Las Llajas - Suitable for beginners

5 miles, 500' gain, Beginner This hike is a great trail for beginners because all the elevation gain is distributed. It is a walk down a rolling fire road through a really cool canyon, and you will find no difficult or extended elevation climbs. This is one of my favorite trails for people new to hiking. It is an "out-and-back" hike, where we return the way we came, so there is virtually no chance of getting lost. You may be amazed that such a place exists right here in Simi Valley. From the trail head, we'll walk down an asphalt path for several hundred steps and turn right onto a gravel fire road. After that, there will be no more turns. We may take a detour up a trail off to the right to see the first bee sanctuary, then return back to the fire road. We'll continue on the fire-road for about 1 mile. We'll stop there (in the shade if summer) to allow others to catch up. Then we'll take a 200' detour to the left to see another bee sanctuary, which continues in a half circle back to the fire road. Even though I haven't seen any actual bees there in a while, it's still interesting to see. We'll continue for another 1.5 miles and have a social event, right on the trail. We'll share snacks and beverages. We may adjust the exact location if there are winds. For the return, we go back the way we came. There is a lot of wild life along this trail because it is the only area with water for quite a distance. This is a social hike, not a conditioning hike. Still, for those that aren't interested in the beverage and/or snack share and want more of a workout, just continue on for another mile, then turn around and come back. That's about how long we'll be before packing up and heading back the way we came. Interesting Notes: [Tree Tobacco (Nicotiana glauca)](https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/3/e/b/a/highres_502756058.jpeg) Elongated yellow flowers. The Cahuilla…