One-Stop Fun

Only five years after Moorpark broke ground on Arroyo Vista Community Park, a lush expanse off Los Angeles Avenue on the banks of the Arroyo Simi, the site is poised to become the city’s first full-service recreation site.

For park lovers looking for a place to do it all, this will soon be it.

“It’s mostly used by local residents but a lot of people like to come for family gatherings and picnics and other special occasions,� said Stephanie Casillas, a recreation coordinator for the park.

The distinction for Arroyo Vista among the city’s 12 parks will come later this month when construction wraps up on eight tennis courts being added to facilities that include ball fields, a gymnasium, and picnic and play areas.

There’s even an outdoor roller-hockey rink and two indoor activity rooms.

It’s the only park like it in town.

“If you can’t take a big vacation, just get outside and come to this park,� said Jeanne Grindstaff, a part-time Ventura resident who was picnicking recently with her family on submarine sandwiches and iced tea.

The 70-acre park is behind Moorpark High School on a well-marked, paved road. In the distance is Oak Ridge, a string of small peaks separating Moorpark from its neighbors in Fillmore to the north.

After passing through a couple of gates, visitors see two large buildings that house the gym and recreation center.

Inside the center, the city’s community services department offers a variety of activities for people of all ages. Among them are acting, ballet, yoga and belly-dancing.

Next door in the gym, Bridget Mitchell was teaching dance classes on a polished hardwood floor under several basketball hoops and next to a wall of bleachers.

“It’s a great learning experience,� Mitchell said of the class.

Behind the buildings is the start of the park’s outdoor area, a large grassy rectangular area of ball fields, a picnic area with 10 tables and four barbecues, and a bright blue-and-white playground.

There are eight soccer fields, three softball fields, a football field and several multiuse fields.

Some of the ball fields were made by community volunteers who donated materials and labor to create a place for the city’s youth sports leagues to practice and compete.

The Moorpark Girls Softball Assn. and Moorpark Packer Football regularly use the playing fields.

“There’s a real sense of community here,� said Nanci Van Vorst. “It’s also a great environment, and it’s a pleasure having an outdoor place for good clean fun.�

On a recent weekday, a group of youngsters from a nearby church played Frisbee on one field.

Several young adults rode their bicycles on the park’s two gravel parking lots, and a few more walked toward the concrete bridge that crosses the Arroyo Simi and leads to a nearby neighborhood.

Young pine trees dot the wide-open park, which offers plenty of running-around room but not a lot of shade. Until the trees mature, however, a nice breeze flows through all areas of the park.

All the facilities are open to the public, including the roller hockey rink. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays this summer, the recreation department sets ramps on the rink, and skateboarders and skaters are invited to play.

Some of the facilities and activities require reservations, and a fee is required for some of the classes and the roller rink. Call 531-9100 for details.

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DETAILS

Arroyo Vista Community Park is at 4550 Tierra Rejada Road in Moorpark. Call 531-9100 for more information.

(Ideas for Jaunts can be forwarded to [email protected].)