A woman was airlifted to a hospital after being bitten by a rattlesnake on Thursday while hiking the Long Canyon Trail in Simi Valley, Ventura County. The incident marks the seventh reported rattlesnake bite in the county since mid-March, officials said.
The woman, whose identity has not been released, was hiking in the Wood Ranch neighborhood when she was bitten on the ankle at approximately 2:40 p.m. Ventura County Fire Department paramedics responded to the scene, both on the ground and via helicopter, to transport her to Los Robles Regional Medical Center. She was in stable condition with minor injuries, according to Andrew Dowd, a department spokesperson.
The latest incident comes amid a surge in rattlesnake activity across central and southern California, with reports of bites increasing since March—earlier than the typical season, which runs from April through October. Unseasonably warm weather has prompted snakes to leave their winter retreats in search of food and mates, officials said.
In 2025, Ventura County reported a total of nine rattlesnake bites. This year, the county has already seen seven incidents in about six weeks, Dowd said. The increase in activity has led to three snake-related fatalities in the region between March and April, including one in Ventura and another in Thousand Oaks.
Officials have urged residents and visitors to remain vigilant while hiking and to call 911 immediately if bitten. The Ventura County Fire Department emphasized that while the total number of bites remains relatively low, each incident is a serious emergency.