Coltrell Flat South Los Padres National Forest

• Camp Type: Wilderness Trail Camp
• Topo Map Link: Devils Heart Peak
• Elevation: 2312 feet
• Wilderness Area: Sespe
• County: Ventura County
• Ranger District: Ojai Ranger District
• Longitude: -118.99478
• Latitude: 34.57681
• Water Sources: The Sespe can be dry in this section in Summer and Fall. The spring at camp has been known to maintain a trickle through the dry months.
• Length of Stay: 14 Days
• Reservations: Wilderness Trail Camp

Recent Water Reports:

Date	Surveyor	Water Report
11-17-2022	Los Padres Forest Association	Flowing
12-19-2021	Yertle	Flowing
11-23-2020	Shaddus Maximus	Dry
06-11-2020	Bruce Snider	Flowing
06-14-2019	Anonymous Surveyor	Flowing
04-30-2019	Anonymous Surveyor	Flowing
05-27-2018	Oh Three	Flowing
03-30-2016	Shaddus Maximus	Flowing
04-2-2017	Anonymous Surveyor	Flowing

Photo: Addison Jerlow

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Description:

Coltrell Flat is a small camp along the Sespe River Trail about 10.5 miles downstream from Piedra Blanca Trailhead. Located at the old homestead site of George Cotriell, this camp sits in a large group of Live Oak trees at the edge of an impressive meadow about 0.5 miles upstream of the junction with the Johnston Ridge Trail.

The camp proper contains an old horse corral, unpiped spring, and room for a tent or two. Though the camp itself can be difficult to find and large amounts of poison oak cover the area around the spring, there is plenty of room in the meadow nearby with reasonably easy access to a relatively remote section of Sespe Creek.

Survey Photos:

• 
  Anonymous Surveyor - 04-30-2019
  
• 
  Bruce Snider - 06-11-2020
  Where I camped on sandbar
• 
  Bruce Snider - 06-11-2020
  Where I camped
• 
  Bruce Snider - 06-11-2020
  View Upstream
• 
  Bruce Snider - 06-11-2020
  View Downstream
• 
  Bruce Snider - 06-11-2020
  View Upstream

Submitted Camp Reports

Coltrell Flat Survey - 11-17-2022 - by Los Padres Forest Association

Link:	Coltrell Flat
Date:	11-17-2022
Surveyor Name:	Los Padres Forest Association
Camp Description:	The camp is hard to find but is there up in the oaks on the west side of the flat. Best way to get there is to crosscountry west once the trail dips down furthest into Coltrell Flat Potrero. You won't have to bushwhack much and eventually follow the bear steps up to the camp, corral and spring.
Water Source:	Flowing
Water Source Details:	The camp, corrals and spring are located on the upper west side of the flat up in the oaks. Water was flowing nicely in November 2022.
Weather Conditions:	PERFECT!

Coltrell Flat Survey - 12-19-2021 - by Yertle

Link:	Coltrell Flat
Date:	12-19-2021
Surveyor Name:	Yertle
Camp Description:
Water Source:	Flowing
Water Source Details:
Weather Conditions:

Coltrell Flat Survey - 11-23-2020 - by Shaddus Maximus

Link:	Coltrell Flat
Date:	11-23-2020
Surveyor Name:	Shaddus Maximus
Camp Description:
Water Source:	Dry
Water Source Details:	This section of the Sespe is currently dry here at Coltrell Flat.
Weather Conditions:

Coltrell Flat Survey - 06-11-2020 - by Bruce Snider

Link:	Coltrell Flat
Date:	06-11-2020
Surveyor Name:	Bruce Snider
Camp Description:	I could not find any remains of a Cottriel Camp from walking down to the stream and taking these photos. In order to get to the stream, I had to push through brush. At the campsite, the only place to put my tent was a sandbar on the stream. Down by the stream, I saw footprints of animals but none of people. There are more and nicer camps along Sespe Hot Springs creek, but the water there does not taste very good.
Water Source:	Flowing
Water Source Details:	Good amount of water flowing there in Sespe Creek
Weather Conditions:	Clear, moderate temp.
Images:	Where I camped on sandbar Where I camped View Upstream View Downstream View Upstream

Coltrell Flat Survey - 06-14-2019 - by Anonymous Surveyor

Link:	Coltrell Flat
Date:	06-14-2019
Surveyor Name:	Anonymous Surveyor
Camp Description:	Could not find the campsite at all. Had to continue on to the Sespe Campsite which was great about 1 mile further up the trail to the Hot Springs.
Water Source:	Flowing
Water Source Details:	Lots of water
Weather Conditions:	light breeze, around 81'F

Coltrell Flat Survey - 04-30-2019 - by Anonymous Surveyor

Link:	Coltrell Flat
Date:	04-30-2019
Surveyor Name:	Anonymous Surveyor
Camp Description:	Stayed on the beach in a private Sandy camp couldn't locate the regular campgrounds all grown over afraid of snakes as well walking waist-deep in grass is not fun when you can't see the ground...last time I stayed there was in 92 there was some sort of campground like for horses and such ...unable to locate this time.
Water Source:	Flowing
Water Source Details:	Flowing very good 2 ft deep dropping about 1 in a day...
Weather Conditions:	Cool evening
Images:

Coltrell Flat Survey - 05-27-2018 - by Oh Three

Link:	Coltrell Flat
Date:	05-27-2018
Surveyor Name:	Oh Three
Camp Description:	This camp is a faint memory at best.In fact, it was probably a faint memory decades ago. There's basically nothing there now. I did a 3-day weekend at Sespe over Memorial Day weekend 2018, coming down from the north on Johnson Ridge Trail. On my layover day, I decided to find the apocryphal Coltrell campsite.  I bushwhacked through thick tight chaparral over my head (6'2") and ultimately found the horse corral (yay!) but the only way to get a horse there now would be a helo drop, and even that wouldn't work because the oak trees are covering it.  I never found a picnic table or the remnants of an old camp stove, just the horse corral. Lots of poison oak. If you want to camp around Coltrell Flats, put in another mile, and go to the old car campground 1/2 way up the creek to the Hot Springs. One nice picnic table remains, and plenty of spots for tents. I saw a HUGE king snake go right by my tent, which is good since they eat rattlesnakes. I also saw a HUGE black widow spider right under the seat of the outdoor outhouse. Cuidado!
Water Source:	Flowing
Water Source Details:	River is flowing but there's barely a trickle at the "campsite." Just a wet spot.
Weather Conditions:

Coltrell Flat Survey - 03-30-2016 - by Shaddus Maximus

Link:	Coltrell Flat
Date:	03-30-2016
Surveyor Name:	Shaddus Maximus
Camp Description:
Water Source:	Flowing
Water Source Details:	Good water in the Sespe right now. A bit cold to swim in at the moment, but good to see it flowing so well.
Weather Conditions:

Coltrell Flat Survey - 04-2-2017 - by Anonymous Surveyor

Link:	Coltrell Flat
Date:	04-2-2017
Surveyor Name:	Anonymous Surveyor
Camp Description:	THis used to be a nice campground I assume, there are old stables there ONCE YOU FIND THE spot, but we had to bushwack like crazy to find it and it was completely overgrown, very few flat spots. there is a horse coral and some minor flats spots around that fencing but otherwise its tricky to find. There is a flat meadow near it but again full of bushes and tall grass and not great for camping . Cannot access creek easily without bushwacking through lots of chaparral and poison oakÂ
Water Source:	Flowing
Water Source Details:	Do NOT CAMP HERE UNLESS WITH HORSES
Weather Conditions:

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