Mission Oaks Park — Attraction in Camarillo

Very nice neighborhood park in the heart of Mission Oaks. The park has 3 softball fields, so parking can be a challenge during league play, but other than that, parking is a breeze. The tennis courts are being used more often now, but I'd have to say that while the courts are keep clean and presentable, they could use re-surfacing. People often rent one of the two pavilions for private parties near the playground. For me, the best part is the Off-Leash area for your dog(s). This is a non-fenced area where dogs and neighbors can mingle and play as long as your dog is under control at all times. Most people are really great about picking up after their dogs, too. If you're into walking on dirt (I can't really call it hiking), there is a nice 1.5-2 mile loop in the barranca. I usually walk it, but there are trail runners, dogs and occasionally I see bikes...

Fantastic hiking trails that will make you forget you're in the middle of town with colorful flowers. When it rains there's a small babbling creek to walk by and tadpoles and frogs chatter in the spring. On top of that there's lots of vibrant scenic trees and foliage. There's a baseball field, lively tennis courts, a jungle gym, and surprisingly decent public restrooms. I've been going here since I was a little girl, when I was younger the jungle gym called to me, as I got older I fell in love with the atmosphere of the hiking trails. It's like you're no longer in Camarillo, your far from all the buildings and roads, secluded in the welcoming woods. There's definitely something for...

Observed an interesting phenomena today in the park. Saw all these corn cob looking things around the pine trees of the park. Turns out in winter the squirrels eat pine cones just like corn on the cob to get to the piñón seeds inside, which are rich in the nutrients they need. I love how by walking daily through the park I see the ebb and flow of life. During the day, I really only see squirrels, birds, and bees, but living above one part of the part of this park at night is a whole other world. The owls(my favorites) come out hooting and hunting, the possums, raccoons and rats come foraging, and the coyotes come prowling...