Santa Paula Canyon Trail - Los Padres National Forest
Trail Distance 6.05 Miles

Submitted Trail Reports

Santa Paula Canyon Trail Survey - 07-05-2024 - by Anonymous Surveyor

Link:	Santa Paula Canyon Trail
Date:	07-05-2024
Surveyor Name:	Anonymous Surveyor
Trail description:	This trail is advertised online as a good waterside trail for dogs, but upon entering the water at the start of the trail our three dogs became covered in thick tarry oil. We had to immediately leave and go to the nearest park bathroom to try and scrub them down as much as possible. There needs to be a sign at the start of the trail warning people with dogs about this oil in the water.
Mode of transport:	Hike
Trail condition:	Needs some work
Condition details:	Oil in water- danger to dogs

Santa Paula Canyon Trail Survey - 08-21-2022 - by Andy M

Link:	Santa Paula Canyon Trail
Date:	08-21-2022
Surveyor Name:	Andy M
Trail description:	Trail up the East Fork to Cieneg is in rough shape after about a mile from the junction. I felt glad for even 100 yards of trail at a time. Someone has blazed in a rainbow of colors, but not consistent. I had planned to visit Cieneg then summit Santa Paula Peak, but had to turn back. There is an unmarked campsite with simple fire grate about halfway. Santa Paula Peak trail appears to be washed out, at least I couldn't find it. Don't try this trail unless you are very confident in your backcountry skills. Thank you to Friends of Los Padres for the maintenance work you do! A few saws, machetes, and blaze paint would do wonders. I saw loads of large animal scat and tracks.
Mode of transport:	Hike
Trail condition:	Non existent
Images:	Awesome views Example of the unconventional blazing Unmarked campsite roughly halfway between Big Cone and Cieneg Animal tracks Very cool waterfall

Santa Paula Canyon Trail Survey - 05-26-2021 - by Josie

Link:	Santa Paula Canyon Trail
Date:	05-26-2021
Surveyor Name:	Josie
Trail description:	Trail is in great shape to Big Cone camp. From Big Cone east, it becomes increasingly difficult to follow. There is some pink flagging in places and a few cairns to help mark the way, but the creek has reclaimed a lot of trail. Keep your eyes up and pay attention, especially towards the end! We had hoped to visit Cienega camp, but lost the trail in the last ~half mile and couldn't find the right spot to leave the creek. Lots of flowers in bloom despite the low rain.
Mode of transport:	Hike
Trail condition:	Hard to follow

Santa Paula Canyon Trail Survey - 09-22-2019 - by Christopher P. Lord

Link:	Santa Paula Canyon Trail
Date:	09-22-2019
Surveyor Name:	Christopher P. Lord
Trail description:	Travelled the length of the East fork 21W11 on Sunday from Cienega Camp to the new trailhead access at Thomas Aquinas College. Reading prior reports of this trail makes the journey sound horrendous, in reality it is not that bad if you understand whats going here. The trail is in great shape from the college to Big Cone Camp. After dropping into the creek from Big cone only sporadic sections exist the rest is purley boulder hopping. Pink flagging can be followed all the way up the creek and to the exit point where you will make the climb to cienega at N34° 26' 49.5" W119° 01' 35.4" Make sure to not blow past this point or you will dead end into a waterfall and have to back track. Waterflow right now is easily manageable, I did not once get my feet wet. The poison oak is easily avoidable, wear long sleeves and pants if you're susceptible. This by no means needs to be an exercise in suffering. I found this trail to be lovely and just the kind off remote adventure I'm looking for. Anyone who has experience travelling through creek beds may feel the same. For further details see the link below.  https://christopherplord.blogspot.com/2019/09/cienega-bluff-camps.html
Mode of transport:	Hike
Trail condition:	Hard to follow
Images:	lots of boulder hopping Plaster looking walls Exit point for Cienega notice the pink Flagging How nice is that ? Another view of where to exit for Cienega

Santa Paula Canyon Trail Survey - 10-06-2018 - by C Goodyear

Link:	Santa Paula Canyon Trail
Date:	10-06-2018
Surveyor Name:	C Goodyear
Trail description:	Goal today was to hike the whole trail up to either SP Peak or Bluff Camp. It was smooth sailing up to Big Cone Campground and the lower Punchbowls.  East past the Punchbowls was purely an exercise in suffering, though. Less than a quarter mile in, I gave up trying to find any consistent semblance of a trail. I saw occasional tape flags from someone's earlier trip, but the very best paths were just brief runs of loose, sandy creek bed; other than that it's all scrambling through overgrown, boulder-stacked, (often loose) debris-filled narrows while dodging fields of poison oak. Even machete-ing through the tougher underbrush turned out to be pretty useless. In the end, I was just under half a mile from Cieneg Camp when I ran into an impassable, ~100 ft high dry waterfall. Both GPS and the terrain told me I was on the right course, but I'd seen absolutely nothing besides the creek bed that looked remotely navigable. If there ever was a real trail out in those parts, it's long gone by now.
Mode of transport:	Hike
Trail condition:	Non existent
Condition details:	Naught but a Bushwhack Past The Punchbowls
Images:	All quiet at Big Cone East of the Punchbowls,this is the very best the trail gets (and it doesn't last long). Pretty, but not a practical path; it winds up climbing the wall to the left to get past. Typical view of an only-route-available. End of the line, but probably gorgeous in the rain.

Santa Paula Canyon Trail Survey - 09-16-2017 - by Fritz

Link:	Santa Paula Canyon Trail
Date:	09-16-2017
Surveyor Name:	Fritz
Trail description:	The trail section from the punch bowls to Jackson Hole camp was heavily overgrown and nearly impassable. There were points where we were on our hands and knees crawling under brush. Lost the trail twice and had to backtrack and search for markers. Game trails look more heavily used then the actual trail. Took about 2.5 hours to hike the 1.5 miles to the falls.
Mode of transport:	Hike
Trail condition:	Hard to follow
Condition details:	Easy trail from the college to the puch bowls. Punch bowls to Jackson Hole camp was heavily overgrown and nearly impassable.

Santa Paula Canyon Trail Survey - 07-22-2017 - by Anonymous Surveyor

Link:	Santa Paula Canyon Trail
Date:	07-22-2017
Surveyor Name:	Anonymous Surveyor
Trail description:	Due to fire and investigationÂ
Mode of transport:	Hike
Trail condition:	Non existent
Condition details:	Trail closed
Images:	Trail closed at highway

Santa Paula Canyon Trail Survey - 07-21-2017 - by Anonymous Surveyor

Link:	Santa Paula Canyon Trail
Date:	07-21-2017
Surveyor Name:	Anonymous Surveyor
Trail description:	Trail Curently CLOSEDÂ
Mode of transport:	Hike
Trail condition:	Non existent
Condition details:	Forest Service has Closed this trail, it will be closed for weeks due to a major fire

Santa Paula Canyon Trail Survey - 06-05-2017 - by Ellie

2nd punchbowl

Link:	Santa Paula Canyon Trail
Date:	06-05-2017
Surveyor Name:	Ellie
Trail description:	Trail was easy to follow, but littered with trash and graffiti. We picked up enough trash to fill an entire garbage bag. The water was flowing and cold. We also went for a swim in all three of the pools. Great hike if you can ignore the graffiti.
Mode of transport:	Hike
Trail condition:	Good shape and easy to follow

Santa Paula Canyon Trail Survey - 04-06-2015 - by Dave Leoncavallo

Link:	Santa Paula Canyon Trail
Date:	04-06-2015
Surveyor Name:	Dave Leoncavallo
Trail description:	The trail is easy to follow, though polluted, from Thomas Aquinas to Big Cone camp.  Turning east, it quickly becomes non-existent from Big Cone to La Cienaga.  We had to creek hop for most of the journey.  We had the help of GPS to guide us to the point in the creek bed where the trail materializes again up a wooded slope to the east.  Without the GPS, I don't know if we would have found the trail again.  Lots of poison oak along the way and not a soul to be found.
Mode of transport:	Hike
Trail condition:	Hard to follow
Condition details:	Thomas Aquinas to La Cienaga

Santa Paula Canyon Trail Survey - 06-08-2014 - by Nate Kirby

Link:	Santa Paula Canyon Trail
Date:	06-08-2014
Surveyor Name:	Nate Kirby
Trail description:	This is a tale of two trails. The first half is trashed from overuse and the second has been totally neglected. Santa Paula Canyon trail up to Jackson Camp. The trail is wide and well traveled from Thomas Aquinas to Cross Camp above the Punch Bowl. The portion of the trail between Cross Camp and Jackson Camp is in very poor condition - heavily overgrown and difficult to follow. The contrast is amazing.
Mode of transport:	Hike
Trail condition:	Hard to follow
Condition details:	Brushy, overgrown, poison oak, washed out tread
People Seen:	10-20

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