Alder Creek Trail - Begins from the Dough Flat Trailhead, is 7.5 miles one way and rated as moderate to difficult. A mix of the charming, modern, and tried and true. Prepare to get thigh high wet. Explore Community. Shop . There is plenty of water at Cow Springs if you hike up the wash 30 yards or so. The trail is still in good shape but a bit hard to follow in spots but there are some trail markers. . It is 7.5 miles one way to the hot springs. It all adds up to limitless possibilities for trekking in an untamed land thats just a short drive from Los Angeles. We started from Dough Flats and made it to Shady Camp. Many Trails listed may be unmaintained, always plan ahead, check weather report, know your risks and level of ability. 3505 Paradise Rd. Fish Canyon to Fish Canyon Narrows and Cienaga Campground, Punchbowls via Santa Paula and Last Chance Trail, The Pianobox Prospect via Fish Canyon Trail, Devil's Gateway Via Agua Blanca Creek and Pothole Trail, Pronghorn OHV Trail from Hungry Valley Road, Sespe Hot Springs via Johnston Ridge Trail, Santa Paula Canyon and Punch Bowls Trail [CLOSED]. They are an eyesore. I chose to pee in the woods over it. Then you have to bushwhack through lots of foliage at the top. The second way to Sespe Hot Springs is Alder Creek Trail. Edit Add a Report Be the first to rate this hike! The hike is absolutely beautiful and so are the hot springs! Gate to Dough Flat unlocked. We did have a map and knew it was about a half mile upstream from Alder Camp, so we knew to watch for it. Share sensitive information only United States. We always manage to be able to walk around it. More rains to come this weekend, recommend to wait out til roads are cleared. one mile from Alder Camp. Continue west one mile to reach Cow Spring Camp. Then you have to bushwhack through lots of foliage at the top. I would definitely go back. They are spaced every 1/4mile from the Dough Flat Trailhead to just past Cow Springs. The last 2 miles to Alder camp and are extremely overgrown, you will be doing some brutal bushwhacking along a trail that is basically one long rut. Lol.. It is overgrown and there is a slide just past Alder Creek Camp before Cotrtrell Flats Camp. Also through the Creek area, it's easy to lose the trail. Directions: The drive takes about 1 hours from Bakersfield . Water is usually only available here during winter and spring. Mt. Plan on moving slowly and uncomfortably if you intend to make it to Alder Creek Camp. Trail is mostly clear until this point but upon decent and through Alder Camp, beware of poison oak. FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. 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. 47555 Highway 1,Big Sur, CA 93920 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. These hot springs have an elevation of 2,600 feet. The whole section of the national forest is ruggedly beautiful but brutally exposed to the sun on southward facing slopes. has water year-round. Adventure Pass is notrequired for parking at the Dough Flat Trailhead. Update 1-11: Rains have washed out the entry road about 10miles out. Pit toilet was open but pretty gross. Enjoy Your National Forests Safely Know Before You Go! The Alder Creek trail takes you down to the Sespe Creek. Alder Creek Trail (20W11) WILDERNESS Length: 7.5 Difficulty: moderate trailhead to Cow Spring, difficult to Shady Camp turnoff Take Highway 126 to Fillmore. A very tough hike. Lots of nice fall foliage and pretty valley views. road traveled by large oil trucks so be very cautious as There was a lot of graffiti and vandalism at the trailhead. The Alder Creek trail to Sespe Hot Springs turn north on A Street/Goodenough Road to Squaw Flat Road toward the Sespe Oil Fields. 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. This is a moderate one way trail in Los Padres National Forest. The rock formations once you pass Cow Springs were amazing. Highway 33 is closed from South Matilija springs Rd to 9 miles south of the Ventura/Santa Barbara County line until further notice. Stray from the trail map and follow the cairns for the best way across. We did have to park at the gate and hike to the trail head about 2.5 miles since it isn't open yet. Hike north 2.5 Sespe Wilderness Length: 20.2 mi Est. I recommend starting early and packing layers! There was a lot of graffiti and vandalism at the trailhead. I don't know why they send you that way. Lots of nice fall foliage and pretty valley views. To any trail crew leader reading this I would be more than happy to join on a return trip to replace the said signs. [5] Willett Hot Springs are also located in the Sespe Wilderness area. 1616 N. Carlotti Dr. Be very cautious en route to trailhead. Visit the One Less Spark, One Less Wildfire Website, Tread Lightly! based on 6 tracks & routes | #236 hike out of 473 in Sespe Condor Sanctuary | EASY smartphoneSave Hike fullscreen Driving Directions file_download GPX/KML 2.8 mi Distance 1 hrs 17 min Time terrain 1,060 ft Elev Gain Overview This is a easy one way trail in Sespe Condor Sanctuary. Vegetation is overtaking the trail in sections. North-facing Pinos Ranger District: 1-(661) 245-3731, Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. 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 -The Sespe River Trail is WASHED OUT so Sespe Hot Springs is inaccessible. Sespe River Trail - Starting from the Piedra Blanca Trailhead, this trail is 16.8 miles one way and is rated as moderate to difficult. This trail is great for backpacking, camping, and hiking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. The gate from the top is closed because the road is washed out so its about 6 miles to the actual TH. 2. Head out on this 23.2-mile out-and-back trail near Fillmore, California. (661) 245-3731 ext. - Trail was wide open until the switchbacks down towards Alder, - Some serious brushing is needed heading down the switchbacks through Dripping Spring, https://christopherplord.blogspot.com/2018/11/dough-flat-to-sacred-cave-in-sespe.html. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 11 h 16 min. All rights reserved. Enjoy this 2.4-mile loop trail near Livingston Manor, New York. One Study Got it Wrong. Disappears at time; you're better off hiking in the creek bed. Official websites use .gov A .gov A lot of rock cairns guide you here. Solvang, CA 93463 2 stars because the Cow Springs (no shade here) and Alder Camp sites are very nice. Continue on to the end of the road at the Dough Flat trailhead. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure. We didn't see one single person. Steady climb for the next 3.5/4 mi to peak before dropping into Alder Camp. Manyof the areas that were closed for public health and safety concerns following powerful winter storms that inflicted significant damage across the Forest have reopened. Skip to main content . Long sleeves, pants, and a hat are highly recommended tto charge through the brush. Getting to the springs involves going over eight river crossings, but the water might be shallow or dry during the hot summer months. Rest of trail to Coltrell Flats is pretty good but keep steady footing on the small track. Enjoy Your National Forests Safely Know Before You Go! Recorded time is mostly moving. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 49 min to complete. Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area. 0, Ojai Ranger District Be sure to bring long sleeves and long pants for the overgrown sections, as well as sandals or waterproof boots to cross river sections. 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. Hiked Alder Creek Trail from Dough Flat to Alder Creek and continued on down Alder Creek to the Sespe. connected to the .gov website. The sections along the creek to Alder camp and the mile after Alder are washed out; there really is no trail left. on official, secure websites. Photos (13) Directions. Other hikers reported overgrown brush from Alder to Shady Camp. The trail to Cow Spring is in decent shape. Gardens, Parks. River crossings from Coltrell to Sespe Camp are difficult. The Johnson Ridge Trail is also challenging and 9.5 miles each way. The trail below Dripping Springs becomes narrow and sections of the tread have been destroyed from winter flooding. - The trail is passable but needs lots of work from the McDonald Junction out to Alder Creek Camp and beyond to the Sespe. We've covered hot springs as far north as Mammoth Lakes and as far south as the border with Mexico. December 15th April 30th. Lots of nice fall foliage and pretty valley views. Alder Lake in the Catskills of New York is an awesome lake to fish, hike, relax and camp. ALLTRAILS and the AllTrails Mountain Design are registered trademarks of AllTrails, LLC in the United States as well as certain other jurisdictions. The next trail junction is 2.7 miles further. Print/PDF map. At the Sespe Hot Springs via Alder Creek Trail It's not like the Sierra foothills or Big Sur where it is the state plant and things nightmares are made of. The elevation gain at certain parts is extremely tiring and some parts of the trail are overgrown. Start hiking at the Piedra Blanca trailhead and walk four miles along the river to the first campground, Bear Creek. Camped at Alder Ck right where the trail first drops into Alder Ck (hiking east) - didn't go down to Shady Camp. 29. Easy 4.1 (29) South Fork, Colorado. The last track is via the moderately difficult Alder Creek Trail, which runs 7.5 miles . But trail is obvious. Washed-out location: 34.579927, -118.964486. This series of springs create a hot spring creek flowing through the mountains. - After this point the trail gets much worse the short distance until you meet with the main Alder Creek Junction. trailhead you enter the Sespe Wilderness. We started at around 1 pm and didnt get to camp until 7:30 (~23 min mile pace). This, obviously, is to help the California Condors recover from the brink of extinction. I can see why they call it Dough Flats. Santa Barbara, CA 93105 There were several vehicles up there in addition to ours. Ill be back and will take the other trail in instead. There are three different trails that lead to Sespe Hot Springs: 1. East Fork Alder Creek was dry. -Despite the USFS saying the road to Dough Flat TH is closed, it is, in fact, OPEN as of 2/20/2022. -The Sespe River Trail is WASHED OUT so Sespe Hot Springs is inaccessible. From the Shady Camp turnoff, it is (805) 968-6640 or (805) 448-6487, Mt. Overgrown trail that is easy to lose and requires backtracking., Trail is in good shape with several small water crossings up until Cow Camp. We saw some thacher high school students heading out to do trail work. Recorded time is mostly moving. (831) 667-2315 United States . Toggle navigation. A short bushwhack away from the lazy-flowing Sespe leads into Hot Springs Canyon and a sulfur-scented nirvana. We did in 3 days staying at Sespe on the way there and Cow Springs on the way back. Fairly cold still at night and in the morning but perfect during the day. We found hot springs that were about 105 degrees which seems hot, but you get used to it. Deep Creek Hot Springs . If there is no water there, continue to hike downstream 0.8 miles until the trail leaves the drainage bottom. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 11 h 16 min to complete. 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. (805) 448-6487 or (805) 724-0079, Santa Barbara Ranger District Sharing Our Trails - A Guide To Trail Etiquette, Forest Headquarters (Supervisor's Office) Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Started at Dough Flat Gate. We started at around 1 pm and didnt get to camp until 7:30 (~23 min mile pace). Take Highway 126 to Fillmore. Turn north on A Street/Goodenough Road and drive 14.1 miles to Dough Flat. Griffiss International Sculpture Garden and Nature Trail. Rest of trail to Coltrell Flats is pretty good but keep steady footing on the small track. way. User fee: $5 per day/per vehicle, $30 per season/per vehicle; free campfire permit required.