Sespe Hot Springs

What to expect

Sespe Hot Springs is the real backcountry option in Southern California. There is no road, no ranger station and no developed tub. Water comes out of the sandstone on a slope above Sespe Creek at around 190°F88°C, one of the hottest readings for any natural spring in the region, and runs down a side canyon as its own small creek. The US Geological Survey documented the springs in 1915, and the Chumash knew them long before that.

Because the source is close to boiling, you do not soak at the top. You walk down Hot Springs Creek and find a rock or boulder-lined pool where enough cooling has happened. Hikers stack and restack these pools, and winter floods wash them out, so the layout changes from year to year. One report from late 2022 noted that the pools by the lower camp had been washed out and not yet rebuilt. Arrive expecting to do a little rock moving.

The setting is dry, open chaparral at about 2,700 feet, with steam rising off a ribbon of green in an otherwise brown canyon. Bighorn sheep are seen here regularly, sometimes in herds of 20 or more. At night the sky is very dark. Expect to share the canyon with a few other backpackers on spring weekends and almost nobody midweek in late fall.

There are no toilets, trash cans or treated water. The nearest help is a full day’s walk away.

Getting there

The springs sit in the Sespe Wilderness of Los Padres National Forest, north of Fillmore and east of Ojai. Three trailheads lead in, and each one is a serious walk.

• From Mutau Flat (shortest): The Johnston Ridge Trail (20W12) starts near Mutau Flat on the Mt. Pinos Ranger District, reached by dirt forest roads south from Lockwood Valley Road. The trail runs about 9.3 miles with roughly 3,500 feet of climbing on the way back out. It drops steeply into Hot Springs Canyon after about 3 miles, and there is little shade or water for the first 7 miles. The side trail to Hot Springs Creek comes in around mile 8.5. A February 2026 report described heavy flood damage in the lower canyon, while a May 2026 report said the trail was in good shape again. Conditions can change after any big storm.
• From Dough Flat: The Alder Creek route from Dough Flat, above Fillmore, is about 12 miles one way. The gate below Dough Flat is usually locked from around December 15 to May 1, which adds a couple of miles.
• From Piedra Blanca (longest): Drive north from Ojai on Highway 33 and turn right on Rose Valley Road, which ends at Piedra Blanca Trailhead. The Sespe River Trail follows an old road bed downstream for about 16.8 miles to the springs. Bear Creek Camp is near mile 4.5, Oak Flat around mile 7, and the Willett Hot Springs turnoff near mile 9.5. From the Willett area you continue downstream to the Johnston Ridge junction, climb to Sespe Camp, and take the side trail to the springs. Expect several creek crossings that can run deep after rain.

The road to Mutau Flat can need high clearance after rain, and hikers have reported a water crossing on it. Leave nothing visible in your car at any of these trailheads.

When to go

Late fall and spring are the best windows. Days are cool enough to make the climb tolerable and the creek is usually flowing. Spring brings green hills and more company.

Summer is hard. Daytime temperatures on these trails regularly reach 100°F38°C, the Johnston Ridge climb out has almost no shade, and cold water sources dry up. Several hikers report caching water for the return.

Winter brings two problems. The Dough Flat and Mutau Flat approaches have seasonal gates, and rain can make Sespe Creek dangerous to cross or cause flash floods in the canyons. Piedra Blanca stays open but the river crossings get harder.

Check current alerts for the Ojai and Mt. Pinos ranger districts before any trip. Fire closures and storm closures have both hit this part of the forest in recent years.

Rules and etiquette

• No permit, but pay to park. Wilderness entry and backcountry camping need no permit. Piedra Blanca Trailhead requires a Forest Adventure Pass or an America the Beautiful pass on your dashboard.
• Fire rules. Los Padres has forest-wide fire restrictions much of the year that ban campfires outside designated sites. A California campfire permit is required for stoves. Read the current order before you pack.
• No bikes or motor vehicles. The Sespe Wilderness is closed to mountain bikes.
• Stay out of the Sespe Condor Sanctuary. This condor closure area lies close to the Dough Flat approach, and a Forest Service order bars all public entry through at least October 2027. Stay on the marked trail.
• Pack it out. Visitors have reported toilet paper and human waste around the camps. Dig catholes well away from the creek and carry out everything else.
• Dress code. There are no rules on clothing. Some soakers go nude, others wear suits.
• No soap in the pools.

Where to stay nearby

You will almost certainly spend at least one night in the canyon.

• Trail camps at the springs: Informal camps sit along Hot Springs Creek, including a lower camp among oaks and a site locally called Palm Tree camp near the warm pools.
• Sespe Camp: About half a mile up the Johnston Ridge Trail from the Sespe River Trail junction, close to the hot springs side trail.
• Willett Hot Springs: On the Piedra Blanca route, a half-mile side trail leads to a second, smaller hot spring with a camp. It makes a good first-night stop.
• Rose Valley Campground: Near Piedra Blanca, off Rose Valley Road, for a night at the trailhead before an early start.
• Ojai and Fillmore: Both have motels and food. Ojai is the base for the Piedra Blanca approach, Fillmore for Dough Flat.

Safety notes

• Scalding water. The source is near 190°F88°C. One hiker reported that a fingertip was too much. Pools near the main outflow are too hot to touch. Test every pool with a hand, keep your head out of the water, and watch children and dogs closely.
• Drinking water. Cold water sources are often just a trickle. One hiker who drank filtered water here in 2021 became ill, and testing showed high dissolved solids. Bring enough water from a known source, or use a cold side stream and treat it carefully. Do not drink the hot spring water.
• Heat and exposure. The trails are exposed and dry. Start at first light, carry more water than you think you need, and turn back if you run low.
• Flash floods and crossings. Sespe Creek can rise fast after rain. Do not camp in the creek bed and do not cross high water.
• Remoteness. There is no cell service. Leave a trip plan with someone, and consider a satellite messenger.
• Poison oak grows thick near the lower creek crossings on Johnston Ridge. Long pants help.

Nearby stops worth adding

Willett Hot Springs, a little more than halfway along the Piedra Blanca route, is the natural pairing for a multi-day loop. Some hikers go in on the Sespe River Trail and out on Johnston Ridge to avoid retracing their steps, which needs a car shuttle between trailheads.