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Santa Lucia Ranger District
Springtime backpacking on the Manzana Creek Trail , San Rafael Wilderness
Date: September 1, 2024
Know Before You Go!
- Santa Lucia Ranger District: 805-925-9538. Press #1 for road and recreation site conditions/open/closed areas. Press #0 to reach a visitor information assistant.
- The office in Santa Maria is open Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm. Closed weekends and federal holidays.
- The office is located at 1616 N. Carlotti Drive, Santa Marica, CA 93454.
- Check weather conditions before you head out into the forest. Locations: Santa Maria/Santa Ynez Valley/San Luis Obispo/Pozo/Atascadero The National Weather Service
- Contact www.recreation.gov to make or cancel a camping reservation or call 1-877-444-6777.
- Parks Management Company - www.campone.com or email: customerservice@pmcparks.com
Lake Fire Information and Closures
The Lake Fire
For information about closures due to the Lake Fire, contact the Santa Lucia Ranger District, Mon-Fri from 8:00am - 4:30pm at (805) 925-9538 x 0.
Full Incident Details: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/calpf-2024-lake-fire
Road Closures:
- Figueroa Lookout Rd up to the Pino Alto Picnic Area and the Lookout Day Use Area are closed due to the Lake Fire Closure.
Campground Closures
Figueroa Mountain Day Use Areas
Closed due to the Lake Fire Forest Closure Order
Trail Closures
All trails in the Figueroa Mountain Recreation Area are closed due to the Lake Fire Closure:
- Davy Brown Trail from Figueroa Mountain
- La Jolla Trail - Figueroa Mountain
- White Rock Trail - Figueroa Mountain
- Munch Trail - Figueroa Mountain
- Willow Springs - Figueroa Mountain
Midland School Hiking Trails - Figueroa Mountain Area
Closed due to the Lake Fire
Forest Orders
Lake Fire Post-Burn Safety Forest Closure Order 05-07-53-24-21
Effective August 29 2024 through January 31, 2025
Happy Canyon Road is open to Sunset Valley Rd. Sunset Valley Rd is open to Davy Brown and Nira. Davy Brown and Nira campgrounds are open on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are available on September 16, 2024. The Manzana Creek Trail is open, but several trail camps are still closed: Potrero, Coldwater and Horsehoe Bend.
Figueroa Mountain Road is open from Hwy 154/Los Olivos up and over to Cachuma Saddle.
The McKinley Peak Trail is open at Cachuma Saddle.
The following areas in the Figueroa Mountain Recreation Area are closed:
Figueroa Campground, Pino Alto Picnic Area, Figueroa Lookout and Cumbre Day Use. The Figueroa Lookout Rd to these day use/picnic areas are closed.
Zaca Ridge Road, Catway Road, Catway OHV and the East Pinery OHV Trail are open.
All Figueroa Mountain hiking trails are closed.
Special Closure - Public Health and Safety 5-07-53-24-06
Black Mountain and Navajo Road area closures
-
This Order is effective from August 16, 2024 through September 30, 2024
- Forest Closure Order
- Forest Closure Order MAP
Navajo Road (NFS Road 29S02.1) beginning at Turkey Flat OHV Staging Area and Black Mountain Road (NFS Road 29S10) beginning at the 5-Points road/trail junction and continuing to the end of the road at the top of Black Mountain on the Santa Lucia Ranger District will be closed to the public for road repairs.
Repair work will begin the week of April 1 and is estimated to be completed by the beginning of July. The project includes the installation of Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) retaining walls and drainage features to ensure that water is diverted off the road without destabilizing the roadbed during extreme rain events.
During the construction period, Turkey Flats OHV Staging Area and the OHV trails in the Pozo area will remain open to the public as long as riders respect the closure area. There will also be no legal access to La Canada OHV trail (NFS Road 18E02) for vehicles over 50-inches wide. Repair crews will provide access to permit holders and emergency vehicles as needed during construction. However, Navajo and Black Mountain Roads will be closed to all public traffic, including hikers, bicyclists, and horseback riders until the project is completed.
Special Forest Closure Order - Storm Damage and Recovery: Effective: July 19, 2024 through July 18, 2025
Santa Lucia Ranger District - Special Closure Forest Order 05-07-53-24-13
Target Shooting Prohibition
Firearms Prohibition Forest Order: Effective February 15, 2023 through December 31, 2024
Occupancy and Use Forest Order 5-07-00-24-02 effective February 6, 2024 through February 5, 2026
Pursuant to 16 U.S.C. § 551 and 36 C.F.R. § 261.S0(a), and to provide for public safety and protect natural resources, the following act is prohibited within the Los Padres National Forest. This Order is effective from February 6, 2024, through February 5, 2026.
1. Camping:
a. in a developed campground, for a period longer than 14 consecutive days or for more than 28 days during a calendar year; or
b. anywhere other than a developed campground, for a period longer than seven consecutive days or for more than 21 days during a calendar year.
36 C.F.R. § 261.58(a).
Forest Order 05-07-53-22-05 West Cuesta Fire Use Restrictions. This Order is effective from September 16, 2022, through September 15, 2024.
West Cuesta Ridge Rd (TV Tower Rd)
Figueroa Mountain OHV Trails
Open
- Catway
- East Pinery
- 8N02 / Zaca Ridge Rd
- 8N02A / Zaca Peak OHV Rd
Open Roads
- Bates Canyon Rd from the campground up to Sierra Madre Rd
- Catway
- Figueroa Mountain Rd from Hwy 154/Los Olivos over to Cachuma Saddle
- Happy Canyon Road to Sunset Valley Road
- Hi Mountain Rd
- Pozo Summit Rd
- Sierra Madre Rd from Hwy 166 to McPhearson Peak and Miranda Pine Campground
- Sunset Valley Rd to Davy Brown and Nira Campgrounds and the trailheads to the Manzana Creek trail
- West Cuesta/TV Tower Rd
- Zaca Ridge Road
Temporarily Closed Roads - Forest Order 5-07-53-24-13
- Black Mouintain Rd 29S10
- Navajo Road 29S02.1
- 11N04.4 / Colson Canyon Road
- 12N03.1 / Old Sierra OHV Road
- 12N03.2 / Old Sierra Road
- 28S02.1 & 02.2 / Fernandez Road
- 31S02.1 & 02.2 / Branch Mountain Road
- 31S02.3 & 02.4 / Branch Mountain OHV Road.
- 31S13 / Branch Mountain Road
- 32S09 / Jolla Road
Campgrounds
- Nira Campground - Open by first-come, first-served only. Reservations on Recreation.gov starting on September 16, 2024
- Davy Brown Campground - Open by first-come, first-served only. Reservations on Recreation.gov starting on September 16, 2024
- Bates Campground (Hwy 166) - Open
- Baja (Rockfront OHV Area) - Open
- Buck Springs (Rockfront OHV Area) - Open
- Cerro Alto Campground is open, but due to storm damage, sites# 4,5,6 and 7 are closed until further notice.
- Hi Mountain Campground
- Miranda Pine (Sierra Madre Rd) - Open
- Navajo Flat (Pozo/La Panza area)
- Turkey Flat (Pozo/La Panza area)
- American Canyon Campground - Only open during Zone A Deer Hunting Season (Aug-September)
- Barrel Springs Campground - Closed
- Brookshire - Closed
- Friis (Pozo/La Panza OHV Area) - Closed
- Horseshoe Springs - Closed
- La Panza Campground - Closed
- Paradise (Rockfront OHV Area) - inaccessible due to Paradise Rd/Trail closure (Trail 26) - Closed
- Wagon Flat - Closed
Rockfront Ranch OHV Area
Open
There are still a few trails in Rockfront that are not open to the public yet. These are: Paradise 17E08 (Trail 26) and Twin Rocks 17E12 (Trail 30). These trails are marked at Rockfront. Repairs to these trails are ongoing.
Baja and Buck Springs campgrounds will be open when Rockfront re-opens after the upcoming storms and will be accessible. Paradise campground is inaccessible due to the closure of Paradise Trail.
Open Pozo OHV Trailheads/Staging Areas
- Navajo Flat OHV Staging Area
- Turkey Flat OHV Staging Area
Open Pozo/La Panza OHV Trails
- 15E05 Howard’s Bypass OHV Trail
- 15E07 Powerline OHV Trail
- 16E22 McGinnis Creek OHV Trail
- 116E04 Queen Bee OHV Trail
- 16E08 Las Chiches OHV Trail
- 16E09 Pine Mountain OHV Trail
- 16E16 Mare Springs OHV Trail
- 116E21 Burnout OHV Trail
- 6E02 Las Chiches Cut-Off OHV Trail
- 18E02 La Canada Trail
- 18E05 La Panza OHV Trail
- Navajo Flat OHV Staging Area
- 16E23 Navajo Bypass OHV Trail
- 16E24 Tower OHV Trail
- Turkey Flat OHV Staging Area
- 28S02A Benchmark OHV Road
Hiking Trails
- Davy Brown Trail from Figueroa Mountain - Closed due to the Lake Fire
- La Jolla Trail - Figueroa Mountain - Closed
- White Rock Trail - Figueroa Mountain - Closed
- Munch Trail - Figueroa Mountain - Closed
- Willow Springs - Figueroa Mountain - Closed
- Manzana Creek Trail West to Manzana Schoolhouse - Open
- Manzana Creek Trail East to Manzana Narrows - Open
- McKinley Trail from Cachuma Saddle/Happy Canyon Rd - Open
- Cerro Alto Trail - Open
- East Cuesta Ridge Road (hiking or bicycles only - no vehicles) and trails off of Hwy 101 - Cuesta Grade - Open
- Adobe Trail - Off of Hwy 166 - Open
- Gifford Trail - Off of Hwy 166 - Open
- Willow Springs Trail - Off of Hwy 166 - Open
Permanently closed campgrounds
- Colson Campground
La Brea Area road and trail closures
La Brea/Colson area past the Colson Campground (Forest Road 11N04).
-
Forest Order 05-07-53-22-11 La Brea Road Closure Expires: 9-2-2023
- Forest Order 05-07-53-22-11 La Brea Road Closure Map
La Brea Area campground closures
- La Brea Area: Barrel Springs, Wagon Flat
- Buckhorn Ridge OHV Area - Bear Canyon Campground
Buckhorn Ridge OHV Area Rd and OHV riding Area/trail closures
- Buckhorn Ridge OHV Area (Buckhorn Ridge, Horshoe Spring Spur, Bear Canyon Loop and Bear Canyon Campground).
- Kerry Canyon OHV Trail/Area is temporarily closed until further notice.