Originally part of Ahmanson Ranch , this area was sold by Seattle-based Washington Mutual to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy in late 2003 after lengthy issues concerning development in the chaparral shrub forest and oak savanna understory and overstory Plant communities . It was previously called '' ' Ahmanson Ranch Park ' '' . It sustained severe damage during the Woolsey Fire of 2018 . For thousands of years the Chumash Native American tribe lived in the current Preserve 's area . The Chumash had , prior to European involvement , at least one village on the land , Huwam , a multi-cultural village where Chumash , Tongva , and Tataviam peoples lived . On Bell Creek beside Escorpión Peak ( Castle Peak ) a large rocky mountain on the property of El Escorpion Park , is the reported site of this village . The peak is one of nine alignment points in Chumash territory and is essential to maintaining the balance of the natural world . A cave known as '' The Cave of Munits '' exists just inside the property . This is the believed cave of a mythical Chumash shaman who was killed after murdering the son of a Chumash chief . This cave also appeared in the films '' The Canyon of Missing Men '' ( 1930 ) and '' Tarzan and the Golden Lion '' ( 1927 )
Woolsey Fire
Woolsey Fire
Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve