10,000 Years in 1,000 Oaks

Visiting the Chumash Indian Museum in Oakbrook Regional Park

A hike at the Chumash Indian Museum in Oakbrook Regional Park is truly a step back in time. You walk through a garden of native plants and into classic Calfiornia landscape—rolling oak woodlands watered by the gentle flow of Conejo Creek. Built on the site of an old Chumash village called Sap’wi (“house of the deer”), this cultural museum in Thousand Oaks preserves the heritage and influence of the people who were the largest tribal group in Southern California when the Spanish first arrived. Behind the museum, a 25-acre nature preserve includes the garden dedicated to native California plants. From there, you can follow a 1.5-mile (round-trip) out-and-back trail through groves of old oak trees, some of which date back 300 years. The trail parallels Conejo Creek and passes through areas damaged during the 2018 Woolsey fire. The area surrounding the trail was designated an archaeological site in 1971 after several caves containing pictographs were discovered.

The caves are closed to the public; docent-led tours aren’t currently running due to fire damage. But along the way you’ll see remnants of the old Lang Ranch, as well as a reconstructed Chumash village. It’s a flat and easy walk, providing an opportunity to contemplate the rich history of the land and its people, while listening to the peaceful sounds of Conejo Creek.

 

Post-hike, spend some time in the museum, where you'll discover hundreds of artifacts and exhibits that depict what life was like for the Chumash, starting roughly 10,000 years ago—how they survived, what they did for entertainment, what they ate, how they moved around.

The Chumash Indian Museum is located at 3290 Lang Ranch Pkwy. in Thousand Oaks. From CA-23, exit onto Avenida de los Arboles and turn east. Make a right on Westlake Blvd., then a left on Lang Ranch Pkwy. The museum is open every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the first and third Sunday of each month from noon to 4 p.m. Oakbrook Park remains open until sunset. No dogs.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Picnic and a Pedal

    West Marin has all the right stuff for an afternoon getaway: bike paths, babbling brooks, canopy forests, and secluded picnic spots. Combine a picnic and a pedal at Samuel P. Taylor State Park by biking the easygoing Cross Marin Trail.

    View
  2. Hike the Oursan Trail alongside Briones Reservoir in the East Bay

    Opt for Oursan

    Hike the trail less traveled in the East Bay's Briones Regional Park. The Oursan Trail is pure serenity on a wide hiking path skirting the northern shores of Briones Reservoir.

    View
  3. Most Peaceful Hike of All

    Is this the most peaceful one-hour hike in the Bay Area? It's got our vote! Lake Lagunitas is the smallest lake in a series of five found on the north side of Mount Tam, so it’s got that tiny but mighty charm. Do a 1.5-mile loop around the lake's shore-hugging trail.

    View
  4. Sebastopol Food & Wine Roll

    One apple farm, three charming towns, multiple wineries, and infinite natural beauty. Savor a perfect autumn day in Sonoma County by biking the West County Regional Trail from Sebastopol to Forestville via Graton. It’s a 17-mile (round-trip) adventure. 

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Wine Down, Dine Out in Lake Chelan

    The fertile soil around Washington State's Lake Chelan is ripe for more than just the amazing apples. Vineyards here yield high quality grapes, and some of the country’s best less-discovered wineries. Locals know it, and you will too when you start choosing from the more than 30 wineries in the region.

    View
  2. Lace Up for Lacy

    Lacy Park in San Marino is a hidden gem that may very well be the most pristine green space in greater Los Angeles, and a concealed pair of nearby stairways makes it all the more appealing.

    View
  3. Hiker amid trees at Oak Glen Preserve in Yucaipa Southern California

    Apple of Your Eye

    That fall feeling is definitely in the air and on display at the Oak Glen Preserve. Apple orchards and colorful leaves are a bonus, as are the apple cider donuts and slushies you can enjoy post-hike.

    View
  4. Hike San Diego Volcan Mountain Wilderness

    Planet of the Oaks

    Let us count the number of oak tree species in the Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve near Julian: coast, scrub, canyon, black, and Engelmann. Five! The preserve’s Five Oaks Trail is a 3.2-mile hike that boasts all five.

    View