Simi's most recognizable movie set in need of stage directors
Park district is looking for volunteers to give walking tours of Corriganville Park
By Angela Randazzo Special to the Acorn

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers HELP WANTED- People knowledgeable in geography and archaeology are needed to give weekday group tours of the park.

With more than four miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails, Corriganville Park offers residents an escape into nature in their own backyards.

Volunteer docents can greatly enhance a visitor's trip to the park by pointing out the variety of plant and animal life found there and teaching about the natural wonders of Simi Valley.

And more volunteers are needed, according to Colleen Janssen, community outreach specialist for the Rancho Simi Valley Recreation and Park District. Docents take groups of 10 or more on tours of the park.

"We're looking for people who are available during weekdays when schools and Scout groups would like to come," Janssen said. "If someone has added knowledge on geography or archaeology it's helpful but not critical (for) volunteers."

Mike Kuhn, a local resident, has been a docent for several years. He's also the executive chair of the Simi Trailblazers.

"The vegetation is very interesting, and the wildflowers change with the season," Kuhn said. "There are always new things to see. When people become interested in the vegetation and learn to recognize it, that makes the trip more interesting."

Within the park's 205 acres, there's an ancient oak forest, a natural stream and a shady picnic area. Camp Rotary Youth Campground, which includes an outdoor stage for campfire skits, is a favorite spot for Boy Scouts to set up shop.

On a tour, a docent might point out the sandstone rock formations and the caves that were once home to the Chumash. Animal sightings may include hawks, squirrels, fence lizards and paw prints of the occasional mountain lion. To avoid encounters with rattlesnakes, staying on one of the park's five trails is advised.

The Loop Trail, an easy to moderate hike, rounds the massive rock outcropping in the middle of the park. The halfmile Wildlife Corridor Trail is a moderate to strenuous hike on the east slopes of the park, and the mile-long Stagecoach Trail follows the old Butterfield Stage Lines route.

The Hummingbird Trail is a quarter-mile walk along gentle grades. And along the easy, milelong Interpretive Trail, posted signs and docents provide information.

In addition to its natural splendors, Corriganville has a long history as a film location.

From 1937 to 1965 more than 3,500 television shows and movies were filmed at the site, including old-time favorites "Rin-Tin-Tin," "Death Valley Days," "Jungle Jim" and "The Cisco Kid."

Corriganville Movie Ranch was one of the main tourist attractions in California in the 1940s. More than 20,000 people came each week to walk the streets of Silvertown, a replica of a Western town, and to ride the stagecoach. That was until a devastating wildfire in the early '70s took most of the original Silvertown set.

"Fires that went through the park destroyed all the wooden structures, all the movie sets, but the foundations are still here," Janssen said. "We know where things were located, and there are markers with photos along the trail."

Among the manmade structures is a concrete pool used as a river location. The portholes in the concrete wall are camera windows to shoot underwater scenes. The park still serves as a film location today, although it's not as busy as it was in its heyday.

Whether on a self-guided or docent tour, there's plenty to see at Corriganville Park. Group tours are free of charge and dependent on docent availability.

"I can arrange for a docent; otherwise, anyone can go any day of the week on a self-guided tour," Janssen said. "People interested in working with kids, adults and sharing information as docents can call too."

For information, call (805) 5844400.