Editor’s note: More than 19 inches of rain fell on Santa Barbara County on Jan. 9 alone and the South Coast took the brunt of it. Ventura County also got hit with about 10-13 inches near populated areas and much more in the mountains. Here the Los Padres Forest Association has information on the Trails, as of our press time (Jan. 30).
From the Los Padres Forest Association (LPFA):
It's been a busy month and beyond the January storms and we've been fielding a TON of questions about the current storm related closure that is impacting most of the Los Padres National Forest. Information is changing by the hour but here's the latest.
Most of the Los Padres remains closed through March 14. This includes all the Ojai, Santa Barbara, Santa Lucia and Monterey Ranger Districts. The Mount Pinos RD is open, yet all the usual winter seasonal gate closures are in effect. Check with CalTrans and Ranger Districts before you go.
The whole mountain buried a portion of the San Ysidro Trail.
Forest Service has been busy primarily working on clearing roads and assessing infrastructure damage.
As of late January, there remain over 150 people stranded.
Most of the access roads into the forest are closed and, in some cases, may remain closed for quite some time. In support, the LPFA has started surveying many of the front country trails above both Santa Barbara as well as Ojai. While the backcountry may be closed for some time, the strategy is to get the front country reopened as soon as possible and then work out and back from there.
Unfortunately, we're seeing substantial damage (slides, washouts, gullies, sinkholes, etc.) across most front country trails and in a few cases showstopper damage that won't be repaired anytime soon.
The LPFA Trail Crew has been working with Montecito Trails Foundation to repair some of the trails within and above Santa Barbara. We will be preparing weekly progress reports.
We've also been collaborating with Santa Barbara County Trails Council to restore some of the trails that are outside the current forest closure. Meanwhile, if you are looking for a trail, explore your local parks, open spaces and managed lands.
Several SB County parks are closed because of flooded access roads or damage to park infrastructure, including the popular Jalama Beach and Cachuma Lake Recreation Area (day use). The county also closed Guadalupe Dunes because the entrance road is flooded. Goleta Beach Park is closed to vehicles to allow access for dump trucks bringing in mud, silt and rocks for disposal on the shoreline.
State Parks fully closed include Carpinteria State Beach, Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park, El Capitan State Beach, Refugio State Beach, and Gaviota State Park.
To volunteer to help trail crews, please call 805-405-8628 or email info@lpforest.org.
From the Sierra Club’s Outings Chair, Maureen Hernandez:
We have done hikes in Satwiwa Park, and the upper trails are open. Sulphur Mountain drained well and is open. Otherwise, we have been staying flat and dry. Harbor Island, Bubbling Springs, Ventura Mission to Grant Park, Canada Larga, and Calleguas Creek bike path are dry. We've been staying away from any trail with a water crossing such as Ventura River Preserve and Sisar Canyon and, of course, upper Ojai.
From Ventura Land Trust (VLT):
Ventura County sat squarely in the path of an atmospheric river that dumped historic levels of rainfall on our state.
The Ventura River watershed received the brunt of the impact, and VLT's two Ventura River preserves (Big Rock and Willoughby) were inundated with rushing water. The water pushed debris through the riverbed like a bulldozer, carving new river channels, carrying an astonishing amount of sediment downriver, and rearranging the riverbed channels.
Trails throughout Big Rock and Willoughby were destroyed.
Harmon Canyon Preserve at the east end of Foothill Road also received an historic amount of rain, excising streambed crossings, carving deep ruts, triggering landslides, and causing massive sinkholes. It is an immensely popular hiking and biking destination that just opened in 2022.
Due to unsafe conditions, all VLT's public preserves are closed for an indefinite amount of time and the public is asked to respect these closures.
To keep apprised of the status, or donate with your time and talents, please visit venturalandtrust.org.