26, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with free admission.
The gardens' Thanksgiving listing invites visitors for a free walk and welcomes leashed dogs. If a storm has the Hall Canyon gate closed on the holiday, the gardens are still a walk on the same hillside.
Toni Guy has spent more than 20 years telling the stories of the streets above downtown Ventura, and this hillside's story is the 2002 campaign, the 2020 purchase and a trailhead on the other side of town. If you're wondering how the new preserve and the walks around Grant Park figure into the value of your home, Toni Guy can walk you through it, starting with your instant home valuation.
