Event to Mark Debut of Trail

A new three-mile trail at Foster Park featuring panoramic vistas and a fern gully will be opened to the public during a special ceremony Wednesday.

The trail, built over a nearly three-month period by at-risk youths from Ojai and Ventura, includes a portion of a trail last used in the 1930s.

Concerned Resource & Environmental Workers (CREW), a nonprofit organization that employs youth for environmental preservation and enhancement projects, hired the local youths using funding from the Ventura County Probation Department’s early intervention outreach program.

Wally McCall, executive director of CREW, said the rebuilding of the original trail was difficult in some areas because the undergrowth was so dense.

“In the original trail, the canopy was so thick, we had to put up red balloons to mark our way,” said McCall, who was assisted in the project by firefighters with the U.S. Forest Service.

He said the trail, which provides views of the Ventura River and the ocean, offers a challenging hike and is similar terrain-wise to trails in the Los Padres National Forest.

“When you’re on the trail, you feel like you’re out in the bush, “ he said.

The opening ceremonies for the trail, to be called the CREW Trail, will be held at the Foster Park Red Mountain campground Wednesday at 3 p.m. For further information, call (805) 646-5085.