Fall colors on the Ojai Ranger District

Current Fire Restrictions

• Current Fire Restrictions

Wood and charcoal fires are prohibited in all areas of Los Padres National Forest including designated Campfire Use sites; however, persons with a valid California Campfire permit may use portable lanterns or stoves using gas, jellied petroleum, or pressurized liquid fuel, with shut-off valves anywhere in the Forest.

​Visiting National Forests

Outdoor recreation can be beneficial for your health but must be practiced safely. 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.

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 Lucia Ranger District in Santa Maria –  (805) 865-0416
• Santa Barbara Ranger District (805) 724-0079
• Ojai Ranger District in Ojai – (805) 448-4710
• Monterey Ranger District in King City – (831) 242-0619
• Mt. Pinos Ranger District in Frazier Park – (661) 805-1057

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Popular Recreation Activities

        

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

Features

Restoring Los Padres’ Native Steelhead Trout Habitat

The anadromous Southern California steelhead (SCS) trout distinct population segment indigenous to Southern California received Endangered Species status in 1997 due to declining numbers. Over the last two decades, the situation for these trout native to Los Padres National Forest (LPNF) has continued to deteriorate, and the species now have one of the highest levels of federal protection. 

Stream conditions and steelhead critical habitat were further degraded by the massive Zaca Fire in 2007 that denuded landscapes above traditional steelhead spawning waters and contributed to greater sediment deposition downstream. As SCS stocks have declined substantially from their historic numbers across the LPNF and other part of Southern California, many are now facing extinction.

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Protecting Pine Mountain and Reyes Peak

On May 8, 2020, Los Padres National Forest introduced a plan to protect areas of Pine Mountain and Reyes Peak that are at risk due to overstocking and the devastating impacts from disease and insect infestation. The Reyes Peak Forest Health and Fuels Reduction Project lays within a federally designated Insect and Disease Treatment Area where declining forest health conditions have put the area at risk for substantial tree mortality over the next 15 years. The primary goal of this project is reduce tree densities to promote forest resilience to drought, insect and disease, and wildfire. To achieve this goal, professional Forest managers will selectively thin specific areas to enhance forest health across 755 acres on Pine Mountain between California Highway 33 and Reyes Peak in Ventura County.

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Spotlights

Crews Take Mule Train into Sespe

On April 14, 2021, two strings of pack mules of eight animals apiece left a trailhead north of Ojai, carrying tools and supplies for a major trail project in the Sespe Wilderness.

Region 5 Pack Stock Center of Excellence

Watch this short video to learn more about the Pacific Southwest Region’s Pack Stock Center of Excellence and how horses and mules have been used in the agency since its inception.