Los Padres National Forest

Encompassing almost two million acres, the Los Padres is the third largest National Forest in California. It occupies a major portion of the coastal mountain ranges and extends for about 220 miles from the west boundary of Los Angeles County to mid-Monterey County on the north.

The Forest spans some of the most ruggedly beautiful landscapes to be found anywhere in California. This environment provides wide diversity of plant communities and wildlife habitat. The Forest provides habitat for endangered species, including the California Condor.

The Los Padres is largely unroaded. The Forest provides a scenic backdrop for the communities of Ojai, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. The Forest also borders the Big Sur coast in Monterey County.

Visitors are attracted to the Los Padres by the variety of terrain, vegetation, and recreational settings which include ocean beaches, sub-alpine forest, chaparral, desert badlands, and riparian areas. The Big Sur area, on the beautiful Monterey coastline, is a national and international attraction which is visited by millions of travelers each year. Recreational activities include camping, hiking, scenic driving, OHV riding and camping, equestrian riding, fishing, snow play, beach walks, wildflower viewing, picnicking, rock climbing and more.