Address: 16756 Moorpark Street, Encino
Phone: (818) 784-4849
Park features: Restrooms, Dogs On Leash, Easy Hiking, Picnic Tables, Parking Lot, Nature Center, Drinking Water, ADA Accessible, Historical Sites
Los Encinos State Historic Park, at the corner of Balboa and Ventura Boulevards in Encino, was, until the late 19th Century, the hub of human habitation in the Southern San Fernando Valley. This five-acre early California rancho includes the original nine-room de la Osa Adobe, the two-story limestone Garnier House, the Reyes Hut, natural springs, and a lake (shaped like a Spanish guitar). The park contains exhibits on early California ranch life. Because of the ready source of water, Indians of the tribe now called the Gabrielino or Tongva lived at the site of the park for hundreds, and perhaps thousands of years. Over a million artifacts have been found in the area, including European beads which may have been gifts from Gaspar de Portola, who, in 1769, led the first European expedition to reach the San Fernando Valley. This valuable land passed through many hands, going from Native American, to Mission, to Californio, to French Basque control through the 19th Century. Directions:Take the 101 Ventura Freeway to the Balboa off-ramp. Go south on Balboa to Moorpark–one block before Ventura Boulevard. Turn left onto Moorpark and park on the street. There is no parking lot. Enter through the gate.
Getting around
Los Encinos State Historic Park is a 5-acre historic site in Encino built around the Rancho Los Encinos adobe, a natural spring and a small lake — not a hiking destination. The park is a self-guided walking loop (about half a mile) around the de la Osa adobe (1849), the French-Basque limestone house and the spring-fed pond. For a connected nature walk nearby, the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve trail is a short drive north.
Location
16756 Moorpark Street, Encino
Approximate coordinates: 34.158, -118.498
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Park description restored from the 2017 lamountains.com archive (Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy). Trail statistics courtesy of AllTrails. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
