Season of color through photographer's lens
Ojai Valley News photo by Perry Van Houten
Color and rushing water at the west fork Lion Canyon waterfall.
Winter arrives today, Dec. 21, at 2:23 p.m., but it’s not too late to catch a last glimpse of fall in the Los Padres National Forest. It’s a great time of year to get out for a hike — temperatures are down, the trails are empty and the trees are changing color. Consider these trails when planning a walk amongst the turning leaves. All three trailheads are located approximately 30 to 40 minutes north of Ojai.
Lion Canyon Trail (22W06)
Take Highway 33 north from Ojai and enter the Rose Valley Recreational Area. Drive Rose Valley Road to the marked Middle Lion Campground. If you’re day hiking, find a parking spot off the side of the road, outside the campground, to avoid the $10 day-use fee.
The trail crosses Lion Creek almost immediately, before ascending into a scenic canyon where cottonwoods and sycamores provide a glut of fall color. At 2 miles, you reach a junction where the trail splits three ways. The middle fork climbs to Nordhoff Ridge, while the left and right forks lead to trail camps and waterfalls.
The trails burned in the Thomas Fire and subsequent storms scoured out parts of the canyon and washed out portions of the trails, so some route-finding may be necessary. A hazard here is poodle-dog bush, a fire follower that, when touched, can cause a rash similar to poison oak.
Let’s take a look at three most popular hiking trails
Voting recently concluded in the 2018 Best of the Ojai Valley contest, in which readers cast votes in 140 categories, including favorite hiking trail.
The results will be published in the Best of the Ojai Valley supplement in the Oct. 19 edition of the Ojai Valley News.
From last year’s contest, here are our readers’ top three picks, along with directions to the trailheads and what hikers can expect.