California · Hiking · Sespe Wilderness · Near Moorpark

Sespe River

29.0 mi
round trip
2,201 ft
climb
2,994 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov
best months

Is Sespe River open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 2 alerts for Los Padres National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · Los Padres National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

The Sespe River hike is a 29-mile out-and-back route in the Sespe Wilderness, part of the Ojai Ranger District of Los Padres National Forest in California. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail runs entirely within designated wilderness. The route rises from about 2,227 feet to about 2,994 feet, with a total elevation gain of 2,201 feet. It is a hard hike, and the trail surface is natural. Horses are allowed, but bikes are not, and the trail is not accessible. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Sandberg, which sits about 1,500 feet lower than the trail, show May highs around 70°F and October highs around 71°F, while July and August average highs near 88°F. Sespe Creek, a canoeing spot, lies about 1.3 miles away, and the Gene Marshall-Piedra Blanca National Recreation Trail is about 1.7 miles off. Middle Lion campground is about 2.2 miles away, and the East Fork Lion Camp Trail is about 2.6 miles away.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Bear Creek

    Campground

    Campground · 1.6 mi from the trail
  • If it rainsFettlemap, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    Dudley House

    Museum

    Museum · 21 mi from Moorpark

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: Fettlemap, CC BY-SA 3.0 (commons)

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