Sage Ranch Park

It’s a very quick beautifully scenic hike. I agree with the moderately difficult assessment. The loop takes me about 1 hour and 5 or 10 minutes. Great views of the Simi Valley and on the other side: San Fernando valley. I live just below it, so when I’m pressed for time and don’t have the time drive over to Cabellero Canyon or the Backbone trail or fryman trail. I jump on this and get some good quick exercise.

Wow! I cant believe I never knew about this park/​trail. My family just moved nearby and decided to
Check this place out and it is amazing. Free parking at the bottom, $ 5 up top but the walk up is easy. There is a scenic loop trail that has interest rock formations everywhere and sprawling views of Simi Valley and the rocky landscape surrounding. The trail we took was around 3 miles and brought us right back to the free parking lot. We went on New Year’s Day and there were barely any other people there. I love being alone on hikes so this made me happy. This will be my new hiking spot. Great location for photography as well, I plan on returning to take sunset pictures.

BACKGROUND:
Located high in the northwestern Simi Hills between the San Fernando and Simi Valleys at the Los Angeles-​Ventura county line, 625-​acre Sage Ranch Park provides some of the most beautiful and easily accessible trails in the area. Park features include massive sandstone rock formations, expansive views, ample parking, an outdoor amphitheater with views of the spectacular outcroppings, picnic tables, restrooms and drinking fountains.
Situated in a critical cross-​mountain wildlife corridor, the park is rich with fragrant coastal sage scrub, chaparral, native grasses, oak woodlands, and wildflower meadows. Avocado and orange groves — remnants of the site’s ranching history — remain. The southwest region of the park contains a significant riparian area replete with oaks, sycamores, walnuts, and ferns. Springtime at Sage Ranch brings running springs and lush grass to the park — a brilliant contrast to the tawny sandstone rock outcroppings.
STATS:
Distance: 2.6 mile loop trail
Elevation Gain: Less than 500 ft. depending what you do
More of a stroll
Snakes on trail
Poison Oak grows freely
Ten campground sites
Tent camping only
Available by advance reservation for organized groups
OUR ROUTE:
Sage Ranch is where The Crew has celebrated their anniversary for the past several years. We don’t really take any type of route, we tend to just roam around the ranch and climb some rocks to work up and appetite for our potluck dinner ending the evening with a really bad movie and sleepover.
Sage Ranch is quaint place to get away from everything and just relax. There are no difficult trails or routes, but plenty to see and do. As you can see the sunsets are always amazing. But watch out there are snakes and poison oak throughout the area.
DISCLAIMER:
Hiking is not something that can be taken lightly. It can be life-​threatening as you see and hear on the news, people die or get lost all time. Please, if you are going to hike, never go alone and prepare for the worst, hope for the best. Remember when going for a hike, no matter how short you think it may be, always be prepared. Carry at least two liters of water for every five miles (more if the weather is warm), protein bar, nuts, and electrolytes. Wear sturdy lug sole shoes and protective clothing. Some areas the weather can change quicker than a fireman can put on his gear. It is also very important, always always always let a family member or friend know where you are going and when you expect to be back. Lastly, have fun when you hike it up.

Best thing about this park is that it’s empty. That’s the most surprising thing too. So many people have Unilocaled good things about it and every time I go, there might be 2 or 3 other people or couples there at the most.
We bring the dogs and climb the rocks and frolic through the grass and weeds. The dogs love it. There’s even a camp site looking area with parking stalls for all. They even have a little amphitheater type seating area.

Really beautiful park. When we went, the campground looked like a ghost town, but it was a fun experience frolicking about the brush and rocks.

If you combined Vasquez rocks and Placerita into one hike this would be it. There’ s an uphill option (would be a phenomenal view) and a lower Loop Trail, which my mother and I were able to do quite easily. However, the spot is immediately next to an old nuclear reactor – you get very good views of it during the hike – and I did not realize that the site will be contaminated for another 250 years or so. :/​Wish I’d known before we went. .I thought it was just a Boeing facility.

I’ve hiked this park maybe 6 – 7 times already and love doing the Sage loop. It’s a great combination of up and down along with some side trails that bring you to do a little rock scrambling to fantastic views of Simi Valley. nice wide paths make it great for families or couples of any fitness range. Some of the rock formations are majestic and just take some time to climb to the top to just hang for half an hour, have a quick bite to eat and enjoy the views. Other than in the middle of the park, there’s just not a whole lot of shade, so prepare with plenty of water in the warmer months. There’s also a «campground» here but I’ve never seen anyone actually setup a tent or bring a camper to the spaces.
Something hard to find so close to a retired nuclear plant that had a leak larger than 3-​Mile Island. Yeah, okay, I said it — now Google it for yourself. I don’t feel threatened at all by anything radioactive, but the six toes on each foot beg to differ. Seriously — a great park and very close to my home!

This is one of my favorite trails and I trail run here all the time. It’s a loop trail and has up hills and down hills through out the hike. I love that it’s not up hill the whole way and then down hill all the way back. Since it’s a loop trail you start out on the valley side and as you loop around you have great views of the Santa Monica mountain range and then Simi Valley and Rocky Peak. It’s never crowded and you can park for free at the entrance to the park.

Nice rocks. Some good views of Simi. Easy hike.

Great views and a nice trail. But, the other reviewers are right about the rattlesnakes. DO NOT take children and dogs on this trail!

I really enjoying hiking here! Sure it’s not like Runyon Canyon but it’s so peaceful here. No crowds or lots of dogs to deal with. I love that not a lot of people come here. It’s secluded and small, but is useful for getting your fitness on!
I have seen a small snake here before so beware. Fairly easy trails to follow. Don’t forget to admire turtle rock — it really looks like a turtle. :)

I had a fantastic time up here today. I was looking for a moderate, low milage hike with my bf and the dog. It was rather empty even on a sunny weekend day. I enjoyed the views, rocks, and grasses waving in the breeze. We took a little detour to climb the big boulders and sit and look out at the valley.
We did come upon a rattlesnake sunning itself in the middle of the trail. It rattled and then quickly slid into the bushes. A little scary but this is their home, not ours. Just keep your eyes and ears open and you’ll be fine.

I am thinking this is the place I’m thinking of… I remember walking Sunny and Blackie here… and Sunny was already old… but he «out walked» Blackie. Alas, Sunny has too much arthritis to walk now… but he was very agile in his youth.
Anyway, we walked the whole trail… and I did not see any snakes. If I did, I would have freaked out!

What a great morning out. I love it here we took lots of photographs. Easy hike some great views. Pack a lunch and some water and off you go. Don’t forget to pay your $ 5.00 fee when you park. Enjoy

Re: Sadie T.‘s review:
Virtually any hike in Southern California has wildlife and terrain hazards. All they require is an attentive eye and common sense, especially if you stay on the trail. I’ve hiked the Sage Ranch loop 30+ times the past 5 years (during all seasons) and I’ve encountered a grand total of 1 rattlesnake; it slid away without a trace of aggression.
This is a solid 3 ½ star hike, ranging from moderate to moderately strenuous. I like to park at the bottom, take the trail by the fence, and then turn back around at the loop post across from the picnic area. This makes it an hour or so hike, harder the way up than down. Usually a solid breeze once you get up higher, even on the hot days. Also fairly light foot traffic, especially during the week or early weekends.

Sage Ranch Park is not named after the plant which is abundant here. It is named for the rancher who raised cattle here from the mid 1940’s until the mid 1980’s. You can either park down the hill by the entrance, or drive up the hill toward the campground and park there like I did and pay an honor system of $ 5.00. You can also drive up there just to have a picnic and enjoy the view. We walked down toward the oak covered campground and pick up the trail head adjacent to campsite #7 (trail loop). The trail meanders through the Chatsworth formation sandstone whose tilted structure is evidence of the Simi Hills rapid uplift. The northern portion of the loop provides nice views of the east end of Simi Valley. The many sandstone boulders provide a means of avoiding the heavy chaparral growth to gain access to the scenic views. There’s a fairly well hidden picnic table on the south side of the loop trail that would make a nice place for a picnic on a sunny day. (34.23 725°N 118.68 080°W). The trail shoots between a sandstone formation and a stand of Eucalyptus. A normally dry creek runs just south of the trees. I would recommend this hike to anyone looking for an easy (close to the city) hike.
RATTLESNAKE WARNING: be careful if you bring dogs or children there are a lot of rattlesnakes here. We stumbled upon a Southern Pacific rattlesnake and heard lots of shaking in the brush by the trail. I would wear tall hiking boots and loose pants.
I gave this place a lower review because the amount of snake activity. It freaks me out so it makes my experience less enjoyable. If you go in cooler months and are not intimidated by rattlesnakes you most likely would give this place a higher review. I do however recommend a drive up to the top picnic area just to take in the view.