Dough Flat to Pine Mountain Lodge Camp

This route is a 60.2-mile out-and-back in the Sespe Wilderness of Los Padres National Forest. It is a straightforward route along (mostly) well-defined and well-maintained trails, including Alder Creek Trail, Sespe River Trail, and Piedra Blanca Trail (also known as the Gene Marshall Piedra Blanca National Recreation Trail). The route begins at Dough Flat Trailhead near the town of Fillmore, and travels to Pine Mountain Lodge Camp, high up on the Pine Mountain massif. The part of the route along the Sespe River Trail can become crowded on weekends, but this route leaves the crowds eventually as makes the arduous climb up Pine Mountain.

The Alder Creek Trail heads directly north from the trailhead at Dough Flat before veering northwest toward Cow Spring and the fascinating rock formations at Stone Corral. As of this writing (summer of 2025), Alder Creek Trail has been recently worked on thanks to hearty efforts from the folks at Los Padres Forest Association, and is in superb condition. After dropping into Alder Creek itself, the trail climbs to Sespe Saddle before making the descent to Sespe Creek. This section is known for the marvelous Sespe Hot Springs located north of our route and up Hot Springs Canyon. Another option for hot springs is at Willet Hot Spring, near Ten Sycamore Flat. We continue on along Sespe Creek, making numerous crossings (where the trail can sometimes seem to disappear). At the junction to the trailhead, we bypass the trail to the often crowded parking lot and continue on to climb toward and on top of the eponymous white rock. The route soon meets Piedra Blanca Creek, which we follow as the trail heads continuously up. This stretch of trail has also been recently worked on by LPFA and is in excellent shape. Despite this work, be wary of the poison oak along this climb, especially near creek crossings. Near mile 30, we meet our turnaround at the camp at Pine Mountain Lodge, just above 6,000ft. (note that this elevation is much higher than the trailhead elevation, and may have significantly different weather conditions than the Sespe area).

It is extremely important to note that trail conditions in Los Padres vary drastically from season to season and year to year. Check hikelospadres.com for the most updated trail conditions and water reports, and please share your trip reports on the site upon your return so that everyone can safely explore this wonderful area. Poison oak is seemingly everywhere in Los Padres, including this route. This area can be extremely dry and hot, as well as extremely wet and cold. Be prepared! Additionally, check https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/lospadres for current information and important updates in Los Padres National Forest.

The road to Dough Flat closes during the winter, from approximately December 15-April 30. The gate closure adds around 2 1/2 miles one way to the trailhead.