Overview

The Valley View Preserve is a very pretty area with trails that provide easy access to great views of the Ojai Valley, and also to more secluded area where there is little indication of the nearby civilization: Fox Canyon and Luci's Trails, and they are not far from parking. These trails lead north into the hills and mountains; there are also three main east-west trails to connect them and others.

Behind, and above, the Valley View Preserve is Nordhoff Ridge, a steep mountain that climbs up 3500 feet above the valley floor, providing an amazing backdrop. The Nordhoff Ridge Road along the crest of the ridge can be accessed by two singletracks, the Gridley and Pratt Trails. There is an old fire lookout tower at the peak of the mountain that provides incredible views in all directions, into Ojai Valley to the south and Rose Valley to the north, as well as along Nordhoff Ridge itself and the rugged moutains of the Los Padres National Forest that surround it all. See if you can follow the route of Highway 33 between Ojai and Rose Valleys from the lookout tower!

Further east along Nordhoff Ridge are other trails that lead down to the valley. They're described on the Nordhoff Ridge page.

Like all of Ojai, this area can get really hot in the summer. Being against Nordhoff Ridge, it gets more than the average amount of rainfall in the winter. Keep yourself safe and check the weather before heading out to the trails. Excess heat can be deadly!

Ojai is a real hotbed of geocaching with a number of real enthusiasts living nearby. As such, all of the trails have geocaches hidden along them at least every quarter mile. If you like being on the trails and geocaching, or are interested in learning more about the sport, this is a great place to be!

Map of the Valley View Preserve trails

Official Websites

• Los Padres National Forest (US Forest Service)
• Valley View Preserve (Ojai Valley Land Conservancy)

Trailheads

• Lower Pratt Trailhead, just west of the north end of N. Signal Street. Map and Directions.
• There is room for a few cars at the side of the road at the north end of N. Signal Street for Shelf Road. Map and Directions.
• The Gridley Trailhead at the north end of Gridley Road. Map and Directions.
• There is room for a few cars just down the street at the east end of Shelf Road. Map and Directions.

Trails

Trails are listed here in alphabetic order. Download the GPS tracks to help you find your way. This GPX file contains tracks for all the trails in this area.

Cozy Dell Trail (23W26) T4 , T2.5

Description This is a very pretty and justifiably popular trail. It starts at the west end at Hwy 33 with a moderately steep, switchbacked climb for about 0.8 miles. The trail here has lots of shade from oak trees. The tread is firm but rocky in spots with many rock steps. This section of the trail is rated T4 . From the top of the climb, the trail becomes gently rolling, smoother and broader in places. It is about 50% shaded by trees and tall chaparral and there are great views in every direction. This part of the trail, to where it ends in the east at Cozy Dell Road, is rated T2.5 .

Technical Rating T4 , T2.5

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Cozy Dell Road (5N34; AKA Cozy Ojai Rd.) T1

Description Cozy Dell Road is a very pretty trail that continues westward from the west end of Fuel Break Road. (From the official maps, it's unclear where Fuel Break ends and Cozy Dell starts, but we assume that occurs at the saddle where Upper Pratt heads up towards Nordhoff Ridge.) Heading west and downhill, Cozy Dell Rd passes the west end of Foothill Trail then the east end of Cozy Dell Trail, contining another half mile then stops at a dead end where it runs into private property. The road is moderately steep and heavily shaded by oak trees. It is very pretty and highly recommended.

Technical Rating T1

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Foothill Trail T2 ,  T4 & T5

Description The Foothill Trail is a pretty singletrack that starts at the west end at Cozy Dell Road, a hundred feet or so above where the Cozy Dell Trail ends. It crosses the fireroad section of Lower Pratt and then continues east until it runs into Fuel Break Road Trail.

There are some outstanding views along this trail, especially east of Lower Pratt.

Mountain bikers and equestrians take note: Overall, the trail is firm and smooth with a decent amount of shade T2 , but 250 yeards of the section immediately west of Lower Pratt is steep and very uneven, T5 . There is also a very steep section about 750 yards west of Lower Pratt. Similarly, the first 400 yards east of Lower Pratt is steepish, uneven and has sharp turns, T4 . But mostly it's not so difficult to ride.

Technical Rating T2 ,  T4 & T5

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Fox Canyon Trail T5

Description The Fox Canyon Trail climbs from Shelf Road to Foothill Trail. It is pretty steep and has many rocky steps, especially at switchbacks, resulting in a T5 rating for this trail. It is not recommended for any but the most experieced (and daring) mountain bikers!

Because of the steepness, you gain elevation quickly as you climb, and are treated to better and better views of Ojai valley, and the smaller but much prettier valley that Foothill Trail runs through.

A good hike for those who want great views and don't mind steep trails is to make a loop out of Fox Canyon and Luci's Trail.

Technical Rating T5

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Fuel Break Bypass Trail T2

Description This short singletrack was constructed during the great covid-19 pandemic of 2020 - 2023. It's a beautiful trail that bypasses a particularly rugged section of Fuel Break Road, dropping through a wooded area to cross the seasonal Stewart Canyon Creek before rejoining Fuel Break Road. This route is highly recommended!

Technical Rating T2

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Fuel Break Rd and Fuel Break Road Trail (AKA Hermitage Rd, Cozy Ojai Rd.) T1 and T2.5

Description Fuel Break Road runs from Upper Pratt Trail in the west (where is becomes Cozy Dell Road) to Gridley Trail in the east, with connections to Foothill Trail. Like Footlhill Trail, it has great views of the surrounding mountains, but you can't see into the Ojai Valley, so it feels much more remote.

This is a good route to connect the bottom of Gridley with the bottom of Pratt Trail. Towards the west end is a singletrack section (Fuel Break Road Trail) that avoids private property and connects with a dirt road that leads to the bottom of Gridley at the start of the avacado orchard, 0.4 miles from the trailhead. It's not very long, only 2.3 miles, but it's surprisingly hilly, especially after climbing Gridley and descending Pratt! For an easy connection between the bottom of Pratt and Gridley, consider Shelf Road.

Technical Rating Fireroad section T1 ; Singletrack, T2.5

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Fuel Break - Foothill Connector Trail

Description This short trail, less than 300 yards long, connects Fuel Break Road to Foothill Trail. It's shown on the map above, but not labelled. It's between the top of Fox Canyon Trail and Luci's, about 200 yards east of Fox Canyon Trail. It gets a little higher technical rating because it's somewhat steep at the north end where it joins Fuel Break Road.

Technical Rating T2.5

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Gridley Trail (22W05) and Nordhoff Ridge Rd (5N08) to Nordhoff Peak T3 , T4.5 .

Description This is a beautiful singletrack that affords some spectacular views along the way. Mountain bikers will find some technical challenges in the form of rocks and tight switchbacks. For an added challenge, mtn bikers can climb the very steep Nordhoff Ridge Rd to the old fire lookout tower at Nordhoff Peak before coasting all the way back down to the start.

The trail begins with a somewhat rocky but firm climb up a short connector trail to get to a dirt road that skirts an avocado orchard. After the avocado trees are passed, the old road becomes more rutted, rocky and narrow, but is still firm and not very steep. About a third of the way to the top is the horse trough, a good spot for a short break. After that the trail is noticibly more technical, even though it's not really any steeper for the most part. However, it's narrower, rutted and has rocks protruding from the firm dirt of the trailbed with a few rocky switchbacks. Finally, it crosses a steep slope with a lot of exposure. For mountain bikers, this part of the trail is best for people with good technical riding skills, especially for the return trip. At the top is a very steep fireroad about a mile long that leads to an old lookout tower at Nordhoff Peak.  On a clear day, the views from the top make the extra climb up worth the effort. 

The trip back down can be really fun if you love narrow and rocky downhill! An alternative is to make a loop by continuing west and down on Nordhoff Ridge Road about a mile and then descending the Pratt Trail on the left. Keep in mind that Pratt is a little steeper overall than Gridley. You can connect back to Gridley by way of Fuel Break Road, but that can be a little hilly after a long ride (especially if it's a hot day). An easier way back is to go all the way down Pratt, ride Signal Street about a block to the east end of Shelf Road, take Shelf Road to the east end where it's another block to the trailhead at the bottom of Gridley.

View of the valley from two-thirds of the way up Gridley Trail 

If you think this trail is steep, see how it compares to other steep trails.

Technical Rating From the bottom to the horse trough, T3 . From there to the top, T4.5 .

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Luci's Trail T4

Description This trail climbs from Shelf Road to Foothill Trail. There are two connections to Shelf Road - most people who start from Signal Street take the one that is further west. Overall the trail is pretty steep; you can see from the profile below that is is steeper than Fox Canyon Trail. Of particular concern is the rock stairway at the top about 500' long. It is not recommended for any but the most experieced (and daring) mountain bikers!

Because of the steepness, you gain elevation quickly as you climb, and are treated to better and better views of Ojai valley, and the smaller but much prettier valley that Foothill Trail runs through just east of Luci's.

A good hike for those who want great views and don't mind steep trails is to make a loop out of Fox Canyon and Luci's Trail.

Technical Rating T4

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Nordhoff Ridge Road (5N08) T1

Description This broad fireroad travels along Nordhoff Ridge, giving commanding views into the Ojai Valley to the south and Rose Valley and the Sespe Wilderness Area to the north. Several trails lead up from the valleys below and end at this road. Nordhoff Ridge Road ends at the Sespe Wilderness Area in the east, below Topatopa Bluff. It provides convenient access to a number of trails, but there is no shade for long stretches and it can get very hot in the summer, so plan accordingly.

This road is open to 4-wheel drive vehicles in the summer and fall until the rain or snow in the winter washes it out. A permit is required to drive on this road. They are available from the Ojai Valley Ranger Station. Access to the road is via the Nordhoff Ridge Access Road (5N42) that comes up from Rose Valley.

There is an old fire lookout tower at the top of Nordhoff Peak, only a mile from the top of Gridley, and a little less from the top of Pratt. The tower, with its commanding views in all directions, is a popular destination for those who climb either Pratt or Gridley.

Technical Rating T1

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Pratt Trail (23W09) from Nordhoff Peak T4.5

Description Pratt Trail is one of the two main trails from Ojai to Nordhoff Peak, the other being Gridley. The character of the trails is quite different. Pratt is a little steeper (1.5 miles shorter with slightly more elevation change) but has a less rocky tread, but some sections of decomposed granite that is a little loose.

The Pratt Trailhead is at the Stewart Canyon Debris Basin. The trail starts off quite rocky, winding between the houses for almost a mile. It follows the pavement up briefly before turning onto a fireroad for 600 yards, and then joins Fuel Break Road for 2/3 miles. Then it turns north as a singletrack, climbing 2.75 miles to Nordhoff Ridge. From there it is another 0.9 miles to Nordhoff Peak.

For mountain bikers, the Pratt is a fun alternative to Gridley for returning to the valley. The last mile is particularly fun, with many small steps and drops through the rocks.

Technical Rating From Nordhoff Peak to Cozy Dell Rd, T4.5 . Dirt road section, T1.5 . Lower Pratt, T3.5 .

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Shelf Rd (AKA Valley View Rd) T1

Description The west end of this dirt road starts at the top of Signal Street and ends at Gridley Road in the east. There is parking for a few cars at each end. This is the major entrance to the trails of the Valley View Preserve - Fox Canyon and Luci's Trails less than a half mile from the west end. The road very closely follows the contour of the hillside to give gradual, rolling hills. For connecting the bottom of Pratt with the bottom of Gridley, it is much easier than Fuel Break Rd because there is much less climbing.

Technical Rating T1

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This page last updated on August 21, 2023

Thanks for looking at Steve's guide to trails in Ventura County, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) and other locations.