Ormond Beach to the Port Hueneme Lighthouse
8.5 MRT – Easy (65′ elevation gain/loss)
DIRECTIONS TO TRAILHEAD: In Simi Valley, take Highway 118 west to Highway 23; then head south on Highway 23 to Highway 101 in Thousand Oaks. Drive “north” on Hwy 101 12.5 miles to the Las Posas Road exit in Camarillo. Then drive south (toward the ocean) 4.3 miles to Hueneme Road and turn right onto it. Head southwest on Hueneme Road, crossing Pacific Coast Highway at 2.3 miles. Then continue west on Hueneme Road 2.4 miles further to its junction on the left (ocean side) with Arnold Road. Turn left on Arnold Road and drive 1.85 miles to its south end (near the beach).
Our hike will start along Ormond Beach, “an 865-acre undeveloped beach in Oxnard that is off the beaten track.” The beach is backed by acres of farmland and has an extensive dune structure.” It “also includes a salt marsh wetland preserve, mud flats, and a freshwater lagoon [and the] preserve is on the Pacific Flyway, a 2,000-mile migratory route providing habitat for birds between Alaska and Latin America.” We’ll then continue our hike in Port Hueneme Beach Park, “a well-maintained, landscaped park to the southeast of the 1,600-acre Port Hueneme Naval Construction Battalion Center.” The 50-acre park “has a wide sandy beach and a T-shaped recreational Pier that extends 1,240 feet out to sea [with] great views of the Ventura County coastline and the Channel Islands.”