Recreation and parks were and still are important elements to the lives of the residents of the Conejo Valley. In November 1962, voters created the Conejo Recreation and Park District with more than 80% vote in favor of the District’s formation as a Special District - a form of local government approved by the local community to meet this specific need.
Over 60 years later, with the help of involved and caring citizens, dedicated and generous staff and volunteers, as well as government agencies, property owners, business and non-profit organizations working together, the Conejo Recreation and Park District has grown considerably with robust year-round recreation programming and over 1,000 acres of parkland.
We are proud to share some of the stories and messages from people in your community who have had a positive experience with Conejo Recreation and Park District.
Thanks to you I now know how to golf, cook and I am also practicing cartooning, capoeira, and ukulele. I also want to thank you for maintaining all of the pretty hiking trails. I Hike on the trails at least three times a week. Another big thanks for all the local playgrounds. I play there a lot.
-Harvey Salzarulo
Thank you for providing a fun, safe environment for the kids to learn a new skill and excel at what they enjoy doing- having FUN!
-Danielle Rosell
CRPD has offered me a second home. Not only the Aquatics Program management has welcomed me with open arms, but I have made some amazing friends teaching at the pool every week. Whether you come to socialize while gently walking in the water, or you come to make some serious waves in the aerobics class, there’s something for you too!
-Fred Garderes
We have been so lucky to raise our family with the benefits of the amazing CRPD, with beautiful parks, trails, sports, classes, family events and concerts. Our children learned that fitness, teamwork, and respect for nature and community go hand in hand. Thank you, CRPD, for your commitment to building the minds, bodies, and spirit of the Conejo Valley!
-Cindy
and Gil GoldbergHappy birthday! The opening of parks and recreational facilities means that our lives are all back to normal. We can face all difficulties. We’re back on track with our normal life. Thank you for bringing a wonderful life to us.
-Morgan Luo
My family moved to Thousand Oaks in 2000 when my daughter was five. With my daughter, we started enjoying the playgrounds immediately, and then enjoyed AYSO soccer fields and community center youth basketball. Since then, I have moved on to my own activities of hiking Sapwi trails and enjoying Rancho Conejo pickleball. CRPD truly offers fantastic assets for all ages in the Conejo Valley, and we are lucky to have CRPD as our community parks and recreation district.
-Ryan Van Ommeren
Happy Birthday CRPD! Thank you for offering community programs our whole family loves! We are thankful for all the options available to get us outdoors and creating memories together.
-Gamboa Family
Happy 60th Anniversary, CRPD!! From the wonderful classes that my children took to the amazing friendships I have made thru CRPD! My best friends for life came from a Mommy & Me class over 30 years ago!! Love to Janet, Debbie, Connie, Margie & Sue.
-Louise Rutherford
When the pandemic hit, we started walking. Conejo Creek park north & south became our walking track. We visit Waverly Park for the exercise equipment. Sapwi Park is our favorite trail area. So many choices! Happy Anniversary CRPD. We love our parks.
-Susan K Meraz
Thank you CRPD for your 60 years of service to the community! My family and I have benefitted for almost half of those years. Thank you for helping us grow over the years with your fun programs and activities, including gymnastics, swimming, aquacise, soccer, basketball, tap, line dance, nature hikes, Jujitsu, karate, pool parties, movie nights, Haunted Trails and more!
-Yukina Warner
When retiring in 1983, I was elated when I read of the recently constructed fourcourt tennis facility in the Wildwood Area on Erbes rd. I met a few players who enthusiastically invited me to join. In time it grew to over 70 and was named Wildflower Tennis. The friendships still continue, and after leaving for medical reasons they graciously welcomed me as the grandfather of the group on my 98th. All players are welcome, and a 95-year-old still wins his matches. Thankful for the CRPD for this court and the continuing friendships for almost 40 years.
-Len Zerlin
Taking my baby to the parks and CRPD programs such as swim classes and watching plays at the Hillcrest Center are fond memories I’ll cherish forever! Thank you CRPD for all you do!
-Meisha AngeliniHappy 60th birthday C.R.P.D. Thank you for teaching me lots of things. Thanks to you I know how to sew, cook, and play golf. With your classes I have also practiced Spanish, Capoeira, cartooning, and architecture. I like all of the classes and I have made many fun friends.
-Rose Salzarulo
I took pickleball classes with my daughter at Ventu about 4 years ago. I loved it and am still playing. I appreciate CRPD for putting on classes, tournaments and having great Pickleball Courts
-Denise Wolf
I met my husband at a line dance class in 1994 that was offered by the park district. Happily married for 26 years!
-Susan Gobble
My family has lived here since 1978. We made use of Borchard Park, wonderful shade for walks. Dos Vientos and Conejo Creek Park are great parks, so clean. I’ve been taking Tai Chi class at the Goebel center for 4 years and love the instructor. Thank you CRPD
-Christy Whisman
Happy 60th anniversary! Thank you for keeping our parks so beautiful. Thank you for all your love and care and hard work. We appreciate all that you do, and we are proud to call the Conejo Valley home.
-Alina Avalos
From 2003-2018, my kids went to the Dos Vientos preschool, took karate, tennis, gymnastics, Ms. Tia, many other fun classes for years! They spent many summers at the CRPD camps, went to Friday movie nights, the campouts on the Dos Vientos field and July movie night on the big field. We have the best of memories for many, many years and feel so lucky to have been part of such a special community and to have created the best of memories. Thank you!!
-Jill
McArthurHappy birthday to the SMILE of Thousand Oaks. Time spent in one of our CRPD parks and recreation areas can bring joyous moments of relief and rejuvenation and adds to the belief that we can conquer the ills we face. Whether we just “stroll” or are fanatically active on the beautiful trails and vistas, we gain because they are there.
-Jo
Ann GoffConejo Parks and Recreation programs have played such an important part in our family since our kids were months old. Whether it was a parent and me class, swim or the Jingle Hike, they have something for everyone, and we have met a lot of great people and friends along the way! They also have a wonderful preschool and pre-K program as well! Thank you CRPD!
-Christina Diaz
I LOVE CRPD! For 50 years I have enjoyed our beautiful parks with friends and family. I have rented our wonderful parks and indoor facilities for classes, plays, dances, science and art fairs and large family reunions. CRPD Staff are the best!
Happy Anniversary CRPD!
-Christina
Wow, thank you for your extraordinary classes, and services that was offered. We enjoyed all the classes we have taken, and we should enjoy all the instructors and teachers!
-Linda and Robert ApplefordMy family and I have lived in TO since 1970. This was a huge equestrian community back then. Now even though the equine population has dwindled a bit CRPD has continued support us horse owners and lovers by maintaining and supporting their 40-acre Conejo Creek equestrian park with its lighted show arena number of training pens and lots of trails for both rider and hiker. Aren’t many cities our size with a facility like this! Thank you Conejo Parks and Recreation management and park maintenance crews!!
-Ron
Bogoyevac FamilyI am delighted to see so many options for therapeutic recreation for my special needs daughter. Thank you have made her happy and healthy!
-Bela Singha
In 1987, we moved to Shadow Oaks to be near the Conejo Community Park. Over the years, the kids enjoyed classes in the recreation center & we all loved dinner picnics during the Summer Concerts. Even my Yorkie, Bambi, participated in the dog training class! The park is a treasure and part of family memories I’ll always cherish.
-Karen Gorback
I moved to Thousand Oaks in 1968 and spent the 70s riding my bike “across town” to my favorite park at Dover and Hendrix. Now I am fortunate enough to live close to that same park where I can walk/relax and enjoy a concert! It’s always been such a special place.
-John Braaten
My husband and I use the Goebel Senior Center, for awesome activities that Conejo Park and Recreation work and sponsor. Mike, Patti, and Mark truly make the Center the happening place for seniors.
-Bob Shulman
1985 Kirsten and Tony go to work for CRPD. 1991 purchase home in Conejo Valley. Sons Ryan and Cody participate in various CRPD recreation programs, play on sports fields, hike on trails, and swim in pools. Sons become CRPD lifeguards and eventually buy their own homes. Thank you CRPD.
-Anthony Hoffman
Playing in the creek, spinning ‘til my stomach couldn’t anymore, meeting family to celebrate birthdays, baptisms, and more were my memories. All very fun, indeed, but to see my children roll down hills, balance on beams, learning to ride, making new friends, and playing games always filled me with gratitude to live in such a beautiful place. Thank you CRPD.
-Mari Reyes
The TOSS (Thousand Oaks Senior Softball) Program has been a great addition to the Recreation and Park Programs. It provides a primary outlet for Seniors interested in team sports to enjoy themselves and open an Avenue for social interaction with other Seniors.
-Bill Dobner, Sr.
For our family, the CRPD has provided Team experiences from early childhood through senior years, a Sense of Belonging and Community, many Opportunities to Try Something New, and Places to Maintain and Protect because CRPD is part of our larger HOME here in the Conejo Valley.
-Theresa Brar
CRPD provides all that is needed to rejuvenate, refresh, energize, inspire our innate aliveness - our park spaces breathe life into our fatigued bodies and lifts our spirits as only the outdoors can. Flora, fauna, sights, sounds, smells keep us grounded and invigorated at once daring us to move, enjoy, share and even defy gravity if only for a moment.
-Kris MavityI’m incredibly thankful for the CRPD! My kids enjoyed many of their programs at the Community Centers growing up; and the whole family loves all the special events, hiking, and disc golf! Our lives have been so enriched by the great people of the CRPD putting their hearts into their jobs! Thank you!
-Mike ByrneAdult ballet classes are the bright spots in my week. The exercise does my body good, and the camaraderie makes me happy. Thank you CRPD.
-Carla TrujilloCRPD are in the play business. They provide and maintain parks, trails and coordinate community-oriented projects, park concerts and family events. They are in the natural environment entertainment business. The staff are friendly, positive and fun. Thousand Oaks is special as a city because of its parks. Thank you CRPD. You don’t look 60 years old. Keep up the good work!
-Grahame WattsI have lived in a few different SoCal cities in different counties and participated in their Parks & Rec tennis lesson programs. All of them were lacking in quality instruction until I enroll in the Conejo Valley instructional tennis programs. They were taught by professionals and what a difference! I want to give a shout out to Garry Coleman in particular. The tennis community in the Conejo Valley has been blessed by the quality of professional instruction by Garry and the other members of the instruction team. CV Parks and Rec is head and shoulders better than surrounding city tennis programs. There is a reason why it is so active.
-Lana ColvinMy memories of CRPD go back to when I was 15 years old growing up in Thousand Oaks. I was too young to drive and to work legally. So, I volunteered as a park’s leader at summer camp. It was the most memorable, fun and exciting thing I did in summer! The following summer I got a paid job as a park counselor. It was so much fun to work with the kids and young adults alike. I learned so much during my summers with CRPD and continued working every summer until I went away to college. The warm and wonderful memories of CRPD will last a lifetime. Today, as a retired grandmother I take wonderful classes offered by the District including getting hooked on pickleball! Happy birthday CRPD!
-Ellen Jirari
We moved to Conejo Valley in 1977 to live in Newbury Park. I soon discovered the amazing programs offered by CRPD and started my first classes At Borchard Community Park with Jazzercise. As our young family grew I enrolled my children over the years for sports, swimming, arts and many other summer enrichment classes. After we became empty nesters and rediscovered travelling we are now enjoying in person and zoom classes in fine arts, foreign languages, chess, yoga and writing! Many thanks to the CRPD team for adding high quality programs and devoted service for all age groups, at all the community facilities and parks throughout Conejo Valley!
-B Rini BhowmikThe CRPD is one of my favorite features of Thousand Oaks. We have created so many memories with our children at activities like Fishing Frenzy and Touch-ATruck. There are so many serene, beautiful trails to hike and well-equipped parks where the children can play. CRPD provides something for everyone to enjoy!
-Melanie JusticeWe are so fortunate to have CRPD as an opportunity to enhance our quality of life in the Conejo Valley. There is always something to do for any age group, my children as well as grandchildren have had their lives enriched by this wonderful organization, and the staff have always been outstanding, courteous, and professional. Happy 60th!
-Loretta Baker
Thanks for having Therapeutic Recreation! We have commuted to summer camp and activities for 15 years so my son with autism could participate from Ventura. Thanks for letting us come. Always great staff and energy.
-Allison JohnsonOver the years, our 4 children were inoculated once/month prior to beginning elementary school in the 1970s. CRPD also provided parent participation preschool within our limited family budget. Mrs. Waingrow and Mrs. Young were the very creative teachers!
-Larane NesbittLocal parks, recreation programs and open spaces meant my family, with two young children, could run and frolic on green grass. My children could play on playground equipment with their friend and meet new friend. They could enjoy planned group activities and learn new skills while enjoying being children. Local parks meant space, freedom, and community gatherings. Local recreation programs meant growth, knowledge and new experiences. And Fun!!! Local parks brought families together in fun and joy! And Picnics! Coming from the Midwest I was delighted to find the opportunities and gifts of the Park District in Thousand Oaks and surrounding areas provided. It was a quiet place, nature, an opportunity, a delight and a family place of high regard. It is truly an asset and a gem of our county.
-Nicki A CobleHappy Birthday, CRPD! From athletic fields and beautiful parks to birthday parties, movie nights and 4th of July pancake breakfasts, you embody what it means to build community and where we live is a better place because of you. We love looking back on our happy memories together - thank you for decades of good fun and times to cherish.
-Kristin
SteinerI got married in Old Meadows Park, I learned how to salsa dance through Rec & Park District classes, and now my youngest works as a Recreation Leader! Since relocating to the Conejo Valley from England, the Rec & Park district has been a wonderful part of my life.
-Dr.
Karen MilesSenior softball is a passion with me. Where I live there is no Senior softball. CRPD Offers this program all year long. Thank you for your support of Senior players.
-Roy Rodriguez
Thank you for the parks and open spaces that me and my family have made wonderful memories with for all the social gatherings and awesome programs that have brought joy and pleasure to my little one Happy 60th Birthday and we hope to make another wonderful 60 years of fun
-Amy Reyes
My family moved into the area in 2010 and I don’t ever want to leave. The Conejo Parks are an integral part of our community and mean everything to me. They give Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, and surrounding areas its identity. If it weren’t for the amazing parks and open space CRPD provides I don’t think we’d live here. If you enjoy being outside, youth sports, taking a walk, equestrian activists or spending time with family, then you have to live here. We live in a unique area near the ocean and along beautiful mountains with so much unique outdoor space. CRPD is setting the example for outdoor space, and I’ve observed their desire for constant improvement, preserving the history we have, trying to improve the spaces we have and add to outdoor spaces where it makes sense, but also not settling for the Status Quo. I’ve never been to a park that is empty. They are always being used and enjoyed. Customers must be happy. One of the great examples and benefits of our tax dollars at work.
-Joseph TennisonWildwood was home to our family in 1968, and our boys loved the Wildwood Fort and the hikes down to the falls. They often played in the equipment at Dover & Hendrix Park. Jeff & Chris attended Wildwood Elementary and attended CRPD events & camps. Park Rangers were super in teaching them about animals, trees, & wildflowers. Thank you for giving our boys great memories of growing up in the Conejo Valley! The Chang Family
-Joanne Chang
Our family has enjoyed so many of the wonderful programs offered by CRPD over the years. 3 generations who experienced tennis, dancing, summer camp, and many other activities. Thank you for providing such a wonderful service to our town. Happy Anniversary! The Botts’ Family
-Joanne Botts
Happy 60th to CRPD! So proud of what you have done and how you have stayed true to the vision of community, service, and recreation for all. I arrived in T.O. in January of 1979 - best place I’ve ever lived, and this is HOME! Keep up the good work and THANK YOU! Oh, if only other cities could have a CRPD...
-Susan King
Our family has enjoyed T.O. Parks since 1970. Wildwood Park offers so many trails & a waterfall! T.O. Community Center hosted Elmer Ramsey’s Choir under magnificent Oaks. T.O City’s Music in the parks summer program was so welcome. Conejo Botanic Garden is a hidden gem, discovered each week by young families, walkers, & bird watchers.
-Mary Freed
The sports leagues have kept us active and in shape. We feel a strong sense of community through the recreational programs and have made so many friends. With the variety of programs, there is something fun for everyone!
-Joey Council
Love your art classes for seniors. The teachers are excellent and give us fun projects to do. Thanks -Kathleen. Turner
When I had been inactive for months because of a fractured ankle, the bike path at Conejo Park South was the perfect place for me to ride my bike and rebuild my stamina before hitting the big trails.
-Leona Winters
90% of my entire social life comes as a direct result of playing on the Pickleball courts at Rancho Conejo after moving out to Thousand Oaks from Encino in 2018! Thank you CRPD and please build more Pickleball courts!
-Glen A Fagin
Thank you to the staff at the Goebel Center, the Borchard Center and “Headquarters” for making the programs happen. We meet a great bunch of people at the activities, all because of your great work!
-Dennis Sedgwick
It means everything! It is room to breathe, room to run and room to expand your mind. Without it we are an inner City! Inner cities suffer because of lack of open space. Always fight to keep our parks and open space OPEN
-Kathleen Solomon
We hikers are so blessed to have the many hiking trails and activities associated with the many scenic areas in the Conejo. WE all regularly hike the Wildwood, Santa Rosa, Sycamore and more. The yearly trail challenges introduce we hikers to trails we had never discovered before. Keep up the great work for the community keeping us healthy too. Thank you from toddlers to Octogenarians
-Barbara Welch
Happy 60-year anniversary! Conejo Parks and Rec means a lot to me! I grew up with it and I signed my son Miles up for an art class! He met a friend, and they became best buds and loved playing together so much that his Mom and I ended finishing their art projects in class (we loved art) ��! We all became friends and found out we lived on the same street. We are still friends to this day! I still have the giraffe hand print my son made from the class framed and hanging in our kitchen from when he was 2 years old and now he is 5. Thanks for the memories!
-Jennifer Medina
I started the Whiskeroo contest At Dover and Hendricks with a signup and over the years have won 7 times. The awards were CVD belt buckles. And blue ribbons. I really miss the contest.
-Rick Herrera
Today (Oct. 21) would be mom’s 94th birthday. The park around the corner was very special to her and dad, and to all of us ever since we moved here in 1964. A few of us Broms still live in the house on Wales Street, and all the great grands love to hang at “Hendrix Park” *named for the street and her great grandson Hendrix). Happy Anniversary to the neighborhood park. Happy Birthday, Mom.
-Eileen Broms
I moved to Newbury Park in 1987, and shortly after, my first child was born. I was new to the area and looking for connections. CRPD was where I found Jazzercise with childcare, and a host of programs and activities for my children as they grew up here. Our family made some forever friends though Mommy and Me, Softball, Soccer, Basketball, and dance classes. I feel fortunate CRPD gave us access to so many sweet moments and memories.
-Jill Lewis
Preschool, crafts, sports, cooking, sewing - parties at the park, relaxing at the park…now having grandkids birthdays at the park…. our family has enjoyed CRPD for over 30 years! Can’t imagine Conejo Valley without it! It is the heart of Conejo Valley!!
-Kathy Smith
Happy Birthday Conejo! Parks are meant for family and friends to gather and get back to nature. Parks are for children to run and play and express themselves. To play with other children. Parks are there for meditation. Yoga A chance to take a deep breath and escape the stress of daily life. Conejo is beautiful. Concerts are great and the staff does a great job.
-Stewart Sher
