Tarantula Hill (Thousand Oaks)
- Location: Thousand Oaks. From Highway 101, take the Lynn Road exit. Head north (turn left if you’re coming from the west; right if from the east) and go 0.8 miles to Gainsborough Road. The trail head is a small dirt turnout on the left side of the road in 0.7 miles, shortly past the Conejo Valley Botanic Gardens. From Highway 23, take the Janss Road exit. Turn right and go 0.6 miles to Moorpark Road. Turn left and go 0.4 miles to Gainsborough Road. Turn right and go 0.8 miles to the trailhead. If you see the Conejo Valley Botanic Gardens, you’ve come too far.
- Agency: City of Thousand Oaks/Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency
- Distance: 1 mile
- Elevation gain: 250 feet
- Suggested time: 30 minutes
- Difficulty Rating: G
- Best season: Year round
- USGS topo map: Newbury Park
- More information: Trip description here; Everytrail report here
- Rating: 3
Known also as Dawn’s Peak, pyramid-like Tarantula Hill towers above the surrounding areas. A short but steep hike up a paved trail (closed to vehicles) yields panoramic views of the area, including a nearly aerial perspective on Gainsborough Rd.
From the signed trailhead on the west side of the street, begin your climb, passing by a few oaks and clusters of cacti. The grade is mellow at first but soon becomes fairly steep, gaining almost 200 feet in about a third of a mile.
The trail curves around the north side of the mountain, passing by a rope tied between two metal posts. You get aerial view of Redwood Middle School to the north and Madrona Elementary to the west. Curling around to the east side of the hill, you can see Boney Mountain and the western end of the Santa Monica Mountains.
At half a mile, the road ends at the summit. Much of the summit is fenced off, but you can still sit on the side of the hill and enjoy a view of the area before heading back down (the bench that appears in some photos of Tarantula Hill is no longer there.) In case you were wondering, Tarantula Hill is in fact named for the spider, which according to the city website, is commonly found in the area.
Text and photography copyright 2014 by David W. Lockeretz, all rights reserved. Information and opinions provided are kept current to the best of the author’s ability. All readers hike at their own risk, and should be aware of the possible dangers of hiking, walking and other outdoor activities. By reading this, you agree not to hold the author or publisher of the content on this web site responsible for any injuries or inconveniences that may result from hiking on this trail. Check the informational links provided for up to date trail condition information.