Location: Ventura County, about 6 miles northeast of Ojai, 107 miles from Los Angeles

Maps

Auto Club: Ventura County

Forest Service: Los Padres National Forest: Mt Pinos, Ojai and Santa Barbara Ranger Districts

USGS Topo: Lion Canyon 7½

HPS: Route(s), waypoints and explanation of usage

Nearby Peaks: Topatopa Bluff, Hines Peak

Distance: 9 miles round trip on road and cross-country

Gain: 2300' total, 2200' out plus 100' on return

Time: 4-5 hours round trip

Rating: Class 1, moderate

Original: Warren E. von Pertz, November 1967

DRIVING ROUTE 1

• Take US 101 and SR 33 to the town of Ojai.
• From the intersection of SR 150 and SR 33 in Ojai, go north on SR 33 for 14.7 miles to a road on the right signed "Rose Valley - 4". Turn right.
• Go 3.1 miles to a fork on the right with a sign "Rose Valley Campground - 1/2". Turn right.
• Drive into the campground. If you are not going to camp here, park just outside the campground. If you are camping, there is a limit of two cars per campsite.

HIKING ROUTE 1

• From the parking area (3450'), hike up a road (22W15) on the west end of the campground past a locked gate.
• Continue up the road 2.2 miles to its junction with the Nordhoff Ridge Road (22W07) at 5050'.
• Turn left and continue on 22W07 past a wire gate at 3.7 miles.
• Continue to a saddle at 3.9 miles where the road leaves the ridge and goes down around the north side of Chief.
• Leave the road on the right side and follow a faint use trail up the ridge.
• Go over elevation 5471' and down into a saddle.
• Then follow a ducked route around the right side of the ridge and then left up to the summit.