Matilija Wilderness is a twenty-nine thousand two hundred seven-acre protected area in Los Padres National Forest near Ojai, created in 1992 in part to protect endangered California condor habitat. Covering most of the Matilija Creek watershed, it is a remote, rugged landscape of steep canyons, rock outcrops, and high ridges. Its name preserves Mat'ilha, a Ventureño Chumash village, and the canyons long supported Chumash gathering as well as later travel routes for miners and mail carriers. Recreation has drawn visitors since the late 1800s, though Matilija Dam blocked steelhead migration in 1948. Despite trail-access disputes and severe burning in the 2017 Thomas Fire, the wilderness remains largely intact and important for habitat, watershed protection, and backcountry travel.