The Great Outdoors
If your idea of a great vacation involves outdoor recreation, Ojai offers many options for year-round activities -- golf, tennis, hiking, cycling, fishing, boating and kayaking.
Ojai is home to The Ojai Tennis Tournament, the oldest amateur tennis event of its kind in the United States. In fact, Ojai was named the second best tennis town in the United States. You'll find great courts at Libbey Park.
With beautiful weather year-round, it's no surprise that Ojai is also a golfer's paradise. Visitors can tee off at the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa, listed as one of the top 25 golf resorts in North America, or Soule Park, a beautiful public course that delivers great value and spectacular views.
Cycling Ojai is one of the best ways to take in all sights. Ride through town, down orchard-lined streets, or up into the mountains. You can also ride bikes (or even horses!) along the Ojai Valley Trail, a converted rail line where trains once hauled oranges from Ojai Valley to the coast. The trail begins downtown, one block east of the Arcade, and runs approximately 9.5 miles to the coast in Ventura.
Hiking is also one of Ojai's best offerings. The Gridley Trail and Shelf Road both climb through California chaparral and sandstone and offer heart-expanding views over the Ojai Valley. Nearby Los Padres National Forest presents opportunities for hiking, climbing, fishing and swimming.
Jeep tours are another exciting option in Ojai. Enjoy a unique sightseeing adventure in a custom, open-air jeeps. Professionally guided excursions will expose you to winding country roads, dirt trails, beautiful secret gardens, exclusive vistas, and more.
A vacation in Ojai wouldn't be complete without a visit to Lake Casitas, where boating, fishing, kayaking and picnicking are popular past-times. Lake Casitas, just three miles from Ojai's town center, was the site of the 1984 Olympics' canoeing and rowing events! While there is no swimming in the Lake, the Casitas Water Adventure (open summers) features waterfalls, slides, a lagoon and lazy river for family fun.