Cedar Creek
- 2.0 mi
- round trip
- 53 ft
- climb
- 4,895 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov
- best months
Is Cedar Creek open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 2 alerts for Los Padres National Forest.
Los Padres Fire Use and Firearm Restrictions
Agency alert covering Los Padres National Forest · Order 05-07-00-26-05 · USFS · Los Padres National Forest
Santa Barbara Front Country Fire Use Restrictions
Agency alert covering Los Padres National Forest · Order 05-07-5406-01 · USFS · Los Padres National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Los Padres National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Cedar Creek is an easy, short hike in the Sespe Wilderness, part of the Mt. Pinos Ranger District of Los Padres National Forest in California. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is about 2 miles long, with a low point of about 4,828 feet and a high of about 4,895 feet. The climb is gentle, with a total elevation gain of about 53 feet, and the trail surface is natural. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Sandberg show May highs around 70°F and October highs around 71°F, while July and August average about 88°F. The trail is open to horses, so riders can bring them along. Thorn Point is about 0.8 miles away and Fishbowls about 1.5 miles. For paddling, Sespe Creek is about 6 miles off, and Middle Lion campground is about 6.5 miles away.
- Thorn PointHiking0.8 mi
- FishbowlsHiking1.5 mi
Sespe CreekCanoeingPhoto: Blackmb, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)6.1 mi- Middle LionCamping6.5 mi
- Lockwood CreekCanoeing7.2 mi
- Rose ValleyCamping8 mi
- Sespe Gorge (Black Wall)Rock climbing8.6 mi
Potrero JohnRock climbingPhoto: Dana L. Brown, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)8.7 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Potrero John Creek TrailHiking · ~15 min drivePhoto: Dana L. Brown, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
Middle SespeHiking · ~15 min drivePhoto: Roger Sylvia, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Howard CreekHiking · ~16 min drivePhoto: Roger Sylvia, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Willet Hot Spring TrailHiking · ~11 min drive
- FishbowlsHiking · ~3 min drive
- Cedar Creek TrailHiking · ~3 min drive
- Willet Hot Spring West TrailHiking · ~11 min drive
- StonehouseHiking · ~8 min drive
- Johnston Ridge TrailHiking · ~8 min drive
- East Fork Lion Camp TrailHiking · ~13 min drive
Also worth it near here
Willett Hot SpringsHot spring · ~10 min drivePhoto: Nudeturtle at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Sespe CreekCanoeing · ~11 min drivePhoto: Blackmb, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Rose Valley FallsWaterfall · ~14 min drive
- Potrero JohnRock climbing · ~15 min drivePhoto: Dana L. Brown, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
Best time to visit Cedar Creek
Best months: March–June and September–November. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
52° / 39°
7 wet
Feb
53° / 38°
8 wet
Mar
57° / 41°
7 wet
Apr
62° / 43°
5 wet
May
70° / 49°
3 wet
Jun
80° / 58°
1 wet
Jul
88° / 65°
1 wet
Aug
88° / 65°
1 wet
Sep
83° / 61°
1 wet
Oct
71° / 52°
2 wet
Nov
60° / 44°
4 wet
Dec
52° / 38°
6 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Sandberg, CA, 23.9 mi away at 4,510 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
