The gate from the top is closed because the road is washed out so its about 6 miles to the actual TH. Washed-out location: 34.579927, -118.964486. There are also many camping areas along the way, making this trail ideal for multi-day trips. Sespe River Trail - Starting from the Piedra Blanca Trailhead, this trail is 16.8 miles one way and is rated as moderate to difficult. The next trail junction is 2.7 miles further. A landslide essentially wiped out the trail along the mountainside and there was no viable alternative route, in my estimation. (831) 385-5434 ext. Started at Dough Flat Gate. Ill be back and will take the other trail in instead. It is overgrown and my legs did get banged up some wearing capris. The elevation gain at certain parts is extremely tiring and some parts of the trail are overgrown. Get to know the winter safety gear you need in your pack. I chose to pee in the woods over it. Follow the road, being careful to stay on the main road, the side roads will take you to oil well pads. We started at around 1 pm and didnt get to camp until 7:30 (~23 min mile pace). From the Dough Flat trailhead to the junction with the Sespe River trail the Alder creek trail is clear and in good shape with no issues. The elevation gain at certain parts is extremely tiring and some parts of the trail are overgrown. Fairly cold still at night and in the morning but perfect during the day. The Dough Flat parking area is adjacent to the public access corridor of the Sespe Condor Sanctuary. From the saddle, descending into Alder Ck: overgrown with brush, but pretty easy to follow. This trail is great for backpacking, camping, and hiking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. Then you have to bushwhack through lots of foliage at the top. From the Shady Camp turnoff, it is King City, CA 93930 There are three possible access points for reaching the springs, but all require either a ridiculously difficult day hike or a strenuous multi-day trip. This is a rough dirt road that is traveled by large oil trucks. United States government. (831) 667-2315 I recommend starting early and packing layers! Choose between the moderate, 16.8-mile Sespe River Trail; the 7.5-mile Alder Creek Trail; and the difficult, 9.5-mile Johnson Ridge Trail. Couldnt make it in. We hiked east from the jnctn of the trail to Sespe Hot Springs and the Sespe River trail, out to Dough Flat (started at Piedra Blanca). The hill section down to alder creek trail needs some love. Sharing Our Trails - A Guide To Trail Etiquette, Forest Headquarters (Supervisor's Office) 3505 Paradise Rd. Pinos Ranger District If there is no water there, continue to hike downstream 0.8 miles until the trail leaves the drainage bottom. During wet weather, 4WD is strongly advised. Enjoy Your National Forests Safely Know Before You Go! Official websites use .gov A .gov The water sources aren't great at the beginning but we filtered and we are still alive, so ok I guess. There was poison oak but I think lots is an exaggeration at least at the bottom. There are three different trails that lead to Sespe Hot Springs: 1. 29. We didn't see one single person. ALLTRAILS and the AllTrails Mountain Design are registered trademarks of AllTrails, LLC in the United States as well as certain other jurisdictions. A landslide essentially wiped out the trail along the mountainside and there was no viable alternative route, in my estimation. River crossings from Coltrell to Sespe Camp are difficult. All trail campsites in the Sespe Wilderness, Los Padres National Forest A total of 29 Sespe Wilderness Camps are currently available. There are three different trails that lead to Sespe Hot Springs: 1. Take Highway 126 to Fillmore. The 11-mile Alder Creek Trail from Dough Flat to Sespe Hot Springs is exceptionally mouthwatering. No fee to park. Easy 4.1 (29) South Fork, Colorado. The trail almost entirely follows the Sespe River. Trail was flagged in many places. Warning, One big beehive at hip height in the rock face right by the trail 2/3rd of the descent - the trail goes about 4 feet from the hive, with no real options going wider. From the Dough Flat Trailhead, you will enter the Sespe Wilderness within mile. Water was available in the main stem of Alder Creek and at Dripping Springs. 34580 Lockwood Valley Rd. The Ojai Ranger Station is currently closed to in-person visitation, but phone calls are answered Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm. It's not like the Sierra foothills or Big Sur where it is the state plant and things nightmares are made of. Get updates on conditions, surveys and more Los Padres Forest Association - 11-21-2015, Los Padres Forest Association - 07-27-2019, Hiking and Backpacking Santa Barbara & Ventura. Ticks and snakes are out and about. Lots of nice fall foliage and pretty valley views. The trail to Cow Spring is in decent shape. There were several vehicles up there in addition to ours. It is overgrown and there is a slide just past Alder Creek Camp before Cotrtrell Flats Camp. I would definitely go back. It is 16.8 miles one way to the hot springs. We did have to park at the gate and hike to the trail head about 2.5 miles since it isn't open yet. The trail below Dripping Springs becomes narrow and sections of the tread have been destroyed from winter flooding. Lots of nice fall foliage and pretty valley views. Enjoy Your National Forests Safely Know Before You Go! We did in 3 days staying at Sespe on the way there and Cow Springs on the way back. The whole section of the national forest is ruggedly beautiful but brutally exposed to the sun on southward facing slopes. 406 S Mildred Ave This is a moderate one way trail in Los Padres National Forest. Alder Creek Camp - Ventura South Los Padres 2520 ft. Ventura County Ojai Ranger District Trail Camp Ant Camp South Los Padres 2700 ft. Ventura County Ojai Ranger District Trail Camp Overall great trip just wish we would have started a bit earlier to avoid the bit of night hiking we had to do. 2.5 mi to Trailhead. I cant believe this trail is even open to the public in its current condition. 0, Big Sur Station Multi-Agency Visitor Center Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area. California Sespe Wilderness . Once at the hot springs, we used some shovels others had left behind to dig out built up sediment and create some pools. This is a rough dirt road that is traveled by large oil trucks. Trail use and trail camps are on a first-come, first-serve basis, no reservations. Griffiss International Sculpture Garden and Nature Trail. Having said that, the 4 of us passed safely, with full packs on. I had to turn back about 6 miles in, as there was a very long narrow ledge with a steep drop I didnt think my pup and I would be able to make. We saw some thacher high school students heading out to do trail work. Sespe Camp and the Springs are a dream! . This trail is NOT PASSABLE to the Sespe River Trail/Willett Hot Springs and Sespe Hot Springs. We had to zigzag across the creek many times. Parking for the Alder Creek Trail is 5 miles at the gate below the trailhead. The trail to Cow Spring is in decent shape. Directions: From McCall, Idaho Take Deinhard Ln to ID-55 S/S 3rd St 6 min (2.8 mi) Turn right onto ID-55 S/S 3rd St Continue to follow ID-55 S. Saved. To get to dough flat hang right not straight. Backpacked with packs ~35lbs out and back in two days. I cant believe this trail is even open to the public in its current condition. North-facing 406 S Mildred Ave The Alder Creek Trail is open from the Dough Flat Trailhead, but you will have to walk an additional 5 miles on the road. The gate 2.4 miles away from the trailhead was closed which added 4.8 miles to the trip overall (we saw other reviews about this as well). Top Hot Springs | Sitemap, Sierra Grande Lodge & Spa T or C, New Mexico, 10 Beautiful Hot Springs in British Columbia, Halcyon Hot Springs Resort Nakusp, BC, Canada, Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools Canterbury, New Zealand, Waitangi Soda Springs Rotorua, New Zealand, Pitt River Hot Springs Alvin, BC, Canada. Rest of trail to Coltrell Flats is pretty good but keep steady footing on the small track. Rose Valley Lake Upper and Lower Day Use Areas. Choose your timing wisely based on the time of year and weather and be aware of heat and flash flood potential. To get to dough flat hang right not straight. After that, while the trail is overgrown in places, particularly on north facing slopes, it is pretty easy to follow all the way out to Dough Flat. Pit toilet was open but pretty gross. Toggle navigation. [6] See also [ edit] Sespe Creek has water year-round. Be very cautious in route to trailhead. ) or https:// means you've safely Explore Community. Also through the Creek area, it's easy to lose the trail. There was water in Alder Ck. However, I read that there is a summit just over six miles and a lean-to about 1. . A lot of rock cairns guide you here. Open daily 9am - 4pm Gate to Dough Flat unlocked. 2 important notes: The drive to Dough Flat is possible only in the driest weather and the hike down the gorge to Tar Creek Camp requires swimming skills. Directions: The drive takes about 1 hours from Bakersfield . 2 important notes: Ojai, CA 93023 Beyond Alder Creek to Shady was the same story. This is a narrow, rough road that is traveled by large oil trucks. Dough Flat Rd to the Alder Creek Trail is open, but there is a locked gate 5 miles south of the Dough Flat Trailhead which adds an additional 5 miles of walking on the road to access the trailhead. In the summer it is too hot and there may not be water in the river for parts of the year as well. Brush is encroaching heavily in many spots beyond Stone Corral and below dripping Springs with at least one downed tree that would make stock passing difficult. The trail is still in good shape but a bit hard to follow in spots but there are some trail markers. This is a tough trail! This is a narrow rough Road toward the Sespe Oil Fields. If you stay to the left, the trail will go down Alder Creek Trail to Alder Creek Camp after .6 miles. Visit the One Less Spark, One Less Wildfire Website, Tread Lightly! Road from Fillmore to Dough Flat Trailhead passable by sedan, but not advisable. Stream was 1 inch deep average at the bottom, stronger at Shady with pretty strong waterfalls just behind shady (it had rained for 3 days the previous days). A landslide essentially wiped out the trail along the mountainside and there was no viable alternative route, in my estimation. In the summer it is too hot and there may not be water in the river for parts of the year as well. Rest of trail to Coltrell Flats is pretty good but keep steady footing on the small track. - Back in December the CREW worked the first part of the trail from Dough Flat out to the Bucksnort Junction. For information, please call (805) 968-6640 or (805) 724-0079. Continue west one mile to reach Cow Spring Camp. I recommend starting early and packing layers! Also through the Creek area, it's easy to lose the trail. Turn north on A Street/Goodenough Road and drive 14.1 miles to Dough Flat. Just wasnt worth the risk to me. One Study Got it Wrong. We found hot springs that were about 105 degrees which seems hot, but you get used to it. Located along Sespe Creek, about two hours from Los Angeles, California, Sespe Hot Springs is one of several natural hot springs in the Los Padres National Forest. Stray from the trail map and follow the cairns for the best way across. Dripping springs had water flowing but had considerable poison oak and a somewhat dangerous looking traverse to access. Running stream about 1.5 mile in in (looks like this one could dry soon). Water trickle at dripping spring in the descent to the gorge. Some nice campsites along creek with fire pits. Alder Creek Camp - Ventura South Los Padres National Forest Camp Type: Trail Camp Topo Map Link: Devils Heart Peak Elevation: 2520 feet Wilderness Area: Sespe County: Ventura County Ranger District: Ojai Ranger District Longitude: -118.9370167566395 Latitude: 34.57888102028576 Water Sources: Alder Creek (seasonal) Length of Stay: 14 Days The road is narrow and arduous; high-clearance vehicle recommended even though we were able to get 3 sedans up there a little bit worse for wear. Turn north on A Street/Goodenough Road and drive 14.1 miles to Dough Flat. When Dough Flat Road is dry, you can drive a 2WD vehicle on the road. No conditions reported in the past 7 days. Water is usually only available here during winter and spring. We started at around 1 pm and didnt get to camp until 7:30 (~23 min mile pace). The Sespe River Trail (20W13) begins at the turnoff to Shady, where the main trail leaves Alder Creek. DIFFICULTY RATING: Moderate; elevation, 2,225 to 3,700 feet. 3. 5.2 miles to the Sespe Hot Springs. Join Outside+ to get access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. ( Mountain bikes are not permitted in designated wilderness areas. We found hot springs that were about 105 degrees which seems hot, but you get used to it. Cow Springs had a small pool of clear stagnant water. Thank you for taking the time to visit Hike Los Padres. Start hiking at the Piedra Blanca trailhead and walk four miles along the river to the first campground, Bear Creek. Once at the hot springs, we used some shovels others had left behind to dig out built up sediment and create some pools. A short bushwhack away from the lazy-flowing Sespe leads into Hot Springs Canyon and a sulfur-scented nirvana. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. The trail is moderately difficult hike. Prepare to get thigh-high wet. A new Forest order is now in place that keeps severely compromised roads, trails, campgrounds, and day-use sites closed to the public while Forest engineers, partner groups, volunteers, and contractors work on repairs as funding becomes available. Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge, Minnesota. In Alder Ck drainage: several cairns, and if you lose them you can find the trail again - just continue upstream; really, there is nowhere else to go. I would stay one day at the bottom to make more cairns and make the existing ones a little taller if I had the leisure. Enjoy this 2.4-mile loop trail near Livingston Manor, New York. Piedra Blanca to Sespe Hot Springs. The elevation gain at certain parts is extremely tiring and some parts of the trail are overgrown. Mt. I chose to pee in the woods over it. Share sensitive information only We had to zigzag across the creek many times. Maybe an experienced individual could have found a way, but my group did not want to take the risk given the slope and apparent loose ground. We always manage to be able to walk around it. Have updates, photos, alerts, or just want to leave a comment? Create a personalized feed and bookmark your favorites. We took a side trail for a bit and decided to turn around. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 11 h 16 min to complete. Santa Barbara, CA 93105 Update 1-11: Rains have washed out the entry road about 10miles out. LockA locked padlock Started at Dough Flat Gate. These hot springs have an elevation of 2,600 feet. - That portion of the trail is fantastic. DIFFICULTY RATING: Moderate; elevation, 2,225 to 3,700 feet. The main fork of Alder was flowing nicely all the way to the confluence with the Sespe.
alder creek trail to sespe hot springs