The heat is here and seasonal water sources are drying up. It’s the time of year to explore the higher elevation spots of the Forest. The marine layer clearing and occasional thunderstorms can make for great cloud displays in the Los Padres Highcountry….

Hello Friends,

The big news across the Forest right now is that Stage 1 Fire Restrictions went into effect last week. That means no more backcountry campfires, but stoves are still OK with a fire permit. Campfires are still allowed in Designated Campfire Use Sites (ie car campgrounds) across the forest. You can read the full order and see a list of designated sites here. 

Campfires are great, but so is enjoying the starry sky, warm nights, and avoiding any accidental wildfires. Let’s all do our part to have a safe and uneventful fire season!

LPFA Volunteers and Trail Crew have been busy wrapping up the spring trail maintenance season. We’ve been out on Pothole Trail, Piedra Blanca Trail, Santa Barbara Canyon, Tinta Trail and the Santa Barbara Frontcountry. Read on to the Trail Update to learn how the trails are looking!

LPFA

Lots of crosscutting opportunities on the Pine Mountain Lodge Working Vacation. And as always, some trees are easier than others. But one mantra holds true for all of them….TEAMWORK makes them disappear a lot faster!

• LPFA wrapped a 10-day Volunteer Working Vacation on the Gene Marshall-Piedra Blanca Trail last weekend. Volunteers camped at Pine Mountain Lodge Camp and worked the trail toward Haddock Camp. By the end of the trip, we worked 3.3 miles of trail, including brushing, restoring tread and slide sections, defining the route through creek crossings, and cutting out 13 downed logs blocking the trail. This project was funded by our 2025 GivingTuesday Ventura County Condor Trail Fundraiser. Thank you to those who donated and to the volunteers who made the work happen! And thank you to Los Padres Outfitters for packing in supplies and Topa Topa Brewing for supplying cold drinks for volunteers! The trail from Piedra Blanca Trailhead to 1 mile past 3 Mile Camp is in the best shape we’ve seen. You can read more about LPFA’s Piedra Blanca Trail Restoration Initiative here. 
• In May, LPFA volunteers performed trail maintenance on the Santa Barbara Canyon Trail to open up access in the first 2 miles from the trailhead. This trail provides access to the Dick Smith Wilderness from the Cuyama Valley and has been a focus of LPFA’s in the past 2 years. We completed a reroute of the Heartbreak Hill section of this trail in 2025 and have plans to host more projects this fall to touch up the reroute and continue work up past Madulce Camp to Madulce Saddle. 
• LPFA volunteers partnered with the Santa Paula Canyon Crew to cover graffiti and remove trash from Santa Paula Canyon in May. Volunteers focused on the worst of the graffiti around the lower waterfall, but there is still a lot to do out there! We’ll be back in July. Thanks to donations to the Santa Paula Canyon Cleanup Fund, we’ve been able to host several cleanups in the canyon this year. Let’s keep the cleanups coming!

Some before and after comparisons on the Piedra Blanca Trail. Clearing trail is hard work! But the results are always worth it….

• LPFA’s Trail Crew, supported by the Montecito Trails Foundation, brushed open the upper San Ysidro Trail, upper Romero Trail, West Fork Cold Spring Trail and the Cold Springs Ridge Trail Loop. These classic Santa Barbara Frontcountry trails are in GREAT shape right now!
• The Trail Crew has also been busy across the backcountry. In the past 6 weeks they have:
  • Completed work on the Pothole Trail Reroute that officially opened on May 17th – If you’re looking for a trail in mint condition with possible Condor sightings, this is your trail…
  • Brushed the Tinta Trail from the lower trailhead, which is now brushed open from the lower 2 miles – the top still needs work, and we’ll be continuing work in the fall once the weather cools down.
  • Completed 3 total miles of brushing on Davy Brown, Sunset Valley and Munch Canyon Trails in the Figueroa Mountain Area – the area is still recovering from the 2024 Lake Fire, but the trails are open!

LPFA’s Trail Crew on the Tinta Trail. Brush free for the lower two miles! Photos AndrewJ