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
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!
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!
