Hiking & Backpacking Santa Barbara & Ventura

Find Adventure in California’s Los Padres National Forest

From Gaviota Pass to Lake Piru, the southern Los Padres National Forest stretches across a wide portion of Southern California. Hiking & Backpacking Santa Barbara & Ventura details nearly 100 of the finest routes through this section of the second-largest national forest in the state. Explore lush trails that lead to waterfalls in the Santa Barbara frontcountry. Experience the sweeping vistas and granite-clad ridges of the Chumash Wilderness. Trek among the gnarled conifers atop Mt. Pinos, and find hot springs deep within the wilderness. Local author Craig R. Carey leads you through this varied terrain, with section maps, GPS coordinates, and information to know where to go and what to expect along the way.

Inside You’ll Find:

• Detailed day trips along frontcountry routes above Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, Ventura, Ojai, Santa Paula, Fillmore, and Piru
• Perfect weekend backpacking trips within easy driving distance of the coast communities
• Deep backcountry routes through seldom-seen stretches of the Chumash, San Rafael, Dick Smith, Sespe, and Matilija wildernesses
• Recommendations for little hikers, multiday treks, backcountry hot springs, and remote corners of the forest
• Detailed maps, waypoints, camps, trailhead directions, and permit information