From its sandy beaches to its rocky hills, Ventura County has many parks to offer its residents and visitors for recreation and relaxation.

Each city in Ventura County has its own community and neighborhood parks, but occasionally the people of Ventura County head to the State or National Parks to enjoy the bounty and beauty of their county.

Here is a list of Ventura County’s State Parks:

State Parks:

Emma Wood State Beach: Popular for surfing and fishing, this park is assigned for the use for recreation vehicles only. Limited to 90 spots, each approximately 40 feet long, Emma Wood’s campgrounds do not have water, restrooms, or a dump station available to the campers.

Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area: 130 miles of marked trails and 150 miles of National Forest, this park is the second largest off-road vehicular recreation park in California. Recommended for motorcycle, four-wheel drive, and all-terrain vehicle.

Mandalay State Beach: Good beach for a day visit. The marshlands of this beach are all protected areas of Ventura County.

McGrath State Beach: A camp side beach, this region is one of California’s best birth watching areas. The beach is perfect for surfing and fishing, however, because of its strong currents and riptides, swimmers are urged to stay away. 

Point Mugu State Park: This is a beach for bird watchers, swimmers, and body surfers. The sandy and rocky bluffs of this beach are located off of Highway 1, south of Oxnard.

San Buenaventura State Beach: This 2-mile stretch of sand and sun is located in the heart of Ventura. Things to do and places to visit at this beach includes the pier, restaurant, snack bar, surfing, swimming, camping, volleyball and biking.

National Parks:

Channel Island National Park: The combination of the five islands, Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Miguel, and Santa Barbara, of the coast of Ventura County are called the Channel Islands. The islands are a great place to relax or hike, camp, snorkel, kayak, bird-watch.

Santa Monica Mountains National Park: At one point the Santa Monica Mountains were home to the Chumash and the Gabrielleno-Tongva. For Hollywood, Santa Monica Mountains were just another back drop for a movie scene. Hiking, mountain bicycling, and horseback riding are just a few of the activities people enjoy while visiting Santa Monica Mountains.