VENTURA HILLS NATURE PRESERVE

(formerly known as Mariano Preserve)

PUBLIC ACCESS PENDING LATE 2025

Mariano Preserve is renamed to the Ventura Hills Nature Preserve

Thanks to everyone who responded to our call for input on our newest nature preserve! After six months of community input and another two months of deliberation, VLT is proud to announce the name of the hillside preserve we will be opening to the public later this year. 

Learn about the acquisition and ongoing conservation work at Ventura Hills Nature Preserve.

Discover the rich history and conservation efforts at Ventura Hills, a Ventura Land Trust property. This video explores the land’s historical significance and showcases the ongoing work to protect and restore its natural beauty for future generations.

Ventura Land Trust has been awarded $7.2 million from the State of California to complete the acquisition and permanent conservation of the 1,645-acre Ventura hillsides property formerly known as Mariano Preserve.

Ventura Hills Nature Preserve is the iconic backdrop to historic downtown and midtown Ventura. It is also the original inspiration for our predecessor organization, the Ventura Hillsides Conservancy in 2003: to preserve and protect the undeveloped hills that define Ventura’s landscape.

Photo by Laim Pickhardt

Photo by Laim Pickhardt

This topographically extreme and biologically rich property is dominated by coastal sage scrub vegetation, including native species not yet found in similar habitats at our Harmon Canyon Preserve. VLT staff is working on developing the long-term restoration, biological monitoring, and public access management priorities for the property.

Learn more about Mariano by visiting our Mariano FAQ page linked below.

Ventura Hills FAQs