Updated April 20, 2026
Ventura Hills Nature Preserve & Harmon Canyon Preserve Closed April 21st, 2026
Due to rain in the forecast, Harmon Canyon Preserve and Ventura Hills Nature Preserve will be closed on Tuesday, April 21st. This will most likely be a single-day closure.
When the preserves are open during a rain event, impacts are particularly hard on the trails as they have no time to dry. We thank you for your patience and cooperation in keeping the preserves (and all the critters that live there!) happy and healthy.
We will continue to monitor conditions; stay tuned for updates.
Closure for Upper Harmon Canyon
Upper Harmon Canyon past the intersection with Long Canyon Rd. will remain closed due to complications with road repairs. The 2023/2024 wet season brought over 35 inches of rain, causing significant damage to trails and roads, especially north of the 1.5-mile gate. While Ventura Land Trust (VLT) is eager to restore access, repairing these roads falls under Southern California Edison’s (SCE) responsibility, as they lie within SCE’s easement area for high-tension power lines. If VLT were to conduct repairs and they later failed, the trust could be held financially liable.
Earlier this year, VLT worked with SCE to expedite road repairs, but in September, SCE reclassified the project from “maintenance” to “improvement,” transferring oversight to their civil engineering department. As a result, there is no timeline for completion, leaving Upper Harmon Canyon inaccessible for now.
In the meantime, VLT is actively seeking solutions while balancing environmental stewardship and public safety. For updates or questions, contact info@venturalandtrust.org.
Damage to Long Canyon Road in the upper portion of Harmon Canyon