This is a steep country road. The water sources aren't great at the beginning but we filtered and we are still alive, so ok I guess. The side trail continues west past Willett Camp, and climbs up a small canyon offering some nice views of Sespe Creek and the surrounding area before arriving a half-mile later at Willet Hot Springs. Here a side trail crosses the creek and arrives at Willet Camp. Plenty of water. Update from a trip dec 17-18. When Dough Flat Road is dry, you can drive a 2WD vehicle on the road. There were dozens of mountain goats hanging out in the area for most of our first morning. King City, CA 93930 Continue 3.2 miles down to Alder Creek Camp. Went only from Piedra Blanca Trailhead downstream to Timber Creek (almost to Oak Flat), with camp at Bear Creek and check of Kerr Spring (surveys provided on those pages). Santa Maria, CA 93454 This closure adds 2 1/2 miles of additional hiking from where you park at the gate to the trailhead. Looking forward to do it again. Categories . The pools were washed away, so my friend and I (mostly my friend) built one by scooping the shale and using the rocks to divert the cold river and the hot river for the perfect temperature. I walked around the palms to make sure he wasnt being threatening and within 2 mins of being near them, he dropped his purple robe to the ground and was just standing there. Sespe Hot Spring: 34.594545, -118.998812. Solvang, CA 93463 Lots of dug out pool choices at Sespe, lower pools are cooler than the upper, naturally. The creek starts at Potrero Seco in the eastern Sierra Madre Mountains, and is formed by more than thirty tributary streams of the Sierra Madre and Topatopa Mountains, before it empties into the Santa Clara River in Fillmore. trailhead you enter the Sespe Wilderness. Water is usually only available here during winter and spring. see pictures. Starting from the parking lot at Piedra Blanca, the trail quickly drop down to the river crossing, after the crossingLion Creek and Sespe Creek is the Gene Marshall Piedra Blanca trail junction. Wilits hot springs was the fav. No blowdowns across the trail. Las Virgenis Creek. Sespe Creek is a stream, some 61 miles long in Ventura County. We couldn't find the hot spring, but maybe we just needed to look more closely at the map. Sespe Creek starts in the mountains near, At about 14.75 miles from Dough Flat, and 9.5 miles from the Piedra Blanca, Sespe River Trail arrives at the junction for, This article originally appeared section A of the March 29th, 2013 edition of the, Trail Quest: Gene Marshall-Piedra BlancaTrail, Los Padres National Forest (current conditions), USGS Online Current and Historical Topo Maps, USGS Topo Maps for Santa Barbara & Ventura Counties, Santa Barbara Mountain Bike Trail Volunteers. by siketflow in socalhiking. Here, where the trail was high above the high water line it was easy to follow. Gregg from Santa Barbara thanks for the coconut water and checking on me at Willetts (was in a bad way on Sunday) thank you :) mh, Amazing but Im confused this says 15 miles when its actually more like a full 40 mile hike (in and out), For the love of solitude and hiking, PLEASE DO NOT GIVE YOUR EXTRA FOOD TO THE GUY LIVING IN THE WILDERNESS, PAN UPDATE dough flat trailhead to sespe hot springs. I approached the slide and decided it was too dangerous to cross. United States government. 34580 Lockwood Valley Rd. Willet Hot Spring and camp: 34.575822, -119.050937. SESPE WILDERNESS - More information on the Sespe Wilderness: www.wilderness.net, Maps: Tom Harrison - Sespe Wilderness Map or 7.5 minute USGS topographic maps (Devils Heart Peak), Take Highway 126 to Fillmore. Turn north on A Street/Goodenough Road and drive 14.1 miles to Dough Flat Trailhead. Some bad news to report along the Sespe. We had two reports come in this week showing substantial slides on different sides of the Sespe River Trail. Trail is in great shape. -Arrive early. Too hot to dip, and no built out pools. There was also water at both Oak Flat and Willet. Went to the first 2 creek crossings to find both completely dry.. Initially the hikers were not located. Dough Flat Trailhead via Alder Creek Trail - California | Gaia GPS This is a moderate one way trail in Los Padres National Forest. TheJohnston Ridge Trail leads to Mutau Flat and the Matau Trail. Mutau Flat is a meadow in Ventura County and has an elevation of 4,806 feet. If that's too easy, try the Johnson Ridge Trail, a. Tar Creek Falls Statistics: Elevation Gain - 1800 feet. North of Tar Creek and west of Dough Flat Rd is in the Condor Sactuary where public entry is not allowed. Hike From Highway 33 take Rose Valley Road to the Piedra Blanca Trailhead. This article originally appeared section A of the March 29th, 2013 edition of the Santa Barbara News-Press. I am covered in bites all over my arms, neck, and body which had been covered by my loose-fitting button-down shirt. We didn't hike up to Willet Hot Springs itself, but the creek just below it is dry. Willett Hot Springs can be visited as a long 19-mile day hike, or as a more reasonable overnight backpacking adventure. But if you want to go the shortest route, the Ojai Ranger District suggests starting your hike at the Dough Flat Trailhead, north of the town of Fillmore. Trail in good shape and easy to This is a popular trail for backpacking, camping, and hiking, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. Bit of a dense brush challenge but doable. From this slide to the Sespe river there are a few other small slides but none pose nearly as great a hazard as the one above. The trail below Dripping Springs becomes narrow and sections of the tread have been destroyed from winter flooding. Once at the hot springs, we used some shovels others had left behind to dig out built up sediment and create some pools. , There are three different trails that lead to Sespe Hot Springs: 1. 1. Good for most of the time but where it is bad it is horrible. Sespe River Trail - Los Padres National Forest Trail Distance 18.73 Miles From Highway 33, travel east on Rose Valley Road to Piedra Blanca Trailhead. Ant Camp. Route 89 Johnston Ridge 20W12 and Sespe Hot Springs. The gnats are bad! 2.5 mi to Trailhead. Difficulty - Moderate. On Saturday, April 24th, I hiked out to Sespe hot springs from Pierda and upon arrival to sespe hot springs springs I was greeted by a man in a sleeping bag under the second grove of palm trees. Directions: Take Highway 126 to Fillmore. Sespe is amazing! Tar Creek Falls is located in the Los Padres National Forest. Home; Categories. It was an incredible 30-something mile hike and one of my earliest backpacking trips. The site has a picnic table, fire pit, and nearby outhouse, each with its own cement foundation harking back to the days of when it was a car camping destination. This trail goes by Dough Flat Trailhead and Sespe Hot Springs. Having done the Trans Catalina Trail just a month prior, we felt in relatively good shape, so we decided to hike in in one day, stay two nights, then hike out in one day again. We started at around 1 pm and didnt get to camp until 7:30 (~23 min mile pace). This is a narrow, rough road that is traveled by large oil trucks. This is a narrow, rough road that is traveled by large oil trucks. Be very cautious en route to trailhead. Many have crossed but I'm a chicken. The Dough Flat parking area is adjacent to the public access corridor of the Sespe Condor Sanctuary, Leave No Trace Backpacking Principles: http://lnt.org/learn/7-principles, Map showing recreational areas. Wesweswes and I chatted about it, and settled on visiting the Sespe hot springs from Dough Flat. The south facing slope is sparsely vegetated and I never found myself on an uncomfortable slope. Ocean View Trail 3/22 1161. Devils Gate 2/21 Size 25 X 30 1030. The Squaw Flat Road (Forest Route 6N16) provides public access to a trailhead at Dough Flat east of the corridor. The trail then quickly ends near Alder Creek Camp (2520 feet) and turns into the Alder Creek Trail. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. way. Usually rangers leave shovels by fire pits but I didnt see any along the way. Shady camp is in good condition and shows signs of light use. Mt. Continue west along the creek .8 miles to reach the junction with Sespe River Trail (20W13). Sespe Hot Springs. I drove to the Dough Flat trailhead in a 1974 Pinto operated sanely at a speed appropriate to the road and the modest capabilities of that vehicle. PINOS RANGER DISTRICTS CHAPTER 3 Western Santa Ynez Mountains Gaviota Peak via Gaviota Hot Springs Broadcast Peak via Tequepis Trail Lizard''s Mouth The Playground CHAPTER 4 Santa Ynez Recreation Area Snyder Trail and Knapp''s Castle Aliso Nature Trail Upper Oso Canyon to Nineteen . A landslide essentially wiped out the trail along the mountainside and there was no viable alternative route, in my estimation. Borracho Spring. Be very cautious en route to trailhead. From Highway 33, travel east on Rose Valley Road to Piedra Blanca Trailhead. The second trail called Johnson Ridge Trail is the second option at 9.5 miles one way. Only came across 3 other groups in 3 days. Most people cleared out, as they do on Sundays, and we heard from somebody that they saw him walking back to willet. Beautiful day! 1156. Rattlesnakes are out and angry. At the trailhead you enter the Sespe Wilderness. We believe good things come from people spending time outside. that is a private gated community. Turn north on A Street/Goodenough Road and drive 14.1 miles to Dough Flat Trailhead. and cultural destinations in your zip code and across the country. kind of a pain to get to. SESPE WILDERNESS - More information on the Sespe Wilderness: www.wilderness.net, Maps: Tom Harrison - Sespe Wilderness Map or 7.5 minute USGS topographic maps (Devils Heart Peak). Sespe River Trail To Sespe Hot Springs [CLOSED] Hard 4.6 (259) Los Padres National Forest Photos (882) Directions Print/PDF map Length 32.4 miElevation gain 4,012 ftRoute type Out & back Bummer, this trail is closed. The camp is situated under several large oaks and has a fire ring. You could probably take the first ridge down as well but the upper section looked a little sketcy to me.. Trail is good from the PB trailhead to the Red Reef junction. If there is no water there, continue downstream Sespe River Trail to Willett Hot Springs [CLOSED], Bear Creek via Sespe River Trail [CLOSED], Gridley Trail, Nordhoff Ridge and Pratt Trail Loop [CLOSED], Nordhoff Ridge to Chief and Nordhoff Peaks [CLOSED], Lion Canyon Trail to Hines Peak [CLOSED], Nordhoff Ridge via the Lion Canyon Trail [CLOSED], Chief Peak Rd to Nordhoff Ridge and Howard T. [CLOSED]. Pinos Ranger District This means that UNLESS there is a specific ordinance prohibiting the discharge/carry of a weapon in the PARKING LOT at that specific trailhead, the discharge/carry of a weapon is not illegal. The spring is in great condition - new robust plumbing giving a good flow, which means totally clear water in the tub, not the usual green liquid. 2. December 15th - April 30 th . Take I-5 north to CA 126 west; turn north in Fillmore on A Street-Goodenough Road for 141/2 jolting miles (high clearance or 4WD vehicle is recommended). There is no real cold stream coming down to mix with the hot creek anymore so you are left with shallow hot water in the whole canyon, was all too hot to soak. we pick the challenging route to Pioneer Basin. The most straightforward way is to hike 19.5 miles from the Piedra Blanca trailhead on the western side of the wilderness. Turn north on A Street/Goodenough Road and drive 14.1 miles to Dough Flat Trailhead. During wet weather, 4WD is strongly advised. Be prepared to get wet because there are several (I mean several - didnt count them but around 10 each way Id guess) crossings. I recently hiked from Piru (Pothole Tr) to Piedra Blanca. At the trailhead you enter the Sespe Wilderness. . Traverse over to just below hill 3067. Great hike experience. The Sespe River Trial proceeds down stream and is in excellent shape. Not too many people use this trail except some hunters. We provide tools and tips to discover As long as youre prepared for elevation and give yourself enough time, its well worth the hike! Below is an example of another slide found along this section of trail: Once along the Sespe river the trail is easy to follow for a while until it crosses to the south side of the river bed. -The Sespe River Trail is WASHED OUT so Sespe Hot Springs is inaccessible. Worst news of all is the december rains caused a lot of debris flows in the hot creek and all the pools are full of gravel. Climb the hill south of the saddle. The next trail junction is 2.7 miles. Got five blisters. The trail is still in good shape but a bit hard to follow in spots but there are some trail markers. dough flat trailhead to sespe hot springs. In wetter years many of the crossings can be more challenging and so its best to check with the Forest Service regarding current conditions. Dough is. Monte Arido Trail 3/22 1159. Dough Flat Trail 4/22 1164. Overall beautiful and the water is clean. Picked up as much extra as I could fit in my pack. If you stay to the left, the 378: Route 92 Agua Blanca 19W10. The water spicketts at Willett Camp were dried up as well. ( how far is kharkiv from the russian border? The waters are channeled by hoses to a large plastic basin. The trail is pretty open all the way to willet but past that you get a lot of leg scratchers. Tar Creek forms part of the southern border of the Sespe Condor Sactuary and Dough Flat Rd forms part of its eastern boundary. Just after Coltrell Flat the third trail juntion is with the Johnston Ridge Trail (20W12). Squaw Flat Road EASY 2.0 mi. There was a ton of algae buildup at Sespe. Water sources were sparse with a small stream before Oak Flats Camp and then another a mile after Willet. I added a pic of the man, in his purple robe, in the photos. He followed us up there in his robe and stood there for awhile as we were setting up. Its here that youll want to leave Johnson Ridge Trail and continue to the right, upstream along the creek another half-mile to the hot springs. after 0.6 miles. I hung around to make sure they werent feeling threatened and heard them all chatting and the women laughing, so I felt ok leaving. Drive to Fillmore, that lies at the junction of highway 126 and highway 23. The road provided access to the hot springs as well as supported a number of car camping destinations before it was closed in the late 1970s. Ojai Ranger District - Phone: (805) 646-4348 or (661) 805-1057, Mon-Fri 8-430pm. The most straightforward way is to hike 19.5 miles from the Piedra Blanca trailhead on the western side of the wilderness. We did this as an overnight, but it could definitely be split into a two night trip. This is a narrow, rough road that is traveled by large oil trucks. There are regular gnats between willet and sespe and at sespe there are special buffalo gnats that bite so watch out! So, armed with Brennen's directions we headed out for six days of adventure on the Sespe. peter w busch why is it important to serve your family dough flat trailhead to sespe hot springs. Continuing along Sespe River Trail, about half-mile west of the Johnson Ridge Trail intersection, Sespe River Trail arrives at Coltrell Flat. We did have to park at the gate and hike to the trail head about 2.5 miles since it isn't open yet. Follow the road, being careful to stay on the main road, the side roads will take you to oil well pads. (805) 448-6487 or (805) 724-0079, Santa Barbara Ranger District Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock Watch out for crazy Pan, & Keep your food & personal belongings with you at all times. (LogOut/ Recreation.gov. Sespe River Trail can be accessed several different ways, the two most common are from the trailhead at Piedra Blanca and the trailhead at Dough Flat via Alder Creek Trail. The elevation gain at certain parts is extremely tiring and some parts of the trail are overgrown. I was not bitten on my legs where I wore pants, nor on my feet, which were bare while I sat in the shade. I chose to pee in the woods over it. Fillmore is in the gray mist at the bottom left. (LogOut/ It used to have an annual Steethead Trout run but dam construction and drought years have ended these runs. This is a top spot in my book enjoy! No fee to park. Thank you for taking the time to visit Hike Los Padres. Did this over 3 days Friday - Sunday. anne boleyn ghost photo In addition to the Forest Service and USGS maps of the area, a good resource for the trails in the Sespe Wilderness is Tom Harrisons Sespe Wilderness Trail Map. The trail is wide open most of the way but starts to get overgrown as you approach Alder Creek at the last crossing of the Sespe. (805) 968-6640 or (805) 448-6487, Mt. For those interested in following the Condor Trail route through the southern Los Padres National Forest in a single, continuous hike, the Piedra Blanca trailhead can serve as a potential place for resupply support. . Past the camp you will come to Kerr Spring, the first year-round water source, which is located .8 miles further from Bear Creek Camp on the south side of the river. Follow the stream for May 1, 2022 - Dough Flat Rd is open to the trailhead There is access to the Dough Flat Trailhead during the spring, summer and fall and is within the winter seasonal closure between approx. December 15 - April 30. Piedra Blanca Trailhead to Willet Hot Springs - Sespe Wilderness, Los Padres National Forest; . The entire length of the Sespe River Trail has ten crossings of the Sespe River. . Terms & Conditions! There were a few groups that either got to Bear creek and stayed put or decided to turn around and return to the car not willing to risk the river. Great mountain views the whole way, it got a lot hotter than we expected in April and we really enjoyed cooling off in the creek. So, for a resplendent escape from the sprawl and bustle of the Los Angeles area, grab your backpack and bathing suit and hit the trail to explore these four incredible hot springs in Southern CaliforniaMother Nature's best day spas. Anybody been to Dough Flats Trailhead lately? If those distances intimidate you, do not rule out a visit to Sespe Creek. Make sure you protect yourself from the sun (hat, sun glasses, sun protection creames, water, etc) Enjoy. 0, Ojai Ranger District We were about a mile passed willet and let them know he was somewhere around that area. You will also see an old road cut paralleling the ridge for a while but I stayed just above it on the ridge. Pratt Trail 4/22 1162. The internet said there would be some sort of seasonal closure, but the road was open all the way to Dough Flat. The trail went along the base of a large slide and it looks like all the rain made that slide active once again. Posted on May 31, 2022 by May 31, 2022 by we make the short drive . The Mosquito Flat trailhead is at 10,000 and you have to go over Mono Pass at 12,000. Bighorn Peak stands at 8441 feet above sea level and offers great views of the Inland Empire, towards Santiago Peak, and the High Desert, although, not as great views as Telegraph and Cucamonga Peaks offer. Did the trail to Willet and Sespe springs during Thanksgiving weekend. Lots of trash and horse poop. Continuing towards Hot Springs Canyon, there are several more camps before you reach Willets. 382: So, armed with Brennen's directions we headed out for six days of adventure on the Sespe. Overall a beautiful trail. Therefore, do not follow any trails that lead north of Tar Creek. Trailhead for the Sespe Hot Springs hike is way out here too. At Willett Hot Spring there's a good repair near the foot of the side trail, but another hairy traverse higher up. Lots of camping spots to choose from right by the spring. There are parts of the trail that are frozen, parts that are dry and parts that are VERY MUDDY. There are some cairns to be found but there are sections where there is no discernable path and the traveler must push through somewhat heavy, flood matted down brush. This series of springs create a hot spring creek flowing through the mountains. Follow the road, being careful to stay on the main road, the side roads will take you to oil well pads. Dough Flat Road out of Fillmore (aka Squaw Flat Rd) is closed due to reconstruction of a retaining wall. 406 S Mildred Ave 1616 N. Carlotti Dr. Off to the right (east and south) are Squaw Spring, Dough Flat, Pidgeon Flat, Cow Spring . The shortest of the three is via Alder Creek Trail, a 7.5-mile trek through the wilderness that heads at Dough Flat in the Sespe Oil Fields. Sespe Hot Springs - Sespe Wilderness, Los Padres National Forest; Sykes Hot Springs - Ventana Wilderness, Los Padres National Forest . https://christopherplord.blogspot.com/2020/12/horsethief-timber-canyon-camps.html, Lots of glass shattered on the ground and trash. Alder Trail to Sespe Hot Springs [CLOSED], https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/lpnf/alerts-notices/?aid=77373, Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area. Trail Distance 5.95 Miles Take Highway 126 to Fillmore. In an effort to help those who come next, see links to the two stream gauges below: On 2/11 the Sespe near Wheeler springs was at 100cfs and the Sespe near Filmore was at 380 cfs. Also known as Arroyo Sespe, Cespai River, Sespe River. Trail in good shape and easy to follow. Alder Creek. . It is brushy on the last drop down to Alder at Shady Camp. At the worst part of the slide people have walked to the uphill side to climb over a small dead tree and root ball. Naglangkob kin og 5,719 ka kilometro kwadrado. The trail up to Bear creek was extremely well marked, and between Bear Creek and Oak Flat was reasonable but a bit overgrown and hard to follow at a few points. It's not right that there's a shady guy lurking around out there bothering people and ruining what would otherwise be a really cool spot. Although no longer listed on some maps, this former car camping site, still has a stove and picnic table with cement foundations, neither in use, the later now crushed under a fallen oak tree. Left Panel: View west . Expect to see a lot more activity within D13 over the next month and in particular this long holiday weekend. Change). Then you have to bushwhack through lots of foliage at the top. 4. . Share sensitive information only . No idea except from . Email:bigsurstation@gmail.com, https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/lpnf/recarea/?recid=81861, Forest Closure Order 05-07-00-23-02 - Public Safety, Forest Road Closures and Current Conditions, Pine Ridge Trail Sykes Hot Springs Trail Information, Forest Headquarters (Supervisor's Office), Big Sur Station Multi-Agency Visitor Center. I tried going via the Alder Creek trail from Dough Flat. The third trail called Alder Creek Trail is the shortest . We broke it up in 3 days. No conditions reported in the past 7 days. Trail is in typical good shape with a few sections that are being rutted by the rain (I think there are already pictures of those sections here on HLP). The trailhead is about 70 miles northwest. Fairly cold still at night and in the morning but perfect during the day. From Sespe River Trail, Johnson Ridge Trail follows Hot Springs Canyon north and arrives at Sespe Camp a half-mile later. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 11 h 16 min to complete. Use caution when travelling during the wet season due to the potential of flash flooding. The creek remains free from major habitat modifications and is noteworty for its lack of dams, although one was originally proposed for a site named Topa Topa near Sespe Hot Springs in the Sespe Wilderness. Follow the ridge down to the river. No sign of Pan btw. I'd planned to go on to Hot Spring Canyon but didn't want to ford the creek four more times in each direction, and I heard Hot Spring Canyon was washed out. The site is more enclosed and shaded than Sespe Hot Springs, but because of the higher traffic to the area can also feel less rustic. Want to report conditions for this trail? I hiked from Piedra Blanca to Sycamore Flat. The more deep and dammed up pools that are built from the source and downstream, the more time the water has to cool and thus the more tolerable the pools downstream are to soak in. This section of trail was worked a few years back but remained narrow and scary. you continue to the parking area at Dough Flat. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 11 h 16 min to complete. Washed-out location: 34.579927, -118.964486. Thanks for all the information! KERR SPRINGS: The pictures pretty much tell the story. We'll update this page if and when it reopens. The sheep one can see today were relocated from the San Gabriel Mountains in the mid-1980s in an effort rebuild their population. The trail in from Dough Flat should be good for that possible resupply although the trailhead is 3 miles further away in winter. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. If you fall here it is very bad. Here, the canyon opens up and reveals a more spartan and rocky terrain evocative of the Palm Springs area. Following along the Sespe Creek Trail, there are several more campsites accessible a day's walk from the trailhead. We made sure to keep our packs under our vestibules to make sure nothing could be stolen at night. Follow the road, being careful to stay on the main road, the side roads will take you to oil well pads. The village appeared in a Mexican Alta California land grant called Rancho Sespe or Rancho San Cayetano in 1833. Sespe Creek has some great swimming holes, but a 16 mile trek to the hot springs might be a bit much when it's 100 degrees outside.
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