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✦ Camarillo Caller Cheat Sheet ✦

Best Parks & Outdoor Spots in Camarillo

Camarillo sits right between the mountains and the ocean, which means you have a lot of options when you want to get outside. A proper waterfall hike, a shaded creekside trail, wide open beach, an abandoned dairy with a genuinely strange history. These are the outdoor spots locals actually go back to.

Updated 2026 · 6 picks · No ads, no sponsorships
Our Top 6 spots
🌊 Best Overall
More Great Outdoor Spots 🥾
Paradise Falls waterfall in Wildwood Park, Thousand Oaks

Photo via Google Maps

Best Hike · #2

Paradise Falls via Hill Canyon Trailhead

💧 Waterfall destination 🅿️ Free parking in Camarillo 🥾 5.3 to 6.5 miles

Most people don't know there's a Camarillo trailhead for Paradise Falls. The parking area is right off Hill Canyon Road in Camarillo, and from there you hike into Wildwood Park to one of the best waterfall payoffs in Ventura County.

It is a real hike, 5 to 6.5 miles depending on the route, with about 900 to 1,000 feet of elevation. Not casual, but completely doable. The falls at the end make it worth it.

📍 Good to know Free parking off Hill Canyon Road · Lizard Rock route: 6.5 mi · Canyon Overlook route: 5.3 mi · Can be crowded near the falls on weekends
Best for anyone who wants a proper hike with a destination, morning weekend warriors, and people who have lived here for years without realizing this trailhead exists.
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Trail through Camarillo Grove Park

Photo via Google Maps

Best Easy Trail · #3

Camarillo Grove Park

🌳 Shaded oak trails 🥾 Multiple trail lengths 🐕 Off-leash dogs on weekdays

One of the best spots in Camarillo to actually get into nature. Shaded hiking trails through native oak trees, picnic areas, and a quieter feel than most nearby parks. It does not feel like you are just walking around a neighborhood.

If you have a dog, come on a weekday — it is one of the few places in Camarillo where dogs are welcome off-leash, which makes it a genuinely great outing.

📍 Good to know Multiple trail lengths · Shaded throughout · Picnic areas · Off-leash dogs welcome on weekdays
Best for hikers, dog owners especially on weekdays, and families looking for a low-key outdoor morning.
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CSUCI campus with the Scary Dairy ruins visible in the valley

Photo via Google Maps

Best Scenic Walk · #4

CSU Channel Islands University Park

🏔️ Mountain views 👻 The Scary Dairy 🌿 Open sunrise to sunset

A 2.3-mile easy loop through open green space with some of the best mountain views you can get on a casual walk in Camarillo. Wide dirt path, good for hiking, running, or just getting outside. Dogs are welcome on leash. Usually quiet, even on weekends.

If you walk far enough, you will come across the ruins of an old dairy farm — weathered buildings behind a fence, covered in graffiti. The campus sits on the grounds of the former Camarillo State Mental Hospital, and the dairy is where patients worked as part of their therapy. Locals call it the Scary Dairy. Worth the detour.

📍 Good to know Free and open daily, sunrise to sunset · 2.3-mile easy loop · Dogs on leash · Old Dairy Rd, Camarillo · Dairy ruins visible from trail but fenced off
Best for easy hikes, morning runs, dog owners, and anyone who likes their green space with a side of weird local history.
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Cyclist on the Rancho Calleguas Creek Bike Path with mountain views

Photo via Google Maps

Best Bike & Jog Route · #5

Rancho Calleguas Creek Bike Path

🚲 Biking 🏃 Jogging + walking 👶 Stroller friendly

A paved trail running from Pleasant Valley Sports Fields in the south to Upland Road in the north, following a clean path along the dry riverbed with mountain views in the background. Good for biking, jogging, walking, or a stroller push. Easy to pick up from a lot of Camarillo neighborhoods.

The trail is fully paved and at least 6 feet wide throughout. Afternoons tend to be cooler and a little more comfortable in warmer months.

📍 Good to know Free · Fully paved · Accessible parking at Village at the Park Drive · Multiple access points · Stroller and wheelchair friendly on most sections
Best for biking, jogging, stroller walks, and anyone who wants an easy paved route through Camarillo.
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Path through Mission Oaks Park, Camarillo

Photo via Google Maps

Best Family Park · #6

Mission Oaks Park

🛝 Playgrounds ⚽ Sports fields 🌳 Plenty of shade

A 1.4-mile easy loop through one of Camarillo's best all-around parks. Playgrounds, sports fields, open lawn, and a path that is quiet enough that you can usually find some solitude even during the day. Dogs are welcome on leash.

Easy to access, easy terrain, and good for all ages. The kind of park you plan to stay at for 30 minutes and end up staying longer.

📍 Good to know Free · 1.4-mile loop · Restrooms on site · Dogs on leash · Open year-round
Best for families, casual afternoons, dog owners, and anyone who wants an easy outdoor loop without driving far.
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This list reflects genuine personal recommendations. None of these spots are paid placements. Learn about advertising with The Camarillo Caller →

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We update these guides every few months. If there is a Camarillo outdoor spot we should be covering, let us know.

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