I'm rating and reviewing the section of the campground that I camped at. I did not get to check…read moreout the entire day visit area or the rest of the campsites. My campsite was #14. I was with a group so all of us were able to have this cul-de-sac area to ourselves. Just a few available sites, but they were not occupied while we were there. As you pull into the campground you will find a kiosk to pay for the day visit. There is no check-in area for campers. You just go to your site and rangers or camp host will make their rounds and check at that time if you have reservations. I had to call because I had no clue what to do or where to go. As it turns out there is a sign for campers as you turn the corner to enter the property, that campers turn right. I was looking straight as I pulled in so I completely missed that. As you enter the park visitors will go left and campers will go off to the right. Most of us arrived on Thursday so the campground was pretty quiet (month of Jan). I was towing a teardrop trailer, I've gotten much better at backing in so it was not a problem. Some of the sites near me made it easy for some to just pull-thru. Not far from me were the restrooms/showers and also the camp host. The dumpster was nearby as well. I thought that was great, then I thought it might draw critters to the area. During my stay it wasn't an issue. But, we did see a good size raccoon walk through our part of the campground and one of our campers found footprints on the table. So watch what you leave out overnight. You could hear the stream that just below us. We didn't find the time to make it down to the stream, but I did find time to sit on a log with the view of the stream and have my breakfast. Bathrooms were ok. Trash cans were full, sinks were a little unkept. I found this to be surprising because all our campers had their own bathrooms in their trailers. And I mentioned the campground was pretty empty. Showers are coin operated. I did not use the shower. Camp host (wife) was pleasant, her husband not so much. The wife approached our group one night and said they could deliver firewood to our site for $20. So the next evening I went to the camp host site and rang the Ring doorbell. No answer on the first ring so I tried one more time before I walk away. A guy came out and I mentioned that we wanted to buy some wood and if it could be delivered to our site as mentioned the other night. The wife came on the Ring call (she was at work) and said yes I could have some wood delivered later in the evening. Husband turned around and mumbled I'm going back in to finish my nap. So there's that. We got our wood and that's all I have to say. There is a bird sanctuary that I did not get to check out but saw it each time we left the campground for an outing. Hearing the birds chirp, especially in the morning, was cheerful and pleasant. I would like to return to this campground again. There is so much to see in the town nearby.

We've been camping at steckel for numerous years and have never had any negative interactions with…read morehost or anyone for that matter. We camp with locals of Santa Paula and are all in agreement that the host Brie is the worst host we've ever came across, her husband is rude and they both lack people skills. They husband and son approached our campsite about 15 till 10pm and without introducing/identifying themselves as the camp host rudely told us to quiet down and shut radio off. Our group had the whole cul de sac of rv campsites reserved that weekend and we are all aware and practice good camping etiquette, we were in no way in violation of noise and our conversation had been toned down because we had children sleeping in a tent. He was told to work on his approach and identify himself next time. Then comes brie at exactly 10 pm rudely telling us to wrap it up, at this point I had enough. We exchanged words and she got emotional and cried, I asked her to leave our campsite and I'd be filing a complaint with park management. Contact Staff Management if you have any issues with hosts. Parks Manager Jeri Cooper Jeri.Cooper@venturacounty.gov Parks Operations Chad Bowie Chad.Bowie@venturacounty.gov

EASY & PLEASANT A.M. HIKE IN SANTA PAULA!…read more We were looking for an option to get some steps in, while our son took his S.A.T. in Santa Paula on a Saturday Spring season morning. "All Trails" app showed us a few options, and we ultimately chose this option to get a view of the Santa Clara River, up close. Yelp directions are on point and is a short drive off the 126 Hwy. Once you pass the entry gate there is a designated parking area that includes handicapped parking (cement rather than gravel) as well. TRAIL: The loop and tail of the trail together is about 2.2 miles and the tail (back and forth) comprises about 0.9 miles of it. Elevation is minimal (13ft). I am a mosquito magnet and I did not prep with bug repellent. I was pleasantly surprised I did not get one bug bite on this trail!!! Wahoo! Lots of gnats are flying around so look up and keep your eyes off your phone lol The trail is designated with rocks and/or gravel. Although you cannot see The River from The Loop, there is a short offshoot from the loop that gives you a clear river view at the end of it. No wild animals were seen during our walk. There was quite a few wildflowers in bloom and South Mountain was a healthy green from the recent rains. Boom, Got my Steps in! EASY RECOMMENDATION for a low impact hike outside to keep you in the fat burning zone and synthesize some Vitamin D in the sunlight! Enjoy!

It's not everyday a new nature preserve opens - and especially not in densely populated SoCal! But…read morewe got a new one this year - the Santa Clara River Preserve officially opened back in January thanks to the years-long efforts of The Nature Conservancy! The preserve is a haven for wildlife amongst all the farm fields and small towns - especially for the migratory birds! It consists of 1000 acres of wetland, river bed, and upland habitats. There are several trails here - the river trail, wildflower trail, and wetland trail. It's about 0.3 miles from the entrance to any of the trailheads. The river trail is less than 1/2 mile long out and back but the length changes depending on how much water the river has flowing at the moment. The wetland trail is 1 mile out and back and has lots of harvester ant beds and snakes so be very careful where you step! The wildflower trail is a 0.8 mile loop. The trails are moderately well maintained and don't have much elevation gain. But they are sandy and uneven in places - especially where flooding has occurred. I'd call these trails easy but definitely not handicap accessible. And I recommend bear spray - I definitely saw more than a few mountain lion tracks! I loved the river trail the most - but my biggest disappointment is that there's very little access to the river views. You get two small viewpoints with limited viewing due to the plant growth - but still, it's lovely and this preserve is for the wildlife - not us humans lol! Also, the banks of the river are treacherous- sandy, steep, and prone to sudden erosion - and the Santa Clara River is fast flowing - so I can see why they limit our access. It's not completely peaceful unfortunately- The surrounding area is all agricultural machines and noise that sometimes drowns out the bird song. But it's still a lovely place to visit and heaven if you're a birder! I saw tons of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, hummingbirds, finches, yellow warblers and more - even a couple of endangered Least Bell's Vireo and some new lifers too - the Yellow-breasted Chat and a rare Lark Sparrow!! The grounds have a decent sized amphitheater and offer educational and outreach programs for school groups. The parking lot is all gravel but well maintained and there's a portapotty available. It's free to enter and open dawn to dusk.

My two brothers and I spent the long Thanksgiving weekend in Solvang and decided to end our trip…read morewith an ATV tour in the Santa Barbara mountains before heading back to L.A. Best decision ever! Although getting to the meeting point was a bit scary as we drove 15 mph through winding roads next to steep cliffs, the views were nice and the ATV experience was totally worth it! We gave ourselves plenty of time to get lost and it took us about 1.5 hours to get to the checkpoint. Luckily Google Maps was on the entire time and we even had an hour to kill on top of the mountain before our 12:30pm appointment. (Also had screenshots of the directions in case we lost service). Upon arrival, we met with the two girls who were wearing face masks and face shields so we felt safe. They had all the sanitizing stuff. They checked us all in, gave us each a mesh covering for our head, pairs of gloves, goggles and helmets. They offered different insurance plans (just like a rental car company), each ranging in price. Then, they walked us over to the ATVs where Jorge was our tour guide. He asked us if we've ever rode before and taught us how to use the automatic ATVs and made us feel comfortable and safe. (Throttle was on the right handle bar and brakes on the left. Second brake was a foot pedal). We drove on wide and narrow trails, over some fun rocky areas, kicking up lots of dust, and he took photos of us the entire time. This was a great family bonding experience and we're all still talking about how fun it was and want to do it again. Know Before You Go: It gets dusty so wear clothes and closed toe shoes that you're ok getting dirty. Give yourself plenty of time to drive to the location because the last thing you want to do is rush through the scary mountain roads. 10/10 would definitely do this again!

WARNING We saw all…read morethe awesome reviews from this place and thought to give it a shot. My wife has been wanting to go ATV'ing awhile, we were staying in Santa Barbara for the weekend so the timing was perfect. We live almost 2 1/2 hours away from the location (Santa Barbara)but gave ourselves a 40 minute cushion before our reservation. We past through 2 counties and caught anADDITIONAL hour of traffic on the way and completely missed our reservation. Now before your reservation you sign a agreement with a reschedule disclosure attached. We didn't make the appointment, didn't reschedule and we were forced to forfeit our prepaid $250 for two riders. This is an online business so you won't be able to talk with a single soul. I reach out via email, and was surprised how quickly they responded in NOT caring about helping me with my issue. Bottom line; no they didn't do anything wrong by not helping, but they could care less about having satisfied customers or anything outside of collecting our money. So if you're planning on going with this company then please be on time cause you'll not be shown any leniency, or to cough up an additional 40% of your initial cost PER PERSON just to reschedule.

The service provided by ARC adventure is phenomenal. Jackelin E. and Bob L. Do a great job managing…read moreeverything. From kayaking to rock climbing and camping, the adventure program is a great opportunity for arc students to experience the outdoors.

Great company to rent a rock wall from. I would definitely rent from them again. They were on time,…read morequick with set up and their staff was very nice and great with all the kids who came by.

My husband surprised me for my 48th bday! So much fun. We had never used ATVs before but our guide…read moreKevin made us feel so comfortable so quickly! We were rollin'!!! Man it was great! I loved the steep inclines and then trusting you won't fall back lol. Kevin took amazing pics of us and we got them really fast. Ask for Kevin! Thanks for a wonderful adventure! We will be back!

Booked an ATV adventure for my boyfriends birthday. We originally booked Santa Monica but due last…read moremon to construction in the area , we then got relocated to the Angeles Forest area . Then the brush fire happened and got relocated to Hungry Valley. Understandable . Both times that they relocated us , Kelly was very accommodating and communicative through text. She made sure that we keep the same day , same time slot no matter what or offer a full refund. When we got to the location in the day of , Silvia and girl (I forgot her name ) who checked us in were very helpful and nice and wanted to make sure we were prepared . During these COVID times , they took our temperature , made sure we sanitized our hands , and put a sanitary head and mouth covering on before putting the sanitized helmet on . We got there an hour early because we had to commute from an hour away and wanted to be on time . They let us ride early as soon as we got there and Sylvia was a fantastic guide . She took amazing pictures of us and made sure we were okay throughout the ride The trail was beautiful and the scenery was captivating . My boyfriend and I are already looking to book the lake arrowhead location next month . 10/10 would recommend We also received our pics the same day

Absolutely loved my experience at the Hummingbird Sanctuary! From the moment we arrived, the…read moregrounds felt incredibly serene and peaceful. It's the kind of place where you can truly slow down, breathe, and enjoy being surrounded by nature. What really stood out was the amount of information shared throughout the experience. You can tell there is so much knowledge, passion, and care behind everything Szilvia does. The experience was thoughtful, engaging, and so well done from start to finish. We were told this is actually a lower-volume season because there are currently so many flowers blooming in nature for the hummingbirds to utilize -- and even with that, the experience was amazing. I can only imagine what it's like during peak season, and I'll definitely be coming back in the summer! Truly an amazing experience and one I would highly recommend to anyone looking for something peaceful, meaningful, and unique. I left feeling both relaxed and inspired. Thank you, Szilvia!

My family was a hard group to plan for. First, we were accommodated with an added spot for our…read morefamily of five on a Saturday for my birthday, but several days later we found out that circumstances prevented us from attending that day. Now we were accommodated again with a special early reservation at 9:00AM on Sunday, the day after. We excitedly got ready early and headed out for the hour ride to Ojai. While we were waiting in a construction area on the way, it started sprinkling. All five of us were feeling very sad, but when speaking with Szilvia, she assured us, that we'd have a very exciting and enjoyable time, rain or shine! I buried my camera while walking to the tea garden, but we all sat down at beautifully set up tea tables with large umbrellas protecting all of us AND my camera! While we enjoyed the tea and enjoyed the beautiful hummingbirds flying all around us, Szilvia, who knows more about hummingbirds than anyone I've met, explained everything about hummingbird habits, eating, physical abilities and why their tiny bodies do everything they do. OMG, they are amazing, as is Szilvia! Even though we were scheduled for one hour, Szilvia told us we could stay to enjoy the better weather and observe and photograph, until the next guests arrived. We had the most amazing time and I am totally ready to book another visit in a month or two! Szilvia, thank you so much for an amazing experience!

I could not say enough nice things about this awesome ride! We chose the Ojai roots through the…read moreOrange Groves and it was beyond perfect the views were amazing Ian was super friendly and made us feel very comfortable on the trail. Ojai roots is the perfect place post ride. Nice vibes and drinks! Can't wait to be back and try the beach rides

4 of us took bike tour with Ian as guide. Great experience. Beautiful scenery. Over a bridge. Past…read moremountains. Flowers. Wildlife. End at ocean. stop to rest midway. Ian made it fun. Transport back to starting point.

Booked a second lesson with Lorenzo for my 12 year old son. This time he took us out on his boat to…read moreLake Castaic. It was a beautiful day. Lorenzo was patient, experienced and fun. He encouraged my son and we had an excellent day. He caught more than 10 fish under Lorenzo's tutelage! I would recommend Lorenzo to anyone looking to learn the craft of fishing from someone professional with passion and kindness. He does not disappoint! We will be booking another lesson soon!

Lorenzo guided us on a fantastic fishing trip to Lake Pyramid. We were a dad, 9-year old son, and…read more7-year old daughter. They are deskbound STEM and musical instruments type kids. They don't get out enough. This was their first fishing trip. I didn't know what to expect. I thought I'd be hearing (1 hour into the trip), "Dad, I'm bored. When are we going home? Can we get off the boat?" Nope, they loved it. Lorenzo has a customized fishing boat with a top-of-the-line engine in back; a smaller engine in front (to slowly trawl the waters while fishing); a state-of-the-art fishfinder; and all the rods, hooks, and live bait (worms) that we needed. He did all the work. He taught my kids how to fish; hooked the bait; and untangled all the tangles. We caught large catfish; two smaller fish; and one humungous 6.5 lb. large-mouthed striped bass. That's right--we caught dinner. As a bonus, Lorenzo even cleaned the fish for us afterward. We'll be coming back.