2 min
Overview
Native Americans had a long and rich history in Southern California well before Spanish settlers could ever be described as “fresh off the boat,” but unfortunately due to disease, dispersement, and development (along with some Mission-style romanticizing of the past), many Californians aren’t aware of the extent of their presence or depth of their culture. Some estimates put upwards of 20,000 Chumash and Gabrieleno-Tongva Native Americans scattered throughout Southern California before conquistadors started naming everything they saw after Catholic saints. The two loose groups had extensive trade, with the Chumash generally occupying the coastal areas and the Gabrieleno-Tongva living a bit more inland. Sycamore Canyon in Point Mugu State Park was a major trade route between the coast and the San Fernando Valley, and those interested can visit an excellent interpretive history center just to its north at Satwiwa, the site of an old Chumash village. Just a bit to its northeast past the old Ahmanson Ranch lies another important Chumash site — the Cave of Munits. When the Ahmanson Ranch became a park in 2004, it protected the surprisingly spacious cave as well as 2,650 acres of beautiful rolling hills, prairies, and former ranch land. Nearby Castle Peak (a corruption of the Chumash name Kas’elew) was used as an important ceremonial site by the Chumash during the solstices, and the Cave of Munits – which lies in direct sight of the low, rocky peak, was reportedly the home of a powerful Chumash shaman who was killed after murdering the son of a powerful chief. Today, the cave can be easily visited with a short hike from El Escorpión Park or this longer, more pleasant loop from the Victory Trailhead. From the trailhead, pass the information boards and look for a use trail that goes straight up the hill directly in front of you. This park in particular is full of use trails like this. Some are old ranch roads, some are unsigned official trails, others are just worn into the landscape by hikers, cyclists, or equestria
Trail Stats
4.3 km
220 m
451 m
312 m
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