Los Padres National Forest

Grass Mountain

Springtime, Grass Mountain - Figueroa Mountain Area, Santa Lucia Ranger Distict

Dolan Fire Closure - Monterey Ranger District

Dolan Fire Closure MAP- closed roads, trails and campgrounds
Forest Order 05-07-51-21-02 Dolan Fire Area Closure Order This Order is effective from January 22, 2021 through May 21, 2021
Monterey Ranger District/Big Sur Important Information

Visiting National Forests

Please avoid visiting national forests if you are sick and/or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Follow CDC guidance on personal hygiene and social distancing before and during your visit to the forest.

If an area is crowded, move to a less occupied location. Also consider avoiding the forest during high-use periods.

Virtual Services

The Los Padres National Forest's Supervisor's Office (Forest Headquarters) and ranger stations have moved to virtual services. You can access our forest maps at https://www.fs.fed.us/ivm/. If you need immediate assistance or have any questions, please call the phone numbers listed below:

Supervisor’s Office in Solvang – (805) 448-6487
Santa Barbara Ranger District – (805) 448-3648
Santa Lucia Ranger District in Santa Maria – (805) 865-0416
Ojai Ranger District in Ojai – (805) 448-4710
Monterey Ranger District in King City – (831) 385-5434 ext. 0
Mt. Pinos Ranger District in Frazier Park – (661) 556-6110

Popular Recreation Activities

We have lots more information about recreation opportunities across the forest!

A Note About Outdoor Recreation

Outdoor recreation can be beneficial for your health but must be practiced safely. We recommend exercising close to your home and complying with local and state guidance for not traveling for your recreation needs. If an area is crowded, please search for a less occupied location. Stay safe. For more on avoiding COVID-19, visit www.coronavirus.gov.

Features

Figueroa Wildflower Update for April 16, 2021

Hello everyone!

It appears that this year the wildflowers will not be very cooperative. There are more wildflowers on Figueroa Mountain this week than 2 weeks ago, but nowhere near as many as an average wildflower year. There are different varieties of wildflowers in bloom throughout the mountain, however, they are few and far between. Some of the flowers are even starting to go to seed. I’ve observed that this normally happens on dry/drought years. The rain is so little that the plants/seeds must compete for the little moisture that they get. Those that do manage to bloom, stay for a short time then go to seed quickly in order to spread their seeds for next year. Read more...

Mount Pinos Forest Health and Fuels Reduction Project

On April 7, Los Padres National Forest announced a plan to protect areas of the Mount Pinos Ranger District that are at risk to overstocking and the devastating impacts from disease and insect infestation. This forest health project was initially shared with the public in late 2019 during an open house and field visit to the project area. In 2006 public collaboration began when the project was listed in the Mount Pinos Community Wildfire Protection Plan.

The Mount Pinos Forest Health Project is located within a federally designated Insect and Disease Treatment Area where declining forest health conditions put the area at risk for substantial tree mortality over the next 15 years. In the 2014 Farm Bill, Congress authorized the U.S. Forest Service to prioritize work in these designated areas, and to expeditiously plan and implement projects to address the risk posed by insect and disease outbreaks.