"It's dusk and the park is closed." That was how Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District staff answered a director's question at the board's October 7 meeting, and you can hear it on the district's posted meeting recording. The director had asked what a new "dusk to 7 a.m." line in the park ordinance would mean once it gets dark at 4:30 instead of 10 p.m.

For anyone in Camarillo Springs, the park in question is Camarillo Grove Park, the 24.5 acres at the end of Camarillo Springs Road near the base of the Conejo Grade. The rewrite of the district's park rules, called Ordinance No. 8, gets a final vote next month. It changes surprisingly little about how you walk, ride, or run a dog there. Most of what it does change is about time and speed: when the park counts as closed, and how fast a car can move once it's through the gate.

What the board actually approved

On October 7, the PVRPD board voted unanimously to approve the introduction and first reading of the amended and restated Ordinance No. 8. One director said she wasn't comfortable waiving further readings before Camarillo residents had a chance to weigh in. Staff clarified that only the full read-aloud was being waived. The ordinance comes back for a second reading at the November meeting, with a notice published in the paper first. Staff also said legal counsel found a public hearing unnecessary this time because the changes don't touch fines.

The draft lists board adoption on November 4, 2026, and says the ordinance takes effect 30 days after adoption. If the board adopts it on that date, the new rules would apply starting around December 4. The current version dates to fall 2023.

Dusk was already the park's hours. Now the ordinance says so

Camarillo Grove Park has long been posted as open each day from dawn to dusk. The district's General Use Policy says the same for all district parks and open space. The ordinance, though, only spoke to overnight parking, which it barred between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. without permission. That left a gap of several hours each winter evening when the posted sign said closed and the enforceable rule didn't.

The draft closes that gap by moving vehicle and parking hours to dusk through 7 a.m., which matches the regular operating hours. Staff were specific about what that means in practice. Nobody will be going around closing gates at sundown. The change gives rangers and staff the standing to tell someone after dark that they shouldn't be there.

The timing makes this matter more. Clocks fall back on Sunday, November 1, three days before the scheduled vote, and dusk moves into the late afternoon for the rest of the winter. An evening loop that fit in after work in September will run into the closing time by the time the new rule takes effect.

Five miles an hour, for cars as well as bikes

The other change you'll actually notice is speed. At the meeting, staff said park rangers had been noticing how much speeding, including by staff, was happening in district parks. The draft drops the in-park vehicle speed limit from 15 mph to 5 mph. That puts drivers at the limit cyclists have been under all along. The adopted 2023 ordinance already caps bicycles at 5 mph and already bans electric bikes that have no pedal assist.

Here is how the bike and vehicle rules line up across the two versions.

The October 7 board packet, which carries the full draft, defines a Class 3 e-bike as one that gives pedal assist above 28 mph. Cyclists have to yield to pedestrians and animals, which the draft defines as slowing down, communicating, and being ready to stop or move aside. Staff said the e-bike language is meant to line up with the City of Camarillo's own work on e-bikes.

The dog schedule stays as it is

The staff report's list of major changes doesn't include the dog rules. That means the arrangement that sets Camarillo Grove apart from other district parks isn't changing. The General Use Policy lists the park as off-leash Monday through Friday, with leashes required on Saturday and Sunday. The district's park page is more specific: on weekends, dogs can be off-leash only inside the enclosed dog park, and the trails are a leash-only exception every day of the week, weekdays included.

The enclosed dog park is open from 7 a.m. to dusk, so it runs on the same clock the new ordinance puts on parking. It has a double-gated entry, a separate small-dog area with artificial turf, shade, a doggy drinking fountain, and a leash holder. Under the district's dog park rules, dogs must be licensed and inoculated, puppies under five months and dogs in heat stay out, and food isn't allowed. For dog park conditions, the district's Turf Line at 805-947-5125 is updated weekdays at 1 p.m. and weekends at 7 a.m.

The trails don't change either. The lower loop is a gentle grade past oaks, sage and volcanic rock formations. The upper loop is a moderate hike of more than a mile with roughly 600 feet of elevation change, plus switchbacks, viewpoints and sitting areas. The Nature Center grounds next to them have an interpretive trail, an interactive water table, nature-based play areas, and native gardens with braille signs. Dogs aren't allowed inside the Nature Center. All of this sits on a former stagecoach stop that is home to the oldest tree in the district, and the land was deeded to PVRPD in 2002.

What the gate costs this fiscal year

Every vehicle entering the park needs a paid permit, and the revised ordinance keeps that requirement. The FY 2026–27 fee schedule, in effect since July 1, 2026, lists $3 per vehicle on weekdays, $5 on weekends, and $55 for an annual permit. At weekday rates, the annual permit pays for itself on the 19th visit. It's good for one year from the month you buy it, and you can get one at the district's administrative office on weekdays. The same schedule includes a $20 holiday daily permit. The district's parking page doesn't list it yet and doesn't say which days it covers, so it's worth asking the office before a holiday visit. Since the parking page's own notice from 2015, cars without a properly displayed permit can be cited.

The calendar from Halloween through the parade

1. Wednesday, October 28, 5:30 to 8 p.m.: Halloween in the Park at Community Center Park, 1605 E. Burnley St. It's free, with trick-or-treating, games, crafts, food trucks and a costume contest.
2. Sunday, November 1: Clocks fall back, and dusk closing comes much earlier.
3. Wednesday, November 4, 6 p.m.: The PVRPD board's regular meeting. The draft ordinance lists its board adoption for that date. October's meeting was held in the Council Chambers at Camarillo City Hall, 601 Carmen Dr.
4. Saturday, December 5, 5 to 8 p.m.: The Old Town Glow Holiday Walk along Ventura Boulevard, with treats from local businesses, a lighting contest, carolers and Santa. Tickets are sold through the Camarillo Merchant Association.
5. Saturday, December 12, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: The free 64th Camarillo Christmas Parade and Santa's Village. The route starts at Temple Avenue and Las Posas Road, runs down Las Posas and onto Carmen Drive, and ends at Community Center Park.

If the board adopts the ordinance on November 4, the dusk closing and the 5 mph limit would be in force by the parade weekend. This post is general information about a pending district ordinance, not legal advice. The adopted 2023 text and the district office are the places to confirm what applies to you.

At Malibu Mobile Homes, we keep track of details like these because they're part of daily life in Camarillo Springs, starting with the park at the end of the road. If you're thinking about what your home there is worth, ask us for a home value estimate and we'll walk you through it.