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 Reporter |
Summary: Santa Paula Canyon is one of the best hikes in Ventura County. The trail takes you through picturesque St. Thomas Aquinas College, then along the shady banks of Santa Paula creek with plentiful swimming holes, capped by a spectacular 25 foot waterfall just past Big Cone Camp. Trailhead: From downtown Ojai, drive 11 miles east towards Santa Paula on Highway 150. Park in the trailhead parking on the right side of the road just east of the bridge, across from Thomas Aquinas College. Note that you must walk through a portion of the campus to reach the trailhead. (Lat:34.427571 Lon:-119.089664) Trail Guides for Santa Paula Canyon: Day Hikers Guide to Southern California by John McKinney (Olympus Press) Day Hikes in Ventura County California by Robert Stone (Day Hike Books) California Hiking by Tom Stienstra & Ann Marie Brown (Foghorn Press) Best Seasons: Year-Round User Groups: Hikers, Dogs, Bikes, Horses Ranger Contact: Ojai Ranger District, 805-646-4348 Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Jim Zuber, who has posted 104 other hikes on this site Trail Reviews Page 1 of 20 Submit your own review 
Reviewed by clara on 2/6/2013 Best hike i have been to in the Southern California region. Ahad an absolutly fun and adventurous time, especially at the waterslide. 
Reviewed by Caitlin on 9/21/2012 Trash ALL over the trail. And I'm not just talking about the illiterate bros and drunk neo nazis... 
Reviewed by KP on 5/6/2012 I have been doing this hike about once a year for 7 years now. I hiked it on 5/5/2012 and don't see myself ever going back to do it again. The Graffiti was bad before but now it is horrible. Just in the last year there has been a huge increase in vandalism. Entire rock walls and house sized boulders are completely covered with spray paint. It's sad that this once beautiful place has been destroyed. Maybe a good flood will wash it out. On a positive note the trail is in excellent shape (best I've ever seen it) but the water level is already very low. 
Reviewed by LM on 4/15/2012 The hike was great, other than the graffiti everywhere. Damn cholos... respect nature man, just because you're a cholo doesn't mean you have to spray paint everything! Is it written in the cholo manual that you have to deface everything? The trail was good and easy to follow. Never made it to the waterfall, but looking forward to the next time.
Reviewed by Leslie on 12/1/2011 Hiked on 11/26/11 with my sister and new friends we met at the trailhead. Other than the graffiti on the punchbowl walls (WHY?) the hike is really lovely, moderately paced, and along the stream most of the way. Trail is well-marked only through the college campus. After passing the oil field, many have marked the trail with spay paint and Hoodoos (stone cairns). We found that the orange spray paint arrows and stripes were the best to follow. After descending the the stream from the old camp site, go downstream and the punchbowl is only 200 yards around a bend that could be rather difficult for some to navigate. Enjoy!
Reviewed by The King on 7/25/2011 Took this hike 7/12 with 8, 10, 11, 40s & 60 year olds. Still plenty of water for a great time. It is a long hike and you often feel like you are not going the right way but stay with the stream and you'll get there. There are a few markers that are hard to find. Getting to the second set of pools is very challenging and slippery. Bring a water filtration system - you'll need it. You will go through much more water than you think. The college you walk around is absolutely beautiful. We left at 9:30 a.m. and weren't back to car until 8:00. It was a great day. We've done many hikes and the kids said this was their favorite. Kevin the 8 year old was stung by wasps on way back and still said it was his favorite hike! AWESOME!
Reviewed by Viewer on 5/31/2011 we took this hike today,at first it started off very beautifully til we found areself having to cross the river back and forth...due to lost trails! i definatly recommend posting up signs for the safety of the hikers! also having a sign of who to contact in case of getting seriously lost would help. Was beautiful and fun, but also dangerous, and ended up being very scary. my suggestions to people would to go in a group of four or more,and go early!! .
Reviewed by RN on 5/30/2011 Error: Reserved Word Found: -- Notice: Traveling in the backcountry can be hazardous. You are responsible for informing yourself about these hazards and taking necessary precautions. Information on this web site comes from volunteer reporters and may contain errors or omissions. A current guidebook and proper equipment are essential for safe enjoyment of the hikes posted on this site. Keys: California Hiking, California Trails, California Hikes, Ventura County Hiking, Ventura County Trails, Ventura County Hikes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
