Most of the high elevation LP got snow last week, some places more than others. A light dusting near San Rafael Mountain…. photo, JasonnB
Hello Friends,
We’re calling it — spring has SPRUNG! And LPFA has tons of projects coming up across the forest. It’s been a busy few weeks dodging rain but we were fortunately still able to continue work on most of our trail projects, including work on Pothole, North Cold Spring, Wheeler Gorge, Tunnel and a number of trails across the SB Frontcountry. We’re looking forward to the upcoming spring weather and hope you can join us on some of our upcoming projects. Read on for volunteer opportunities and lots of news happening across the Los Padres….
LPFA
And in the lower elevations? Water, water everywhere…. photos, AddisonJ
- Saturday, Feb 28 – LPFA will be continuing work on the Wheeler Gorge Nature Trail! We’re working on some much needed erosion control near the trailhead. Meet at the trailhead at 8:30am Saturday morning. Learn more and sign up here!
- Saturday, Feb 28 – Alan Coles will be leading another project on the Pothole Trail! We’ll be brushing, building tread, and enjoying views of condors soaring overhead. Don’t forget to look up! We’ll meet at 8am at Temescal Station near Lake Piru. Check out the details and sign up here.
- Saturday, Mar 7 – LPFA and the Santa Paula Canyon Crew are hosting a cleanup of Santa Paula Canyon! Join us in keeping this beautiful canyon trash and graffiti free. We’ll be meeting at Steckel Park at 8am Saturday morning, and hiking about 6 miles round trip to the Punchbowl and back. It’s a great time of year to enjoy the canyon, come on out! Get the details and sign up here.
From left: volunteers return from a day building the Pothole Trail Reroute, photo AlanC; thank you to those who joined us on San Ysidro Trail earlier this month!; the LPFA Trail Crew cutting a corner the right way on the Pothole Trail Reroute, photo AndrewJ
- Saturday, Mar 14 & 21 – LPFA will be spending TWO DAYS brushing the Potrero John Trail off of Hwy 33 above Rose Valley! We try not to pick favorites, but this canyon makes that difficult. Jagged rock formations, a perennial creek, bigcone douglas-fir and views up toward Haddock Peak make for an incredibly scenic day of trail workin’. Get more info and sign up here!
- April 11 – 19, 2026 – Join LPFA on our spring Working Vacation on the Piedra Blanca Trail! We’ll be spending 10 days at Pine Mountain Lodge Camp working the trail between there and Haddock Camp. There’s lots to do! And it’s a great place to be in spring. If you can’t make the whole trip, that’s OK! Sign up here and we’ll work out the details closer to the project.
Perks of working the Pothole Trail Reroute include daily Condor flyovers…. photo, LPFATrailCrew
- The public comment period for an amendment establishing interim direction for Oil & Gas Leasing Management in the Los Padres ends on February 26th. You can view the amendment on the Forest Service website and submit a comment here.
- The Los Padres is currently over 125% of annual rainfall and trending to make it over 150% by the end of the season. We’re still well away from the wettest year ever, but it’s great to see so much water across the forest, and the rest of the state.
- The Los Padres National Forest is hiring temporary Forestry Technician staff on all 5 districts. If you’re considering a career in the Forest Service, these are excellent entry-level positions.
- The Los Padres National Forest is soliciting public input as it develops its California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation grant applications. There is a public comment virtual meeting on Thursday, February 26th from 5 – 7pm.
- Thank you to those who supported LPFA’s Super Bowl Square Fundraiser for HikeLosPadres! We’re looking forward to getting started on some much needed updates to this LP website.
- Congratulations to the Ventana Wilderness Alliance for restoring the Marble Peak Trail! It’s great to see restored access deep within the Los Padres. Make sure to add this trail to your next LP adventure….
- California State Parks and the California Natural Resources Agency have launched a statewide California Trails Survey to guide the next update of the California Recreational Trails Plan, last updated in 2011. This plan directly influences trail funding and priorities in Santa Barbara County and across California. Fill out the survey!
- In case you missed it, the Wheeler Gorge Campground has reopened with two new bridges to restore passage for aquatic organisms on 13 miles of creeks in Ventura County!
- Highway 1 through Big Sur has once again reopened following a brief closure during the rain the last two weeks. Thru-access from San Simeon to Monterey, including all those scenic Los Padres trailheads, is back open for business.
The LPFA Trail Crew is beginning restoration in the Gifford Fire burn scar this week. This will be the Crew’s 6th BAER project on the LPNF.