Los Padres National Forest
A cool experience with 6 to 10 mile hikes
Pups are welcome at camp and on hiking trails
Driving to and sleeping at a campground
Trip · 3-day camping trip
For · Families
Vibe · Moderate and fun
Permits · No need for a wilderness permit, just fill out a CA campfire permit online and reserve a campsite
Drive · 4 hours from LA and SF
Ideal dates · November to March to see the seals and the best waterfalls
Pets · Welcome on trails and campgrounds
Los Padres National Forest (LPNF) boasts a whopping ten wilderness areas: Ventana, Silver Peak, Santa Lucia, Garcia, Machesna, San Rafael, Dick Smith, Matilija, Sespe, and Chumash. In total, the forest has a mind blowing 1.75 million acres. This trek takes you through Silver Peak Wilderness, which is supervised by the Monterey Ranger District, and covers 31,555 acres along the central coast. You'll walk through chaparral scrub to pockets of dense redwood forest—with seaside vistas and flowing streams. Did we mention there's a glorious waterfall too?
Official National Forest Website
Main image credit: Wikipedia
Each campsite comes with a:
Plaskett Creek Campground offers a beautiful location just minutes from Sand Dollar Beach, one of the largest and most popular beaches in central California. The campground gives visitors access to a variety of outdoor activities, including water play and exploration of the surrounding hills and forests. The family-friendly campground offers comfortably equipped sites, allowing anyone to enjoy a relaxing stay in the Los Padres National Forest.
Check-in: Noon · Check-out: Noon
Nightly Rate: $45
Silver Peak is named for "the silvery sheen of the chaparral vegetation that covers its slopes," according to the USFS wilderness map
Silver Peak Wilderness is known for its lush and unique vegetation along the creeks. This includes fern-covered canyons, grass and oak-dotted meadows, and heavy timber. The Wilderness hides the world's southernmost stand of redwoods, an isolated grove of coastal redwoods.
California has the second largest number of wilderness areas in the nation (Alaska has the most)
This was GCI's first rocker and it remains their most popular. It's easy to open and close, and comes with a handle to carry around.
Shared Gear
A dreamy, colorful sweater to sport around camp and on chillier day hikes.
Clothes
Light as a feather and versatile enough to use for running, camping, and other nighttime activities.
Essential Items
Imagine a sleeping pad, bag, and blanket all in one. It takes some getting used to, but people love it.
Essential Items
It's not the lightest cot available, but it's comfortable, easy to set up, and break down.
Essential Items
Sturdy, reliable, well-designed, and more expensive than most camp chairs, but it'll last for awhile.
Shared Gear
They're expensive, but you can lean on these bad boys for river crossings and navigating all kinds of terrain.
Essential Items
This mineral-based sunscreen is good for the envrionment and your skin. It's water resistant too.
Personal Stuff
When a campground is short of sinks, bring your own. Clean your dirty dishes in this expandable bin.
Kitchen
This backpacking stove weighs a couple of ounces and has a built-in igniter. It stands out in windy weather.
Kitchen
Camp underneath the stars and watch glorious sunrises in Joshua Tree National Park, the second largest national park in California.
