Bell Canyon, California

Bell Canyon is an unincorporated community in eastern Ventura County, California, United States. Bell Canyon is a gated community in the Simi Hills with the main access through the Los Angeles County communities of West Hills and the western San Fernando Valley. Bell Canyon sits at an elevation of 1368ft. The 2010 United States census reported Bell Canyon's population was 2,049. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Bell Canyon as a census-designated place (CDP). The census definition of the area may not precisely correspond to local understanding of the area with the same name. According to a 2016 study, Bell Canyon is the seventh wealthiest community in the state of California with an annual median income of $230,000 However, incomes in this area are commonly upwards of millions of dollars a year.HistoryPre-20th centuryChumash Native Americans lived in the canyon for around 8,000 years B.P. The Chumash had the village of Hu'wam here in the canyon on Bell Creek upstream from Escorpión Peak. It was multi-cultural, where Chumash, Tongva, and Tataviam peoples lived and traded together. Nearby is the Burro Flats Painted Cave. Escorpión Peak (aka: Castle Peak) is one of nine alignment points in Chumash territory and is considered essential to maintaining the balance of the natural world.