My little hometown of Ojai California is known for its 360° mountain views. It’s a small valley town that not only looks beautiful but lets you escape into that beauty. One way to do so is to get hiking in those mountains! The Cozy Dell trail is one of my personal favorites because it provides amazing views of both the valley and the northern mountains. It’s a quick hike that will get your heart pumping.

Location:

15150 Maricopa Hwy, Ojai CA

If you type “Cozy Dell Trailhead” into your GPS, it’ll take you to the beginning of the trail. It starts just south of Friend’s Ranches along the 33 Highway, but don’t park in the paved lot of this business. Instead, there’s a large, free, dirt parking lot across the street from the trailhead – just take care while crossing the highway since many cars speed through this area.

The Trail:

The dirt trail is narrow and often has poison ivy growing among the greenery. So I typically wear leggings or long socks to avoid touching any unwanted ivy. As far as I know, the trail is dog-friendly, though you’ll want to make sure they don’t go running into any ivy either.

The Journey:

The trail has a gradual incline all the way up, so don’t expect many level or downhill portions. It’s about one mile to the overlook, which you’ll recognize by the completing the final incline that’s the steepest part of the trail and reaching a big rock to sit on and enjoy the view. It’s not a loop, so once you’ve taken a break at the top, just come back down the same way you came up for a total of 1.9 miles.

When to Go:

These pictures have all been taken in the Springtime (May 2018) after the Thomas fire came through this area. So you can see that the area is coming back so strong. Among the charred trees, there’s plenty of new growth. It just shows how resilient this little valley is. There are tons of blooming flowers along this trail, so I had to take advantage and pick a bouquet to-go. The wildflowers definitely make Spring my favorite time to hike here. It is open year-round though, but be careful in the heat of the summer since there isn’t much tree coverage.

Looking for More to do in Ojai:

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Comment Below:

Comment your thoughts on the Cozy Dell trail below! Also, let me know – what’s your favorite hike in Ojai?

Thanks for reading!