National Park Service Shares Ranching History Through "Horse Tales"

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- The National Park Service invites the public to tour historic Rancho Sierra Vista on Saturday, September 10 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. In addition to an optional one-mile hike, visitors of all ages can meet the National Park Service patrol horses and participate in activities related to the area's ranching past.

Located in Newbury Park, Rancho Sierra Vista's ranching history stretches back to 1803, when former soldiers Jose Polanco and Ignacio Rodriquez were granted Rancho El Conejo by the King of Spain. Through the years, this 48,672 acre land grant was subdivided and sold to various landowners. Modern ranching began here in 1937 when Carl Beal christened the area Rancho Sierra Vista.

The event is free and open to the public. Meet in the main parking lot at 9am. The cross streets are Via Goleta and Portrero Rd in Newbury Park (entering "Rancho Sierra Vista" into a GPS system will take you to the wrong entrance).

Contact 805-370-2301 for more information. Rain cancels.

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) is the largest urban national park in the country, encompassing more than 150,000 acres of mountains and coastline in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. A unit of the National Park System, it comprises a seamless network of local, state and federal parks interwoven with private lands and communities. As one of only five Mediterranean ecosystems in the world, SMMNRA preserves the rich biological diversity of more than 450 animal species and 26 distinct plant communities. For more information, visit http://www.nps.gov/samo.

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Photo: National Park Service horses help rangers and volunteers patrol the extensive trail system of the Santa Monica Mountains. From left to right: Cache, Jordan, Bayberry. Courtesy of National Park Service.