Los Padres Traverse (CA)

California, US

Distance

42 mi

Vertical Gain

5,100 ft

A traverse of Los Padres National Forest from Cuyama/Ventucopa to Upper Oso Campground (outside of Santa Barbara). The route starts at the last gate at the entrance to the Dick Smith Wilderness on Forest Route 9N11. It follows this road until it turns into Buckhorn Road, which it follows until Buckhorn Road terminates at Upper Oso Campground, where there is a gate as the road turns into Camuesa Canyon Road. This is the path of least resistance, following a fire road with no major turns for the entire traverse. The start point and end point are the last places to which a car can drive (with the exception of road closures), as these gates are permanently closed. 72km. A Strava segment has been created for this route. Traveling from north to south has the advantage of a net altitude loss of about 700m.

GPS Track

Los_Padres_Traverse.gpx879.51 KB

FKTs

Standard route

Male

Supported
Chris Andrews			5h 55m 16s	2020-11-22

Unsupported
Jeffrey Stern			5h 56m 22s	2021-01-23
Kris Brown			6h 28m 30s	2019-05-25

Female

Supported
Charlotte Cox			6h 28m 45s	2023-12-16

Unsupported
Katie Asmuth			7h 0m 43s	2020-08-08

Comments

This is a stunning route with a surprisingly mellow elevation profile considering the surrounding terrain. I highly recommend it, especially because of how underappreciated this area is -- not many people get out into this chunk of wilderness. It's very runnable, and water logistics are super easy. This could become a classic.

Feel free to get in touch with me for beta! Insta: @krisbobbrown

Hi there! I will be attempting the first supported FKT on this route this Sunday, November 22. I can barely contain my excitement; I can’t wait to have a long morning out running through the mountains, moving with friends and diligence along the way, and exploring across the traverse to see all about what’s up in that beautiful forest!

I'll be attempting this FKT unsupported on Saturday, January 16th.

Also available for beta! Email at katie.asmuth@gmail.com

Route: Los Padres Traverse (CA)

FKTs

Comments