---
title: "Hiking Fox Canyon In Ojai, Ca"
canonical: "https://jpshlk.com/blog/hiking-fox-canyon-in-ojai-ca/"
pubDate: "2017-01-05T00:00:00.000Z"
author: Josh Pasholk
description: "A short but challenging hike in Ojai, Ca."
tags: [old, hiking]
---

A great little hike that forks off of Shelf Road (Valley View Trail). Its a little bit under 2 miles and a little steep at times with quite a few switchbacks.

## Fox Canyon Trail in Ojai, California

Overall it’s a hike that will make you sweat but shouldn’t take all day. You should still pack your hiking hat.

### Looking down on the town of Ojai

![Fox Canyon View](https://imgur.com/NAsStst.jpg)

You are awarded with views like this as you stop to take a breath. Ojai truly is a beautiful place.

That little red thing is the roof of a house that sits right off of Shelf Road.

### Fox Canyon Trail connects to Pratt Trail

![Fox Canyon Foothill/Pratt Sign](https://imgur.com/8IAoHpk.jpg)

From here the trail splits in two and connects over to Pratt Trail, which is another way to get here.

### Green bark Cianothus

![Fox Canyon Green Bark Cianothus](https://imgur.com/W0lCuPd.jpg)

The price of the trail being carved into the hillside for all of us to enjoy. A green bark ceanothus tree just happened to be growing in the way of the trail…

It’s quite beautiful to see the color of it’s wood-flesh.

### A look back toward Fox Canyon

![Fox Canyon Looking Back](https://imgur.com/Ul6sxPk.jpg)

This is about where we met up with Luci’s Trail. This is looking back toward Fox Canyon.

### Fork in the road

![Luci's Trail Sign](https://imgur.com/rAg9oBX.jpg)

A sign for Foothill Trail, right to Luci’s Trail, or go straight on to Fuel Break Road which leads over to Gridley Trail.

### Luci's rocky trail

![Looking down Luci's Trail](https://imgur.com/7YiaQKF.jpg)

Going down Luci’s Trail is a little rough, it can be touch and go if you’re not careful.

### Phacelia, a plant that can actually cause a poison-oak like rash

![James showing me a plant to avoid called phacelia](https://imgur.com/6MPL0gb.jpg)

Here is my buddy James showing me a plant to avoid called phacelia.

![Here is a close-up of phacelia, avoid this shit at all costs...](https://imgur.com/XzYpdzB.jpg)

Closer picture of phacelia.

**From Wikipedia:**

>As with many species in the Boraginaceae, contact with the hairs of some species of Phacelia can cause a very unpleasant rash similar to that from poison oak and poison ivy in sensitive individuals. The major contact allergen of Phacelia crenulata has been identified as geranylhydroquinone. The similar-appearing species Eriodictyon parryi (poodle-dog bush), a common chaparral plant of Southern California, is also a frequent cause of skin irritation.

### Native grass sptouting up

![Nice native grass, maybe...](https://imgur.com/Lb0JrrV.jpg)

Here is a plant that you don’t have to avoid, just because.

### Checking out our route

![View of Fox Canyon Trail from Luci’s Trail.](https://imgur.com/fQ3Wklu.jpg)

Here is a view of Fox Canyon Trail from Luci’s Trail.

### Steep little Switchbacks

![Luci's Trail Switchbacks](https://imgur.com/zwvDmy7.jpg)

Some very steep and tiny switchbacks. What are these? Switchbacks for ants?

### Awesome old water tank

![Old Steel Water tank...](https://imgur.com/Twshwn5.jpg)

Luci’s Trail winds by an interesting old steel drum of some kind. I assume it used to hold water maybe?