Tarantula Hill | |
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Highest point | |
Elevation | 1,057 ft (322 m) |
Coordinates | 34°11′46″N 118°53′16″W / 34.1962°N 118.8879°W |
Geography | |
Location | Thousand Oaks, California, U.S. |
Tarantula Hill, is a 1,057-foot-high (322 m) peak in Thousand Oaks, California.[1][2] It is located on a 45-acre (18 ha) open space and is operated by the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency (COSCA). Climbing Tarantula Hill is a steep 0.5-mile (0.80 km) trail;[3] the trailhead is located at 287 West Gainsborough Road, across the road from the main entrance to Conejo Valley Botanic Garden. Atop the mountain there is a 360-degree panoramic view of the Conejo Valley, the Simi Hills and the Santa Monica Mountains. There is also a fenced-in water reservoir located on top.[4] It was once a popular hang-gliding site.[5] It was once a volcanic mound but went dormant 16 million years ago.[6][failed verification – see discussion]
The hill is located near the center of the Conejo Valley.[7]
The origin of the name "Tarantula Hill" is unclear, although it has been called that since at least 1966.[8] A brewery in Thousand Oaks is named for it.[9] The hill is occasionally referred to as "Dawn's Peak",[10] although that also refers to "Peak 6582, California" in Riverside county.[11]
no one is sure how it came to be christened.