Johnston Ridge
- 3.8 mi
- round trip
- 364 ft
- climb
- 5,175 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov
- best months
Is Johnston Ridge 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.
Johnston Ridge is a 3.75-mile moderate hike in California's Sespe Wilderness, within the Mt. Pinos Ranger District of Los Padres National Forest. The trail is an out-and-back with a total elevation gain of 364 feet, rising from about 4,800 feet to about 5,175 feet. The Forest Service manages the land, and the route is natural-surfaced and open year-round. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Sandberg, which sits about 665 feet lower than the trail, show May highs around 70°F and October highs around 71°F, with only a few wet days in each month. Summer is hot, with July and August highs near 88°F. The trail is not accessible. Horses are allowed, so riders can take the route on foot or on horseback. The Johnston Ridge Trail and Stonehouse both start within a quarter mile, and the Little Mutau Trail is about 1.8 miles away. For paddling, Lockwood Creek is about 6 miles off.
- Johnston Ridge TrailHiking0.2 mi
- StonehouseHiking0.2 mi
- Little Mutau TrailHiking1.8 mi
- Sespe Hot Springs TrailHiking4.1 mi
- Lockwood CreekCanoeing6.1 mi
Piru CreekCanoeingPhoto: Forest Service, USDA, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)7.3 mi
Sespe CreekCanoeingPhoto: Blackmb, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)7.8 mi- Middle LionCamping9.5 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Spruce TrailHiking · ~17 min drivePhoto: Damian Gadal, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Johnston Ridge TrailHiking · Next door
- StonehouseHiking · Next door
- Sespe Hot Springs TrailHiking · ~7 min drive
- Little Mutau TrailHiking · ~3 min drive
- Little Mutau TrailHiking · ~3 min drive
- Willet Hot Spring TrailHiking · ~8 min drive
- Old Sespe River TrailHiking · ~8 min drive
- FishbowlsHiking · ~7 min drive
- Willet Hot Spring West TrailHiking · ~8 min drive
Also worth it near here
- HalfmoonCamping · ~3 min drive
Willett Hot SpringsHot spring · ~7 min drivePhoto: Nudeturtle at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Piru CreekCanoeing · ~12 min drivePhoto: Forest Service, USDA, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)
Hines PeakSummit · ~16 min drivePhoto: Chevy111, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Best time to visit Johnston Ridge
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, 19.3 mi away at 4,510 ft. The station sits about 700 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
