Mount Pinos Ranger District

Date: February 2, 2025

Know Before You Go!

The Mt. Pinos Ranger District's Visitor Center is open Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm. Closed on weekends and Federal holidays.

Phone: (661) 245-3731 ext. 0 or call (661) 777-2141

Road Conditions

• Hwy 33 - Open
• I-5 through the Grapevine - Open.
• Frazier Mountain Park Road - Open.
• Cuddy Valley Road /Mt. Pinos Road - Open from the first snow gate up to the top of Mt. Pinos and the Chula Vista Parking Lot - Chains required.
• Lockwood Valley Road - Open.
• Mil Potrero Hwy - from "Y" to PMC - Open, icy in places.
• Mt. Abel/Cerro Noroeste - Closed through spring.

• There is access to Ballinger Canyon off of Hwy 33 from Hwy 166.

• Lockwood Valley Road is Closed from Chico Larsen Rd and Hwy 33 due to storm damage to the road.

• Grade Valley Rd is closed for the winter.

• Santa Barbara Canyon Rd to Cox Flat is closed for the winter.

Mt. Pinos Winter Recreation Information

Snow play and cross-country skiing information including parking and passes, winter weather and road conditions and closures ** updated daily

Adventure Pass Information

An Adventure Pass is needed for parking at snow play areas during winter months, approximately December 1 through April 30. 

There are several small primitive campgrounds on the Mt. Pinos Ranger District that require the Adventure Pass. Valle Vista Campground and Aliso Campground are open year-round. The other Adventure Pass Campgrounds on the Mt. Pinos Ranger District are open approx. May 1 - November 30.

• Dutchman
• Gold Hill Camping Area
• Halfmoon
• Kings
• Pine Springs

Here is a list of businesses that sell the Adventure Pass in the communities located around the Mt. Pinos Ranger District. (Lebec, Frazier Park, Lake of the Woods, Pine Mountain Club, New Cuyama and the sold by the Nordic Ski Patrol at the Nordic Base* - winter only)

Forest Orders and Restrictions

Dry Canyon Area, Roads and Trails, and Wilderness Closure Order

Effective: March 1, 2023, through February 28, 2025

• Forest Closure Order 05-07-57-23-03

• Closure Map

• Exhibit A

Occupancy and Use Forest Order 5-07-00-24-02: Effective February 6, 2024 through February 5, 2026

• Forest Order 5-07-00-24-02

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).

Road Closures – Including OHV/ATV/Motorcyle Trails (# Shown are on the MPRD OHV Map)

• Alamo Mountain – Goldhill Road 8N01 

• Brush Mtn – San Emigdio 9N27 

• Cerro Noroeste Road (Mt Abel) 9N25 (closed for the winter season) 

• Cherry Crk Trail 20W14 (OHV #113) 

• Cottonwood Trail 20W09 (OHV #125) 

• East Frazier Road 8N24 

• Edison Road 9N01 

• Frazier Mountain Road 8N04 (Frazier Mountain access) 

• Grade Valley Road 7N03 

• Halfmoon OHV #132 Trail  20W07 

• Hardluck Road - Closed permanently 7N08 

• Kings CG Road 8N01A . 

• Lockwood Creek Road 8N12 

• Lockwood Creek Trail 20W06 (OHV #127) 

• Miller Jeep Trail 20W06 (OHV #129) 

• Piano Box Loop Road 7N03C 

• Pines Springs Road 7N03A 

• Pleito Crk Trail 21W01 (OHV #111) 

• Rancho Nuevo Road 7N04A 

• Salt Crk Trail 20W01 (OHV #112) 

• San Emigdio Road 9N34 

• San Emigdio Mtn Trail 21W06 (OHV #108) 

• San Emigdio Trail 22W12 (OHV #107) 

• Santa Barbara Canyon Road 9N11 

• Scott Russell Road 9N21 

• Sewart Mtn Road 6N10 

• Tecuya Ace OHV Road 9N22 

• Tinta Road 7N04 

• Tinta Trail 24W02 (OHV #101) 

• Thorn Meadows Road 7N03B 

• 22W01 Toad Springs OHV #105 

• West Frazier Mine Road 20W02 (OHV #118) 

• West Frazier Road 8N42 

• West Frazier Tie Road 20W03 (OHV #119) 

• West Tecuya Road 19W19 

• Yellowjacket Trail 20W24 (OHV #126) – East end of trail 

• West Dry Canyon Road 8N19 

• ** East Dry Canyon including access road, OHV routes and dispersed Dome Springs Camping Area is closed by Forest Order 5-07-57-23-03. 

• Dry Canyon Trails: 22W10, 22W11, and 22W13 due to access into the canyon being closed due to UXO, these cannot be accessed over closed 8N40 Dry Cyn Rd or 22W11Dry Cyn Trail.   

Open Roads

• 8N06 Apache Canyon Rd.* 

• 9N10 Ballinger Canyon Road* 

• Mt. Pinos/Cuddy Valley Rd* 

• 9N09 Quatal Canyon Rd.* 

• *Not part of MVUM closure, open year-round (weather dependent)

Open OHV Roads and Trails

•  Apache Canyon Corridor (103)* 

• 24W06 Apache Canyon Spur* 

• 24W05 Apache Canyon Wash Tr.* 

• Ballinger OHV Riding Area* 

• 23W11 Quatal Wash* 

• 9N09A Quatal Canyon Spur* 

• Quatal Canyon Corridor (106)* 

• 23W29 Sulphur Springs Tr.* 

• Sulphur Spring Canyon (100)* 

• Wagon Road Springs (110)* 

• *Not part of MVUM closure, open year-round (weather dependent) 

Trail numbers are from the Mt Pinos Ranger District "Motor Vehicle Opportunity Guide" available online or at the Ranger Station in Frazier Park. 

Closed Campgrounds

• Campo Alto  

• Caballo 

• Cherry Creek (no restroom)  

• Chuchupate  

• Cottonwood (no restroom) 

• Dome Springs (closed by forest order) 

• Dutchman 

• Gold Hill Camping Area 

• Halfmoon 

• Kings Campground 

• Marian (no restroom) 

• McGill Campground  

• McGill Group Campground  

• Mt. Pinos Campground  

• Pine Springs 

• Pleito Creek (no restroom) 

• Rancho Nuevo (the road is washed out and will add an additional hiking mileage to the campground) (no restroom) 

• Salt Creek (no restroom) 

• Sunset (no restroom) 

• Thorn Meadow - (no restroom) 

Open Campgrounds

• Aliso Campground* 

• Ballinger Canyon* 

• Chula Vista walk-in campground* 

• Nettle Springs (no restroom)* 

• Reyes Creek* 

• Toad Springs* (no restroom) 

• Valle Vista* 

*Campgrounds open year-round (weather dependent)