Tag: gifford fire

Gifford Fire Closure Revision & LPFA Fall Trailworkin’

Posted on by Addison Jerlow

It’s a great time of year for early morning hiking at higher elevations. From up on Pine Mountain….

Gifford Fire Closure Order Revised

With the Gifford Fire holding at 131,614 acres and 97% containment, the Forest Service has issued a revised closure order. This means many areas are now reopening—while some remain closed. Make sure to read the full order and linked map for yourself, but here’s a quick summary of impacted areas:

NOW OPEN

  • NIRA and the Manzana
  • Santa Barbara Canyon and the Sierra Madre east of the Aliso Trail junction
  • Figueroa Mountain Recreation Area
  • West Cuesta

STILL CLOSED

  • Entire SLO backcountry east of Cuesta Grade (Santa Lucia, Garcia, Machesna Wildernesses, and East Cuesta)
  • Santa Barbara backcountry SE of Hwy 166 south to the Sisquoc (including the Sierra Madre between Hwy 166 and the Aliso Trail junction near McPherson)

We know many of you have been waiting for this news—it’s great to see more of the forest reopening. Remember that it’s hot out there, A-Zone South hunting season lasts another two weeks, and water is starting to dry up. And of course, please follow all current regulations for where you’re headed! That being said, the Los Padres fall season is fast approaching and the LPFA has a few projects lined up to kick off the season. Read on to see what’s happening….

National Public Lands Day is September 27th, 2025. This day is about getting out, enjoying the great outdoors and GIVING BACK to your public lands. This is one of the best days of the year, and LPFA will be celebrating with TWO projects on back to back weekends in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties.

REYES PEAK TRAIL: SEP 26-28

LPFA will be partnering with Ojai Ranger District Recreation Staff to lead a 3-day project on the Reyes Peak Trail. There will be TWO elements to this project. We are looking for folks who want to help brush and crosscut downed trees that are blocking the trail AND folks who want to hike/run gallons of water out to Haddock Peak. Sound like fun? Sign on up! 

We will be car camping on Pine Mountain Friday and Saturday nights to get an early start each morning. If you want to come for the whole time, GREAT! If you can only come for a day, that’s great too! Sign up below and we’ll work out the details in the coming weeks…. 

REYES PEAK PLEASE!

BUENA VISTA TRAIL: OCT 4

LPFA will be leading a day project on the Buena Vista Trail within the Santa Barbara Frontcountry. This lovely trail connects to the Romero and San Ysidro Trails and is in need of some brushing. Parking is tight so we’ll be meeting in Montecito at 8am that morning, then carpooling to the trailhead. Plan to work until around noon before heading back for lunch and some colds drinks. 

This is a great project for those interested in learning about trail maintenance and working on a trail close to home. No backpacking gear needed! Plus free lunch. It will be a hoot, so please sign up below and we’ll keep you in the loop as details take shape….

BUENA VISTA SIGNUP!

Even More LPFA Events!

LPFA Talks Condor Trail, Sep 25

LPFA will be presenting on the Condor Trail on September 25th in downtown Santa Barbara! Don’t miss this in person event featuring presentations by the current FKT-holder, Addison Jerlow and the author of the Condor Trail Guide, Brian Sarvis. We’ll also have a raffle, happy hour, and fundraiser for work on the Condor Trail…. Can’t make it? Donate to fund work on the Condor Trail!

Get Your Tickets!

LPFA Used Gear Sale, Oct 19

The 9th Annual LPFA Used Gear will be Sunday, October 19th at Tucker’s Grove Park! This sale is a great opportunity to re-up your gear in time for the Los Padres backcountry season. The sale will feature an array of used gear, plus new and used gear from Gossamer Gear. 100% of the proceeds from the sale go directly towards trail maintenance in the Los Padres. We are looking for donations for the sale this year. If you have any lightly-loved gear, consider donating it! Reach out to us at INFO@LPForest.org.

Donate Used Gear!

Santa Paula Canyon Cleanups, Ongoing

LPFA is still fundraising to keep Santa Paula Canyon Clean! Thanks to the volunteers and the Santa Paula Canyon Crew who have been making these cleanups possible. Please consider donating to graffiti removal and trash cleanups in this beautiful LP canyon! We’ll be launching more large-scale projects once the weather cools back down….

Keep SPC Clean!

Backcountry Ridges for Days… photo RHumphrey

Gifford Fire: Updates & Closure Information

Posted on by Bryan Conant

Night #1 of the Gifford Fire – as seen during a LPFA Volunteer Trail Project on the Mission Pine Trail, photo David F.

Hello Friends, 

Unless you’ve been living under a rock or out on vacation, then no doubt you’ve been following the progression of the Gifford Fire. The Gifford Fire started on the afternoon of August 1 near the Gifford Trail along Hwy 166. It quickly spread into the Los Padres in both a southerly direction into Santa Barbara County as well as north into San Luis Obispo County. Now 10+ days later, Gifford is the largest California wildfire this year having chewed up nearly 125,000 acres and currently stands at 33% containment. 

During the initial days of the fire, Gifford made a strong push into Santa Barbara County, burning east along the Sierra Madre, over Miranda Pine, down into Pine Canyon and ultimately into the San Rafael Wilderness. Fortunately, favorable conditions and previous fire scars (La Brea 2009, Spanish 1999) helped check the fire. At the moment, it seems that the southern flank of Gifford within Santa Barbara County has been stopped. Knock knock.

Meanwhile, most of Gifford’s progression has been directed north into San Luis Obispo County, where it continues to burn. There have been a few previous wildfires within the SLO Backcountry (Madre 2025, Logan 1997, Hwy 58 1996, Las Pilitas 1985) which have helped slow down the fire but unfortunately Gifford is burning many areas of the Los Padres which have no recorded burn history. NOTE: We’re sadly running low on portions of the forest which have not burned.

While fire crews have accomplished a solid containment perimeter around much of the fire, most of the current fire activity is on a north-west trajectory through the Garcia Wilderness. The weather forecast is looking good for fighting the fire and crews have been working day & night to finish containment lines around the fire, especially off Hi Mountain Road. There are active firing operations designed to box the fire into the Garcia and hopefully prevent any further progress into the Santa Lucia Wilderness. We are very fortunate to have nearly 5,000 personnel helping to assist with the fire fight. THANK YOU EVERYONE INVOLVED! Lets wish them all safety, good luck and favorable weather! 

GIFFORD CLOSURE

In response to the Gifford Fire, the LPNF has issued an emergency closure order which covers the entirety of the Santa Lucia Ranger District and a section of the Mt Pinos west of Santa Barbara Cyn along the Sierra Madres. This includes a closure of Figueroa Mountain, NIRA Trailhead, the Manzana/Sisquoc and obviously all of the SLO Backcountry:

For more closure information click here.

IMPACTED TRAILS / CAMPS

We’ve received quite a few emails asking about the status of camps and trails burned by Gifford. Here’s a quick and incomplete list. 

Trails: Avenales, Stony Creek, Caldwell/Trout Creek, Sellers Potrero, Kerry Cyn, Indian, Willow Spring, Adobe, Rock Front OHV…. 

Campgrounds: Miranda Pine, Brookshire and others…… 

For more information and maps covering the Gifford Fire, check both CalFire as well as InciWeb. Note that evacuation orders and warnings are changing daily, if not hourly.

  • The first of three extended weekend closures of Highway 33 by CalTrans for bridge repairs begin this Friday, August 15th. The closure dates are: Aug 15-18, Aug 22-25, Sept 19-22. During these dates, there will be no public access along Hwy 33 between Ojai and Wheeler Gorge. The Wheeler Gorge Visitor Center will be closed on these weekends, but campgrounds and trails further up the 33 are open to access from the north. 
  • The Wheeler Gorge Campground will be closed until January 3, 2026 for reconstruction of creek crossings within the campground. This project will restore 13 miles of connected stream habitat for Southern California Steelhead. While the campground is closed, consider camping at alternative nearby campgrounds including Rose Valley, Middle Lion, Pine Mountain or Reyes Peak!
  • A hiker has been missing along the southern Big Sur coast since August 5th. He is believed to have been hiking in the Ragged Point area and was last seen wearing a white shirt, bright blue shorts and a multicolored or tie-dyed pastel backpack. Help spread the word and call the SLO County sheriff with any information.
  • The Canyon Fire ignited southeast of Lake Piru on the afternoon of August 7th. The fire burned over 5,000 acres just outside of the Los Padres but is now at 96% containment with all evacuation orders lifted.

View of the Gifford Fire over Lopez Lake burning the Garcia Wilderness taken August 12 at 11:30am. Click photo for live shot.