HikeLosPadres, Volunteering & Forest 411

Posted on by Addison Jerlow

Hello Friends,

Lots has happened in the Los Padres over the past month, and we have a ton of GOOD NEWS to share! We have updates on several no-longer-closed roads, Wheeler Gorge Campground, and exciting upcoming projects. But first, it’s Super Bowl Season, and LPFA is hosting a Super Bowl Square Fundraiser for the beloved HikeLosPadres.com.

How does it work? Choose a square on the board and donate $20 for a chance to win one of four Los Padres-themed prize packages. Follow this link to learn more and join the game. How does it affect the Los Padres? All proceeds raised will go directly toward a much needed revamp of HikeLosPadres. If you’ve used this site before, you know it has an extraordinary amount of valuable data on water availability, camp and trail conditions, and intel on planning your next LP adventure. This revamp will update the user experience, trail map feature, and gps & layering data that have become a bit clunky since it was first launched in 2013. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for HLP 2.0. Help us turn this dream to reality!

Team LPFA & HLP

Some rare and coveted LP-themed items are up for grabs in these prize packages. Join the fundraiser for a chance to win!

SAN YSIDRO TRAIL

VOLUNTEER DAY 

SUNDAY, FEB 8

LPFA is teaming up with the Backpacking Barista’s and the Montecito Trails Foundation for a Super Bowl Sunday project on the San Ysidro Trail! Join us on Sunday, February 8th from 8am – 12pm. LPFA hosts a Super Bowl project each year, with the goal of getting you out on the trail in the morning and returning in time to still make that Super Bowl party. And this year’s project will be the superest one yet: all volunteers will get to enjoy quality craft coffee on trail, courtesy of the Backpacking Baristas. We’ll also be giving away a few squares for our HLP Super Bowl Fundraiser to those who join…. Don’t miss this one folks. Sign on up and join the party!

SUPER – SAN YSIDRO SUNDAY SIGNUP!

AND WHILE WE HAVE YOU….

Agua Blanca Trail Maintenance, Jan 24

Alan Coles will be leading frequent projects on the Agua Blanca Trail starting Saturday, January 24th! This trail near Lake Piru features one of the most scenic creeks the Los Padres has to offer. It’s a great place to be this time of year, and an even better place to work some trail. If you’re interested in joining, email VOLUNTEER@LPForest.org. If you can’t make the 24th, but are interested in more projects on Agua Blanca this spring, sign up below!

Agua Blanca, PLEASE!

Wheeler Gorge Nature Trail, Jan 31

Join LPFA at the Wheeler Gorge Nature Trail on Saturday, January 31st from 8am to 2:30pm. This lovely local (to the Ojai-area) trail gives first time and returning hikers a nice slice of Los Padres. It’s right on Matilija Creek, shaded by oaks and sycamores, and like many LP trails, could use a little TLC. We’ll be fixing a few steps and filling ruts from the recent storms and we need some help! Sign up below….

WHEELER FOR THE WIN!

The Pothole Trail Reroute is coming along nicely…. More volunteer projects soon!

  • Highway 1 through the Big Sur Coast has reopened after 3 years of closure following the January 2023 storms. HURRAH! It is great to see access restored to this iconic stretch of the Los Padres. If you’re planning a trip there sometime soon, make sure to stop by and say “Hi” to LPFA at Big Sur Station on your way….
  • A community meeting for the Plaskett Ridge Road Designated Dispersed Camping System Pilot Project will be held at the Pacific Valley School in Big Sur this Thursday, January 22nd from 4 – 6pm.  The intent of this pilot project is to address impacts associated with visitor use along Plaskett Ridge Road while maintaining dispersed camping opportunities in a semi-primitive motorized setting. Attend if you’re interested in joining the conversation! 
  • After being closed for 3 weeks due to damage and debris flow from the storms around New Years, Figueroa Mountain Road and Sunset Valley Road have been cleared and reopened to the public. Get on out there! The Manzana is calling….
  • Matilija Road, which has been closed to the public since January 2023, is now expected to be closed at least until the end of 2026. Ventura County is working on a permanent solution to the failing road.
  • The Wheeler Gorge Campground has REOPENED! Over the past 6 months, LPNF staff worked with South Coast Habitat Restoration to remove four Arizona crossings in the campground and replace them with two clear span bridges to provide access to 13.3 miles of stream habitat (Cannon, NF Matilija and Bear Creeks) to migrating aquatic biota. Bear and Cannon Creeks in particular, are prime spawning grounds for Southern CA steelhead.

Los Padres – It’s New Years!

Posted on by Bryan Conant

The LPFA works hard to ensure that trails like the Lost Valley Trail don’t actually become lost or cause people to get lost….

What’s your favorite trail? 

Where do you like to go most in the Los Padres? 

Have you been there lately? If not, how come? If so, how’s it doing?

Hello Friends – HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The Los Padres Forest is enormous. There are endless new spots to explore, yet we also want to keep visiting all the familiar places we love over and oveer again. The Los Padres is a bit overwhelming, there just never seems to be enough time to check out all the names that grace the maps and it’s even harder to stay on top of all the trail maintenance needs. One year a trail is in excellent condition, the next year it is not. It’s never ending. There are so many challenges involved with caring for the Los Padres. This is what forest stewardship is all about, it’s committing to the long-term care of the forest.

It’s our collective responsibility, all of us, to be stewards of the Los Padres. We’re up! It’s our time right now, just as it was for the people who cared for the forest before us and as it will be for the next generation to come. It’s on us, all of us, to do the best we can to leave the forest better than we found it. Each visit you take into the forest, leave it better than you found it. Each month, each year, each decade – let’s leave the forest better than we found it. Can we collectively do that? 100% of course we can, let’s pledge together to make sure that happens. 

Of course, ‘better’ is subjective. We all might have different ideas about what’s better for the forest. It’s a big topic and one that we at the LPFA think about and consider daily. 

That being said, what parts of the forest are struggling in your opinion? Is there a trail, campground or road that’s not up to snuff? Do you have concerns over larger forest issues? 

Below is a suggestion box of sorts where you can vent or share ideas about forest concerns or recommendations. No concern is too small and no suggestion too big. Please share your views either anonymously or with a name attached. 

Unfortunately, there aren’t any forest genies that we’re aware of who have the power to grant three forest wishes. We can’t make any promises that your suggestions will happen but it doesn’t hurt to share your opinions and we’ll see what happens from there. 

Remember, we’re all forest stewards and we’ve pledged to leave the forest better than we found it. 

Multiple Generations of Forest Stewards

LPFA Suggestion Box

Some of our amazing trail volunteers doing what they do best by helping keep the trails passable! These pine trees fell across the Boulder Canyon Trail due to natural causes, most likely age and wind. If these trees aren’t cleared from the trail corridor then trail users need to find other ways to get around the trees. This usually results in user-created trails that can be damaging to the environment and either not safe or not very much fun to hike or ride. It’s essential to keep the trails open.

Lake Fire Trail Work

Thanks to multiple grants and many private donations, the LPFA Trail Crew & volunteers restored over 11 miles of trail damaged by the 2024 Lake Fire. This includes fan favorites like Davy Brown. 

SB Cyn Reroute

We finally completed a decades old dream of rerouting the dreaded Heartbreak Hill section of the Santa Barbara Cyn Trail. Thanks to the MPRD, Zaca Fire restoration funding and all the volunteers who helped. 

San Ysidro Trail

The Trail Crew spent much of the summer helping Montecito Trails Foundation reopen the San Ysidro Trail, which had been closed since 2023 due to storm damage. This was a feather in our cap for sure. 

Condor Trail

2025 was a big year for the CT. Not only were we able to maintain many miles of the CT but we also got to see Addison set the Condor Trail FKT. If you haven’t seen the talk, check it out here! 

Wheeler Gorge

Another great year at the Wheeler Gorge Visitor Center highlighted by our annual Open House and of course the resurrection of the U.S.A.’s Smallest Post Office. Come visit us sometime soon! 

Alder Creek – Sespe

It took a couple years but we were able to complete trail restoration from Dough Flat to Sespe Saddle along the Alder Creek Trail. Thanks to everyone who contributed including SCE and the LPNF. 

Big Sur Station

Once again, thanks to the guidance of Tim, Big Sur Station was open 360+ days in 2025 helping to provide information for forest and coastal visitors. We also reprinted our excellent Big Sur Visitors Map.  

Graffiti & Cleanups

Unfortunately, 2025 was a banner year for forest cleanups and graffiti removal. Wish that wasn’t the case but we continued cleanups across the forest including at Lizards Mouth and Santa Paula Canyon. 

Some 2025 Numbers to be Proud of:

  • 10,226 hours contributed by LPFA volunteers. 
  • 718 volunteers helped. 
  • 284 days where the LPFA hosted boots-on-the-ground field work within the LPNF. 
  • 1,172 person days the LPFA Trail Crew (thank you Jason, Andrew, Tom, Tristan, Mike, Shane, Peter, Daniel, Soren & Taj) spent working in the LPNF. 
  • Over 60 miles of trails maintained and restored. 
  • Over 26,000 total hours contributed in support of the Los Padres National Forest. 

Trail Work Completed on the Following Trails

Agua Blanca, Alder Creek, Aliso, Apache Canyon, Arroyo Quemado, Blue Canyon, Blue Canyon Connector, Boulder Canyon, Chorro Grande, Cold Spring, Cozy Dell, Davy Brown, Deal Canyon, Gene Marshall – Piedra Blanca, Horn Canyon, Howard Creek, La Jolla, Lion Canyon, Lizards Mouth, Manzana, Matilija, Mission Pine, Munch Canyon, Munch Connector, Pothole, Raspberry Spring, Rattlesnake, Reyes Peak, Romero Canyon, Rose-Lion Connector, San Ysidro, Santa Barbara Canyon, Sunset Valley, Sweetwater, Tunnel, Tunnel Connector, West Fork Cold Spring, White Rock, Willow Springs, Willow Spur 

2025 has been a great year for the LPFA and we really appreciate all the help from our volunteers, Forest Service staff and the companies and organizations who help support our efforts through grants and donations. They say it takes a village and we are so blessed to have such a great group of friends within our village. Pretty cheesy, we know, but it’s true. 

2026 should be even better with forest support projects scheduled up & down and side to side across the Los Padres Forest. We hope you can join us in the forest in 2026 and of course any donations are greatly appreciated as well! 

Thank You!

Most of the Los Padres will be over our annual average rainfall totals by the end of this upcoming series of storms! We still have 3+ months of potential rain ahead of us too! We’re witnessing an amazing winter, potentially one for the record books. Hopefully there are enough breaks in between storms to allow for views like this one of Madulce Peak in the Dick Smith Wilderness. Stay safe out there friends and have a Happy New Year!

‘Tis the Season for Los Padres Calendars!

Posted on by Addison Jerlow

IT’S LOS PADRES CALENDAR SEASON!

The 2026 Los Padres calendars have arrived and are selling fast. Make sure to get yours before they’re gone! They feature stunning photos from across the forest and are sure to keep your Los Padres stoke-levels high all year long. And the best part is, 100% of proceeds support trail maintenance in the Los Padres Forest. Make sure to pick one up (or more!) for yourself and your friends. They’re a great stocking stuffer for the LP-lovers in your life. You can order them online, stop by your local Oxnard or San Luis Obispo REI, or join LPFA this Saturday, December 20th from 12 – 2pm at the Ventura Patagonia! We’ll be out front selling calendars, sharing hot chocolate, wrapping gifts and talking trails….

I’ll Take a Calendar!
  • Saturday, December 20th – Join us from 8:30am – 2:30pm on the Wheeler Gorge Nature Trail! We’ll meet at the trailhead. This is a great trail close to Ojai and in need of some love. We’ll be doing a variety of maintenance, from brushing to clearing drains to building steps. Email VOLUNTEER@LPForest.org to sign up!
  • Sunday, December 28th – LPFA will be working the Howard Creek Trail! Join us from 8:00am – 2:30pm for a fun day of brushing this great multi-use trail a little ways up the 33 from Ojai. We’ll meet at the Cozy Dell Trailhead and carpool up to Howard Creek. Email VOLUNTEER@LPForest.org to sign up!
  • January 17 – 24th – LPFA will be leading a backcountry project on the Piedra Blanca Trail based out of Piedra Blanca Camp! This is an incredible trail outside of Ojai in the Rose Valley area. Volunteers are welcome to join for as long as they can. The goal of this week is to make the trail stock-passable to Pine Mountain Lodge in preparation for our spring Working Vacation! Details are still taking shape for this one, but sign on up and we’ll work them out in a few weeks!
  • The remainder of seasonal gates shut for the winter on December 15th. These include Pine Mountain Road, Dough Flat Road and Cherry Creek Road on the Ojai Ranger District. While there is no vehicle access, it can be a great time to explore these areas on foot or bike and likely have them all to yourself….

All smiles last week on the Pothole Trail Reroute Working Vacation. THANK YOU LPFA Trail Volunteers! New trail coming your way soon….

LPFA: For the Trails!

Posted on by Addison Jerlow

Hi Friends, 

We hope everyone enjoyed a few days off last week, and found the time to get out and explore the forest. Some pristine November days were to be had out there, especially in the Sespe Wilderness. As I’m sure you’re aware by now from the dozens of emails filling your inbox, today is GivingTuesday, a big day for fundraising in the non-profit community. And at LPFA, a HUGE day to support the trails in the Los Padres Forest.

This year, our goal is to raise $15,000 for maintenance and repair of the Condor Trail in Ventura County. We’re halfway there. But we need your help to make it happen. What will this fund exactly? It will fund a full 10-day backcountry Working Vacation on the upper reaches of the Piedra Blanca Trail. An overgrown, washed out, and downed tree-covered trail in need of the LPFA trail maintenance special. It will also fund several smaller volunteer projects above and below this section of trail, to ensure we can gain access to the sections most in need of work. By the end of 2026, you’ll be able to get from Piedra Blanca Trailhead to the top of Pine Mountain without crawling, ducking, or pack-hoisting, but we need support to make that happen!

We say Condor Trail, not Piedra Blanca Trail, because this project is part of a larger mission: to restore the trails of this essential Los Padres route from Lake Piru to Highway 33. This isn’t a one off project, but a multi-year initiative, and we’re in the home stretch. Since 2022, LPFA has maintained the Pothole Trail, Agua Blanca Trail, Alder Creek Trail, Sespe River Trail, Piedra Blanca Trail, Reyes Peak Trail and Boulder Canyon Trail. Over 30 miles of trail restored to standard. 30 miles of trail open and accessible for the public to enjoy. 30 miles of trail free of brush, downed trees and poison oak, and waiting for your footsteps.

This GivingTuesday, please consider supporting the trails that support you. With a gift to LPFA, you will ensure these trails stay maintained, open and accessible for the public to enjoy.

For the trails, 

LPFA 

Support the Trails!

Los Padres Fire Restrictions Lifted!

Posted on by Addison Jerlow

Doesn’t get much better than a warm campfire with friends on a cold night in the Los Padres….

Hello Friends,

We bring good news for backcountry travelers: Fire Restrictions have been lifted across the Los Padres Forest. Thanks to the storms last week, backcountry season has arrived earlier than usual this year and campfires are now allowed. Just in time for dropping nighttime temperatures and the long, cold, and star-filled nights that accompany this time of year ~ Hurrah!

Make sure to do your research before planning trips and look out for any superseding orders that disallow campfires (ie the Santa Barbara Frontcountry and West Cuesta Ridge). And please remember to be fire-safe and grab a free campfire permit to keep on you while out in the forest. With all this rain, the forest is looking more like early spring than November right now. Backcountry season is NOW!

LPFA

LPFA volunteer trail crews keep our trails open and ready to enjoy! On the Alder Creek Trail, part of the Ventura County Condor Trail. Photo, Brandy L.

We’re here for the trails. The veins of the Los Padres that transport us from our daily life back to the places that feed our being. Places where life is stiller, clearer and breathtaking. Sespe Creek, Pine Mountain, Alder Creek. Places where water flows, birds sing, and trees older than us stand tall and proud. We need the trails. And they need us. They need care, footsteps, and support. 

At LPFA, we know that trails don’t maintain themselves. We’ve seen too many disappear from lack of vital funding to maintain them. We’ve spent too much time crawling in the brush, following a bear path we thought was the trail, fighting through wild rose, whitethorn ceanothus and poison oak, only to find the next section of trail in worse shape than the last. We’re here to ensure our trails stay open and accessible for all to enjoy. To ensure our trails provide more Type 1 fun, than Type 2 or 3. To ensure these veins of the backcountry keep pumping and providing the pathways for us to return to the forest, time and time again. 

This GivingTuesday, show your support for the trails that support you.

For the Trails!

Is in November or February? Here’s to the trails that take us home….

LPFA x Piedra Blanca Trail

Posted on by Addison Jerlow

Nothing quite like a sun-soaked view down the Piedra Blanca Trail.  photo, Jeri H.

LPFA x Piedra Blanca Trail

Does a trail get much more inviting than this? Piedra Blanca magic. photo, Jeri H.

A major goal for LPFA in 2026 will be continuing work on the Gene Marshall-Piedra Blanca Trail. This trail is not only part of the Condor Trail, but is one of only two National Recreation Trails (NRT) in the Los Padres Forest and sits high on the short list of the most iconic LP trails. NRTs are designated at the federal level and must demonstrate that they represent their region, support a diverse community, and are one of the best trails in the country. 

You’d be hard pressed to find a trail more representative of the Los Padres than the Piedra Blanca Trail. In just over 16 miles, it passes through a Wild & Scenic River, otherworldly rock formations, rich chaparral diversity, towering mixed conifer forest, and unobstructed panoramic views. But, this trail needs some serious work. The middle section is thick with brush, bramble, and downed trees, as well as several slides and washouts with consequential falls. We’ve been chipping away at the brush over the past few years, and now it’s time to finish the job. With your support this GivingTuesday, LPFA will get this nationally-recognized gem of an LP trail back into hiking shape!

Support the Piedra Blanca Trail!

And While We Have You….

The time to order your 2026 Los Padres Calendar is NOW! Each year, LPFA puts together a calendar featuring all the sights, seasons, and stunning diversity of the Los Padres Forest. It’s a great way to experience the beauty of the Los Padres every single day. And even better, all proceeds from calendar sales go directly toward trail maintenance in the Los Padres Forest. So next time you’re hiking a well-groomed trail, thank yourself for picking that Los Padres calendar for only $20…..

Calendar, PLEASE!

In case you missed it, a recording of LPFA’s Condor Trail Talk is now on the LPFA YouTube page! What a great night this was. Thank you to all our donors and supporters who made it happen. So good to see so many folks come out in support of the Condor Trail. This talk features an hour long, photo-filled slideshow of Addison Jerlow’s FKT thru-hike of the trail in March 2025, followed by a Q&A with Addison and the author of the Condor Trail Guidebook, Brian Sarvis.

To the Condor Trail!

LPFA’s fall Working Vacation is right around the corner! Join us December 5 – 14th for a car camping Working Vacation on the Pothole Trail near Lake Piru. This project has been in the works for some time now, and we are absolutely thrilled to be breaking ground on a reroute of the lower Pothole Trail! Come out and help make it happen. Haven’t volunteered before? No problem! We’ll train you on the job. There’s nothing better than workin’ trail all day, then sitting back while LPFA provides some cold drinks and dinner for you and all the new friends you made on the way.

To the Pothole Trail!

Lots of water flowing in the forest. And it’s only November….

LPFA Working Vacation, GivingTuesday & Seasonal Gates

Posted on by Addison Jerlow

The Santa Ynez River flowing strong again over the Sage Hill Crossing. photo, Chris O.

Hi Friends,

The Los Padres got a good and early soaking over the last 5 days. So early, in fact, it set the record for the most rainfall the Santa Barbara area has seen in November in recorded history. This storm seemed to focus heavily along the Santa Ynez Range, with rainfall totals in the mountains averaging about 11 inches, and San Marcos Pass (the lightning rod of LP rain accumulation) coming in just below 15 inches. Nordhoff Ridge saw over 10 inches, Cone Peak as well, and much of the backcountry and San Luis County LP got at least 5 inches. All in all a healthy and welcomed start to the season.

As tough as it is to do after a few days stuck inside, the best thing for the health of trails is to give them time to dry after significant rainfall. If your foot sinks down, turn around…. or something like that. With all that precip, we’re likely to see a few issues along the trails over the coming days. When you’re hiking around — after the trails dry out — let us know at INFO@LPForest.org if you come across any downed trees or trail damage and we’ll get out there to fix it up as soon as we can!

LPFA

For GivingTuesday this year, LPFA has our sights set on an epic network of trails through the Sespe Wilderness. We are raising funds to maintain the Ventura County section of the Condor Trail! The CT route through the Ventura backcountry begins at the Pothole Trailhead near Lake Piru, travels through the heart of the Sespe Wilderness, and heads up and over Pine Mountain to Ozena Station on Highway 33. Trails included in this project are: Pothole Trail, Agua Blanca Trail, Bucksnort Trail, Alder Creek Trail, Sespe River Trail, Piedra Blanca Trail, Reyes Peak Trail and Boulder Canyon Trail.

Got a favorite? Our goal is to maintain as many of the most overgrown, washed out and downed tree-covered sections of this route as we can in the next two years. If you use any of these trails, please consider donating to the LPFA 2025 GivingTuesday campaign, and share this fundraiser with your friends and family. Donations like yours are what keep us out in the forest, working hard, and ensuring these trails remain safe and open for all to enjoy.

Donate to the VC Condor Trail!!!

LPFA has spent a ton of time on the Ventura County Condor Trail the past two years, completing nearly 30 miles of trail maintenance to standard. Help us keep this project going strong! From left: Piedra Blanca Trail, Reyes Peak Trail, Alder Creek Trail with volunteers putting in the good work.

From up on the Pothole Trail….

POTHOLE WORKING VACATION, DEC 5 – 14

The fall LPFA Working Vacation will be from December 5 – 14th on the Pothole Trail! This is a project years in the making and a bit different from our typical Working Vacations. LPFA will be car camping and BUILDING NEW TRAIL by way of a reroute of the first 1.5 miles of the Pothole Trail! If you haven’t joined a Working Vacation in the past, they are an absolute blast. LPFA provides the food, drinks and tools and volunteers come out to work the trail, share some laughs, and have an all around great time.

If you couldn’t tell already, we are absolutely stoked to break ground on this project. Sign on up and let’s get out there!

Take me to the Pothole Trail!

SEASONAL GATES SWING SHUT

With the first major storm system of the year, many gates in the forest have closed for the season. Some gates are opened/closed on established dates (Grade Valley, Pine Mountain), others are opened/closed around weather events – open during dry times and closed when rain is forecast (West Camino Cielo, First Crossing). At this point, all dirt roads in the forest are likely closed for the season. But, we recommend doing your homework ahead of time. Here are a few resources:

Resources

  • The Forest Service has a page dedicated to road and campground closures. It may not be exactly up to date, especially following the shutdown, so give the Ranger Stations a call to confirm. Their phone numbers are also listed on the page.
  • HikeLosPadres.com has a page with status and location of the gates that often provide (or deny) the most access. If you have any updates or would like to see gates added, let us know INFO@LPForest.org.

Seasonal Gates

  • Grade Valley Rd
  • Santa Barbara Canyon Rd
  • Frazier Mountain Rd 
  • Rancho Nuevo Rd
  • Dough Flat Rd
  • Lockwood Creek Rd
  • Scott Russell Rd
  • San Emigdio Rd

Temporary Closures

  • First Crossing
  • West Camino Cielo (at Winchester Canyon)
  • Sage Hill Crossing
  • Sierra Madre Rd

The Santa Barbara high country after the storm. No snow accumulation, but lots of early season green….

LPFA Trail Update & Fall Projects

Posted on by Addison Jerlow

Looking for fall colors? The Sespe Wilderness has some of the best the LP has to offer. Photo, Liam Searson

Hello Friends,

We hope you’ve found some time to get out into the forest and enjoy the changing colors and cooling temperatures – FALL IS IN THE AIR! Not to jinx it, but it seems like backcountry season has come early this year. It’s a great time to be in the Los Padres! LPFA’s professional and volunteer Trail Crews have been busy getting the LP trails into shape for the season. Read on to check out what we’ve been up to and what else is to come….

LPFA

  • LPFA’s professional Trail Crew spent a good amount of the summer months rebuilding and even rerouting portions of the San Ysidro Trail. This awesome feat was due to invaluable funding and support from the Montecito Trails Foundation. San Ysidro had been closed since January 2023 but is now open once again. Go check it out!
  • The Trail Crew then spent more than a month working on the Blue Canyon Trail on the other side of the Santa Ynez Mountains. It’s looking a lot better now, and we’re planning to get out there again soon to finish the job….
  • LPFA trail volunteers worked across the forest on two National Public Lands Day projects on the Buena Vista Trail and Reyes Peak Trail. These two very different trails have one thing in common, they are in pristine condition thanks to volunteer trail maintenance!
  • LPFA led the Dunn School on a graffiti removal and trash cleanup project at Lizard’s Mouth that removed 15 bags of trash and cleaned up 8 large graffiti projects in the area. These projects are funded by our SB Frontcountry Graffiti Removal Fund. Help us out and please consider donating in order to keep the anti-graffiti charge happening!
  • LPFA also partnered with the Santa Paula Canyon Crew to clean up trash and graffiti across the length of Santa Paula Canyon. We have a special fund to support cleanups in this over-loved canyon, donate to keep this important work coming!

Work by Forest Service partner groups like the LPFA is the main thing keeping the Los Padres trails passable for those who enjoy them. And as an LP enthusiast, you’ve seen just how bad these trails get without proper maintenance. Thank you for the support as we work to keep these trails open for all to enjoy!

Support the Trails!

Island Views abound up on the Mission Pine Trail. Photo, Steve C.

Reyes Peak Trail: Nov 14 – 16

Join LPFA for a long weekend on the Reyes Peak Trail, November 14 – 16th! We will be continuing work from Haddock Peak to Haddock Camp and hopefully knocking out the last 1.5 miles of this iconic LP trail. For this overnight trip, we’ll be backcountry camping up on Haddock Peak where we’ll enjoy some of the best views the LP has to offer. Project locations don’t get much better than this! Sign on up to join the party.

Reyes Peak Signup!

Mission Pine Trail: Nov 21 – 23

LPFA will be car camping for a long weekend at McKinley Saddle at the edge of the San Rafael Wilderness! Join us November 21 – 23rd for an epic weekend in the LP high country on the Mission Pine Trail. We’ll be brushing the trail toward Mission Pine Spring Camp and enjoying crisp fall views of the Santa Barbara backcountry. 4WD vehicles are required, but we’ll do our best to carpool up for those without one who want the join. Don’t miss out on this opportunity!

Mission Pine Signup!

Ain’t that a beautiful trail corridor? From the LPFA Trail Crew in upper Blue Canyon

LPFA Used Gear Sale is Sunday!

Posted on by Addison Jerlow

 LPFA Used Gear Sale: THIS SUNDAY! 

Hi Friends, 

In case you missed it, the 9th Annual LPFA Used Gear Sale will be this Sunday, October 19th, from 10am – 12pm at Tuckers Grove Park, site 2. The sale features lightly used outdoor gear including backpacks, tents, sleep systems, cookware, clothes, shoes, skis, snow shoes, surf fins, car racks and more ~ if you need anything for the outdoors, we’ll probably have it! And of course, no LPFA Used Gear Sale would be complete without a ton of backpacking gear too, including a range of new and used packs from Gossamer Gear that will be sold for HALF PRICE.

Don’t miss out, come by on Sunday and check it out! And remember, 100% of the proceeds go directly towards trail maintenance in the Los Padres Forest.

See you Sunday ~ and be on time!

LPFA

 2026 Los Padres Calendar: Call for Photos! 

We are taking photo submissions for the 2026 Los Padres Wall Calendar! Each year, LPFA puts together a calendar featuring all the sights, seasons, and critters of the Los Padres. The past two years have seen some of the best photos we’ve had in the over 10 years we’ve been doing this. So, send in your photos to be featured in next year’s calendar! If your photo(s) gets chosen, you’ll get credited and shipped a free calendar.

Please send up to 15 photos (Google Photo Album link preferred) to INFO@LPForest.org by November 2nd, 2025. Send in those photos!

If you’re ready to order next year’s calendar, you can pre-order them now! All proceeds from calendar sales go directly towards trail maintenance in the Los Padres Forest.

2026 Calendar, PLEASE!
  • Oct 24-26, North Cold Spring Overnight – Join us for a Halloween-themed volunteer trail project based out of Forbush Camp! We’ll be spending 3 days working the North Cold Spring and Blue Canyon Trails. Great camp, great trails, great time. And coming for the day is OK too. This one is gonna be a blast! 
  • Nov 7-9, La Jolla Trail Restoration – We’ll be spending 3 days restoring the La Jolla Trail on Figueroa Mountain that burned in the 2024 Lake Fire. Help us fix the trail, clean up Ballard Camp and enjoy a BBQ dinner after the project!  We’ll be car camping at Davy Brown Campground for this one. Join for the day or stay the night, both are OK!
  • Oct 16, 6:30pm, Faulkner Gallery – Santa Barbara Public Library – The Fire Lookouts & Aircraft Warning Observation Posts of the Los Padres National Forest will be the topic of this month’s Trail Talks at the SBPL. From the first Lookout on Zaca Peak, to the few that still remain today, join our longtime volunteer and LP guru Bob Burtness as he shares images and stories of these unique backcountry structures.
  • D13 General Deer Hunting season opened this past weekend. D13 is mainly in Ventura and Kern Counties, but does spill a bit into SB, SLO, and LA counties as well. Expect car campgrounds and trailheads to be busier than usual until the season closes on November 9th. Check out a map of the region here. 
  • The Pfieffer Falls Trail in Pfieffer Big Sur State Park has reopened after 2 years of being closed to visitors due to a damaged bridge. 
  • Highway 1 in Big Sur at Regent’s Slide is now expected to open by the end of March 2026. January will mark 3 years since the highway closed to through traffic.
  • LPFA is raising funds to remove graffiti in the Santa Barbara Frontcountry! Areas will include Lizard’s Mouth, West Camino Cielo and East Camino Cielo. Help us out and donate to the cause!

Volunteers removing graffiti on the Hot Springs Trail last week with LPFA and the Montecito Trails Foundation

LPFA Used Gear Sale, Call for Photos & October Projects

Posted on by Addison Jerlow

The LPFA Trail Crew, supported by Montecito Trails Foundation, put the finishing touches on the San Ysidro Trail in September. The trail is now OPEN after almost 3 years of being closed due to storm damage in January 2023. A lot of time, sweat and funding went into the new sections of trail, check out the story here.

Hi Friends, 

For those of you wondering what the government shutdown means for the Los Padres, we have a few answers for you: 

  • Campgrounds, Day Use Areas, and gates that were open will remain OPEN across the forest 
  • Visitor Centers at Big Sur Station and Wheeler Gorge will remain OPEN to the public during normal operating hours 
  • Forest Service offices will be CLOSED to the public until the shutdown ends (including their phone lines) 

And, LPFA volunteer projects will continue during the closure! We kicked off the fall season with some incredible National Public Lands Day projects over the past two weekends and have a ton of great opportunities and events in store over the next month. Read on below and we’ll see you in the forest soon! 

LPFA 

 LPFA Used Gear Sale: Sunday, October 19th 

There’s still time to donate to the Sale!

This Thursday, October 9th we’ll be taking donations at TWO locations: Captain Fatty’s Brewery in Goleta and Topa Topa Brewing on Colt St. in Ventura. Stop by on Thursday from 4-7pm and find the LPFA table to donate your gear!

Our Used Gear Sale features new and used backpacks from Gossamer Gear, as well as donated gear ranging from tents, to clothes, to stove fuel, to skis. This sale has it all!

100% of the funds raised from the sale support trail maintenance projects in the Los Padres Forest.

We’re looking for any outdoor gear and clothing in good condition. If you have any lightly-loved camping, backpacking, hiking, mountain biking, really ANY outdoor gear that needs a new home, please consider donating it. Clean out your gear closet and help the trails all at the same time!

The LPFA Used Gear Sale is Sunday, October 19th from 10am – 12pm at Tucker’s Grove Park, site 2.

Got questions? Email us at INFO@LPForest.org.

 2026 Los Padres Calendar: Send in Your Photos! 

LPFA is taking photo submissions for our 2026 Los Padres Calendar! Each year we put together a high-quality wall calendar featuring all the seasons, wildlife, views, and activities of the Los Padres Forest. Send us your best shots from across the forest (preferably from the last 12 months) for a chance to be featured in the 2026 calendar. Original artwork is great too! We’re looking for vistas, sunsets, mountains, flowers, rivers, wildlife, recreation, waterfalls…. ALL THINGS LOS PADRES! 

Please limit your submissions to 15 photos and send a Google Photo Album link to INFO@LPForest.org by NOVEMBER 2, 2025. If your photo(s) makes the calendar, we’ll credit you and send you a free calendar! 

Already know you’ll need 1, 2 or more calendars for the LP-lovers in your life? Go ahead and pre-order them through the link below!

2026 Calendar Pre-Order!

Come Out and Volunteer!

Santa Paula Canyon Cleanup: OCT 11

Join us this Saturday, October 11th for a large-scale clean up of Santa Paula Canyon! Thanks to donations from you all, LPFA and the Santa Paula Canyon Crew are making a push to remove trash and graffiti from this incredible canyon throughout the next year. With the rainy season on the way, we want to get as much of the canyon cleaned up as we can. Click below for more details and to sign up for Saturday!

SPC CLEANUP!

Spooky Trail Project: OCT 24 – 26

Ready to Get Spooky with it? LPFA will be leading a spooky season-themed trail project at Forbush Camp the weekend of October 24-26th. Costumes required! We’ll be celebrating the season with some work on the North Cold Spring and Blue Canyon Trails. If you can’t stay overnight, coming for the day is OK too! But, you’ll miss the costume contest and Los Padres spooky storytelling…. Check out more info and sign up below!

SPOOKY SIGN-UP!

La Jolla Trail Restoration: NOV 7 – 9

LPFA will be leading an overnight car camping project to restore the La Jolla Trail on November 7 – 9th! This trail burned in the 2024 Lake Fire and is still in need of repair. We’ll be car camping at Davy Brown Campground and working the trail each day throughout the weekend. If you can only join for the day, same deal! Sign up below and we’ll work out the details closer to the project….

La Jolla Trail, PLEASE!

Anyone else get out into the forest to check out the thunderstorms we’ve had this past month?  Anyone notice the green grass popping up? From LPFA’s project on the Reyes Peak Trail two weeks back….